Risk reporter asked Dr. Anna Salter that very question as well as others. Dr. Salter received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology and public practice from Harvard University and obtained a master’s degree in child study from Tufts University. Before moving to Madison, Wis., in the fall of 1996, she was in private practice in Lebanon, […]

“We’re firm believers in the Bible, so if God’s forgiven you, then we’re in no position to treat you otherwise.” These are the words of the interim pastor at New Gospel Outreach Church, shortly after learning that the senior pastor was arrested for sexually abusing a fourteen-year-old boy.   What is so incredibly dreadful is that […]

Here is an extraordinary e-mail from a Roman Catholic priest who hopes to give some insider perspective on why Archbishop Myers of Newark may have assigned this sex offender priest to a prestigious archdiocesan position. I republish it here with his permission. I have edited out a couple of things to protect the priest’s identity: […]

The on-the-job training of pastors and other faith leaders in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse isn’t working – it is dangerous and all too often has devastating consequences. A problem with on-the-job training is that it allows for mistakes. That is okay when you are cooking hamburgers, but not when it involves the […]

For immediate release: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda of Moraga, CA, East Bay Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (925-708-6175 cell, melanie.sakoda@gmail.com) The California Sex Offender Management Board is recommending to the legislature that only high-risk offenders should be required to register for life. Others, characterized […]

Editor’s Note: This column was co-authored by Jerome Elam. Behind the green curtain is where my world began to end. It was where my innocence was forever washed away in a porcelain pan filled with developer. Grainy images brought into strong relief on white paper that would become forever etched on my soul. It all […]

I recently discovered a video of a convicted female sex offender that was posted by her church.  At first glance, some may think this is a wonderful video about God’s love and redemption. However, a closer look exposes something much differe Though I don’t know the intended purpose of this video, its unintended result is […]

An analysis of the way the Greek Orthodox church views suicide A few decades ago, a distant relative here in Melbourne committed suicide. At the time, he was afflicted by a debilitating mental illness that altered his perception of reality. His death was confronting and infinitely traumatising for all of those who knew him and […]

Churches should be some of the safest and most welcoming communities for those who have suffered from sexual abuse. Sadly, today these are some of the places survivors feel most vulnerable as they are often shamed, silenced, and judged. This is most tragically illustrated by the case of a young girl who was sexually abused […]

I can’t tell you how frequently, because sadly I’ve lost track of the number of times a fellow survivor of childhood sexual abuse has told me someone in their life said to them, “why can’t you just get over it?” Someone commented the other day in one of the online support groups that I belong, […]