This book honors the courageous sex victims who exposed their abusers. The spotlight, and rightly so, has been on them and their predators. William Kraft contends, however, that little attention and help has been given to those who unknowingly knew a sex offender, people such as spouses, family friends, and parishioners--the unintended victims. Kraft gives these forgotten and silent victims a voice. He recognizes, listens, and responds to people who trusted, often admired, and perhaps loved a sex offender--the shocked woman whose husband is found guilty of sexual assault, the stunned parents and disillusioned parishioners of a pedophile priest, the lost man of an unfaithful wife, and the depressed parent of a promiscuous child. Kraft wants us to cease forgetting these victims and offer them help. His proposal is that sex abusers cause severe and lasting harm because their defilement is not only physical but also emotional, social, and most importantly spiritual because abusers violate bonds such as trust, fidelity, and love. Thus, Kraft offers concrete psychological and spiritual ways to achieve effective management and healing.

This book honors the courageous sex victims who exposed their abusers. The spotlight, and rightly so, has been on them and their predators. William Kraft contends, however, that little attention and help has been given to those who unknowingly knew a sex offender, people such as spouses, family friends, and parishioners—the unintended victims. Kraft gives these forgotten and silent victims a voice. He recognizes, listens, and responds to people who trusted, often admired, and perhaps loved a sex offender—the shocked woman whose husband is found guilty of sexual assault, the stunned parents and disillusioned parishioners of a pedophile priest, the lost man of an unfaithful wife, and the depressed parent of a promiscuous child. Kraft wants us to cease forgetting these victims and offer them help. His proposal is that sex abusers cause severe and lasting harm because their defilement is not only physical but also emotional, social, and most importantly spiritual because abusers violate bonds such as trust, fidelity, and love. Thus, Kraft offers concrete psychological and spiritual ways to achieve effective management and healing.

A long overdue book by a psychologist who has extensive clinical experience treating male victims of child sexual abuse, it explodes the myth that sexual abuse of male children is rare, or that the consequences are less serious than for girls. Hunter examines the physical and emotional impact of abuse on its victims and the factors affecting revovery. With personal case histories of victims and their families, this is a powerfully written and meticulously researched book that is a landmark in the field of child sexual abuse literature.

This edited collection provides an intersectional and transnational exploration of representations of sexual violence and rape within films, television shows, and digital media in the contemporary context of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Drawing upon sociology, gender studies, cultural studies, media studies, and Black feminist studies, chapters focus on women and texts at the margins of mainstream culture’s depictions of sexual violence. The editors and contributors examine the dominant narrative of the thin, cisgender, heterosexual white female victim, and the ways in which social and cultural conversations around race and gender impact and are impacted by depictions of sexual violence in media. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in sociology, gender studies, and media studies, particularly those interested in the intersectionality of race and gender. Chapter 1 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Highlighting the importance of a 'safe place' as the foundation of the healing process for those affected by child sexual abuse, this practical book details the factors that contribute to a secure therapeutic climate where recovery can take place. The Children and Families Project draws on the perspectives of those who have been abused to show how a person-centred approach to establishing a sense of safety can enable children and their relatives to regain trust and self-esteem. The book demonstrates how therapeutic services can be improved through feedback from service users and how creative activities such as storytelling, painting and drama can encourage the expression of experiences. The need for preventative work is also addressed. Of particular relevance to professionals is the exploration of some of the difficulties that may be encountered in this field of work, such as the tension that can arise between therapeutic work and the child protection system. This is an invaluable resource for anyone working with abused children and adults.