Religious Abuse: Spotting the Signs and How to Cope

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding Abuse and an Abuse of PowerTypesSignsImpactHow to Get HelpConsider Therapy

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Understanding Abuse and an Abuse of Power

Types

Signs

Impact

How to Get Help

Consider Therapy

Religious abuse, also referred to as spiritual abuse, is a type of abuse that occurs within religious or spiritual communities.This can range from a religious leader shaming a member based on their sexuality to abusing a congregation member.

Additionally, religious abuse can occur at the hands of family members, friends, and partners. For instance, a partner may prevent their spouse from practicing their own or use religious doctrine to justify their abuse against them.

No one deserves to be abused and mistreated. We often think about abuse happening in the home and romantic relationships. However, religious abuse is a common issue that is not often talked about which can result inlong-lasting trauma.

This article will define religious abuse, help you identify types and signs of this abuse, and provide information onhow to get help.

Spiritual Bypassing as a Defense Mechanism

First, let’s start with understanding what abuse is. Abuse refers to “a corrupt practice or custom,” “to use or treat to injure or damage,” and “to put to a wrong or improper use.”

It’s also important to note that any form of abuse can happen in any religious or spiritual institution. Moreover, anyone from any religion or spiritual belief system can perpetrate this abuse.

An Abuse of Power

The most common abuse in religious institutions is an abuse of power, which leads to many forms of abuse. This abuse can present assexual,emotional,financial,physicalorverbalharm.

Abuse of Power & Religious Doctrine

When it comes to religious abuse, people can view this type of abuse as “religious doctrine.” Religious doctrine refers to a set of beliefs and/or practices that people belonging to a religion follow.If abuse is excused in the name of religious doctrine, it can lead people to overlook, normalize, or dismiss abuse.

What Is Trauma?

What Are Examples of Religious Abuse?

There may be various forms of abuse that occurs within a religious or spiritual setting:

Mental Health Effects of Different Types of Abuse

Signs of Religious Abuse

Spotting the signs of abuse is essential to staying safe. First, let’s explore the general indicators of anabusive relationship.

Control and Manipulation

They could get angry if you don’t tell them what you’re doing. They might even insult you based on an outfit you’re wearing. This behavior can escalate, resulting inmanipulation, sexual coercion, and physical assault.

Behavior like this can escalate gradually, which makes it difficult for members to identify what is happening as abusive.

Power Dynamics Are Present

Now, let’s consider how these signs ofabusemay present in a religious context. There may be members of the church who hold a lot of power, like a preacher or bishop. Power dynamics can lead to abuse such as:

One could be pressured into constantly donating money to their religious institution. Whenever they question the reasoning, areligious leader could begin manipulating theminto thinking they are failing God.

In other circumstances, someone may continually tell someone they’re disobeying God and going to Hell whenever they set boundaries.

Red FlagsRed flags to keep an eye out for include a religious leader using scripture to embarrass orshameyou, touching that makes you feel uncomfortable, and insistence on generous financial donations.

Red Flags

Red flags to keep an eye out for include a religious leader using scripture to embarrass orshameyou, touching that makes you feel uncomfortable, and insistence on generous financial donations.

The Link Between Religion and Fear

Impact of Religious Abuse

All forms of abuse lead to trauma. However, when abuse occurs in a religious context, the trauma isn’t only related to the harm caused. Some may find themselvesdisconnected from their faith, making it impossible to use their spirituality as a coping tool.

Faith Is ShatteredIn turn, this can create further despair and trauma. Abuse in a religious context can rob survivors of their well-being, relationships, and belief system.

Faith Is Shattered

In turn, this can create further despair and trauma. Abuse in a religious context can rob survivors of their well-being, relationships, and belief system.

The impact of abuse as a whole can be devastating. For example, those who experience abuse as children are more likely to develop issues withsubstance abuse,severe physical illnesses, and adverse mental health outcomes.

Others who experience domestic violence face similar outcomes, particularly compromised mental and physical health and decreased productivity, leading to economic insecurity.

How to Recognize and Cope With an Identity Crisis

Healing is possible. Whether you feel you may have experienced religious abuse or sense that someone you love has been victimized, below are a few helplines that you can get in contact with.

Hotlines You Can Contact

Additional ResourcesFor more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Additional Resources

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Trauma often follows abuse, so if you’re in distress it’s important to contact alicensed mental health provider.

Deconstruction in Narrative Therapy

So, to begin to heal, a process known asdeconstruction (typically involved in narrative therapy) can help you address what happened to you.

Deconstruction aims to help you break down your trauma into smaller parts to address each slowly.This can alleviate overwhelm.

Affording Mental Health Treatment

If you’re concerned about your ability toafford mental health care, you still have options. Consider finding a provider throughOpen Path Collective, an organization that offers therapy sessions beginning at $30.

You are more than deserving of help and healing and there are many therapists who will support you in yourhealing journey.

How to Find Emotional Healing

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Oakley L.Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse. London, UKPalgrave Macmillan; 2013:7-22.Merriam-Webster Dictionary.Abuse.Law Insider.Abuse of power definition.Vocabulary.com.Religious doctrine.Super JT, Jacobson L.Religious abuse: implications for counseling lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.J. LGBT Issues Couns. 2011;5(3-4):180-196. doi: 10.1080/15538605.2011.632739Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, Smock W.Domestic violence. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Purcell BC.Spiritual abuse.Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 1998;15(4):227-231. doi: 10.1177/104990919801500409Koch D, Edstrom L.Development of the spiritual harm and abuse scale.J Sci Study Relig. 2022;61(2):476-506. doi: 10.1111/jssr.12792Petersen AC, Joseph J, Feit M, et al.Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Washington, D.C. National Academies Press; 2014.Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, Smock W.Domestic violence. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022Heywood L, Conti J, Hay P.Paper 1: a systematic synthesis of narrative therapy treatment components for the treatment of eating disorders.J Eat Disord. 2022;10(1):137. Published 2022 Sep 8. doi:10.1186/s40337-022-00635-5

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Oakley L.Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse. London, UKPalgrave Macmillan; 2013:7-22.Merriam-Webster Dictionary.Abuse.Law Insider.Abuse of power definition.Vocabulary.com.Religious doctrine.Super JT, Jacobson L.Religious abuse: implications for counseling lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.J. LGBT Issues Couns. 2011;5(3-4):180-196. doi: 10.1080/15538605.2011.632739Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, Smock W.Domestic violence. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Purcell BC.Spiritual abuse.Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 1998;15(4):227-231. doi: 10.1177/104990919801500409Koch D, Edstrom L.Development of the spiritual harm and abuse scale.J Sci Study Relig. 2022;61(2):476-506. doi: 10.1111/jssr.12792Petersen AC, Joseph J, Feit M, et al.Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Washington, D.C. National Academies Press; 2014.Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, Smock W.Domestic violence. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022Heywood L, Conti J, Hay P.Paper 1: a systematic synthesis of narrative therapy treatment components for the treatment of eating disorders.J Eat Disord. 2022;10(1):137. Published 2022 Sep 8. doi:10.1186/s40337-022-00635-5

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Oakley L.Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse. London, UKPalgrave Macmillan; 2013:7-22.Merriam-Webster Dictionary.Abuse.Law Insider.Abuse of power definition.Vocabulary.com.Religious doctrine.Super JT, Jacobson L.Religious abuse: implications for counseling lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.J. LGBT Issues Couns. 2011;5(3-4):180-196. doi: 10.1080/15538605.2011.632739Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, Smock W.Domestic violence. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Purcell BC.Spiritual abuse.Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 1998;15(4):227-231. doi: 10.1177/104990919801500409Koch D, Edstrom L.Development of the spiritual harm and abuse scale.J Sci Study Relig. 2022;61(2):476-506. doi: 10.1111/jssr.12792Petersen AC, Joseph J, Feit M, et al.Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Washington, D.C. National Academies Press; 2014.Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, Smock W.Domestic violence. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022Heywood L, Conti J, Hay P.Paper 1: a systematic synthesis of narrative therapy treatment components for the treatment of eating disorders.J Eat Disord. 2022;10(1):137. Published 2022 Sep 8. doi:10.1186/s40337-022-00635-5

Oakley L.Breaking the Silence on Spiritual Abuse. London, UKPalgrave Macmillan; 2013:7-22.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary.Abuse.

Law Insider.Abuse of power definition.

Vocabulary.com.Religious doctrine.

Super JT, Jacobson L.Religious abuse: implications for counseling lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.J. LGBT Issues Couns. 2011;5(3-4):180-196. doi: 10.1080/15538605.2011.632739

Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, Smock W.Domestic violence. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.

Purcell BC.Spiritual abuse.Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 1998;15(4):227-231. doi: 10.1177/104990919801500409

Koch D, Edstrom L.Development of the spiritual harm and abuse scale.J Sci Study Relig. 2022;61(2):476-506. doi: 10.1111/jssr.12792

Petersen AC, Joseph J, Feit M, et al.Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Washington, D.C. National Academies Press; 2014.

Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, Smock W.Domestic violence. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022

Heywood L, Conti J, Hay P.Paper 1: a systematic synthesis of narrative therapy treatment components for the treatment of eating disorders.J Eat Disord. 2022;10(1):137. Published 2022 Sep 8. doi:10.1186/s40337-022-00635-5

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