Healing From Past Trauma and Brokenness

Every 68 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. And every 9 minutes, that victim is a child. Meanwhile, only 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison. (source: https://rainn.org/statistics)?

One billion children globally are estimated to experience sexual violence. Source: World Health Organization 2022

The trauma of child abuse causes children to lose their sense of safety and trust in the world and harms their relationships. Left untreated, the trauma of child abuse can lead to:

• Mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms;
• Behavioral changes like substance use disorders, risky sexual behaviors, or increased risk for violence against oneself and others and
• Physical health problems like infections, injuries, or even heart disease or diabetes later in life. (CDC Fast Facts: Preventing Child Sexual Abuse)

In a recent Unconventional Ministry podcast episode, Mischelle Saunders-Gottsch Founder and President of Altered Stories, joined the podcast to share her story. Her ministry, Altered Stories, helps Christian women by sharing their redemptive and transformational God stories. Through the faith-filled God stories shared, women everywhere heal from past trauma and brokenness. Altered Stories comes from MMischelle'sown experience with a cult in her early childhood years and how God used this traumatic experience to bring her to her calling.

Did you know there are four common types of abuse and neglect (Source CDC):

• Physical abuse?is the intentional use of physical force that can result in physical injury. Examples include hitting, kicking, shaking, or other shows of force against a child.1
• Sexual abuse?refers to any completed or attempted sexual acts or sexual contact with a child by a caregiver. Examples include fondling, penetration, and exposing a child to other sexual activities.1?Read more information about child sexual abuse.
• Emotional abuse?refers to behaviors that harm a child's self-worth or emotional well-being. Examples include name-calling, shaming, rejecting, and withholding love.
• Neglect?is failing to meet a child's basic physical and emotional needs. These needs include housing, food, clothing, education, access to medical care, and validation and appropriate response.

The US Department of Justice estimates that only 30% of sexual abuse cases are reported to authorities.

The Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP) was created in 2019 to provide awareness, accreditation, and resources to help Christian organizations that serve kids and protect the vulnerable in ministry. In the United States, 10% of all children will report experiencing some form of sexual abuse before age 18.

90% of those abused know their abuser.

According to Lifeway Research:

• 44% of Protestant churchgoers say they have been sexually victimized.
• 12% of these instances happened within the church.
• 10% of Protestants under age 35 reported leaving a church because of sexual misconduct.

A recent episode of?the SAT-7 ARABIC program?You Are Not Alone highlighted stories of viewers whose lives have been transformed through?SAT-7’s ministry. From a young woman who was abused as a child but learned to love others to a mother who found peace after attempting suicide, their testimonies show how God is at work in the lives of people across the Arab world.

Raped at aged 14 and married off to a man 24 years her senior, Hawra’ suffered years of abuse that made her feel that she had been “buried alive.” Today, she is an inspirational activist who campaigns against under-age marriage.