Understanding spiritual and religious abuse in the context of intimate partner violence
From a research paper by The Australian Institute of Family Studies
Spiritual and religious abuse is when a person uses spiritual or religious beliefs to hurt, scare or control someone. It has also been described as a type of emotional and psychological abuse, characterised by a consistent pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour within a religious or spiritual context.
Spiritual and religious abuse in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) may take several forms, including:
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Ridiculing or making fun of someone’s religious or spiritual beliefs to undermine their identity and sense of self or self-confidence
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Isolating the person from communal worship or limiting religious activities
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Forcing someone to convert to a religion
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Using religious teachings or traditions as a justification for controlling or manipulating a person – for example, in relation to decisions about pregnancy and birth control or telling a person to be more patient and forgiving
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Using religion or religious texts/teachings to minimise, deny or justify acts of abuse and violence
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Using religious teachings to convince individuals to stay in abusive relationships, including refusing or threatening a religious divorce.
Spiritual and religious abuse in the context of IPV may be subtle and difficult to recognise if it is not co-occurring with other forms of abuse (e.g. physical violence, financial abuse, reproductive coercion - forced abortion/pregnancy).
Spiritual and religious abuse is not limited or confined to any particular religions/faiths or communities.
Spiritual and religious abuse is linked to emotional and psychological distress, social isolation, and negative feelings about one’s faith and identity. Several UK studies have explored spiritual and religious abuse in the context of IPV and found a range of negative impacts:
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A study of churchgoers in North-West England found that among those that had experienced IPV, the impacts of IPV included: diminishing self-esteem, becoming depressed, withdrawing from family and friends, feelings of anxiety and fear, stopping attending church, and feelings that their faith had been negatively affected.
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A UK study of victim-survivor experiences of intimate partner spiritual abuse and religious coercion reported that long-term impacts of abuse included: anxiety and depression, feelings of guilt and sadness, disruption to family relationships, exclusion from leading activities or being silenced within their faith community, and negative impacts on spiritual/religious identity.
Research across different religious groups has identified that religious leaders are often inadequately equipped to respond effectively to IPV and their responses can have negative impacts on victim-survivors’ help-seeking experiences. Also, there may be a culture of denial and defensiveness among religious leaders and communities about the existence of IPV as a problem that needs to be addressed.
Moreover, studies have documented that faith leaders may use religious texts and teachings to minimise and ignore abuse and prevent victim-survivors from seeking help. A US study examining help-seeking experiences found that religious leaders’ support to victim-survivors tended to focus on regular prayer and church attendance rather than survivor safety.
A review of international research also found that leaders often prioritised the church or community above women’s safety and often encouraged women to remain in their abusive relationships. These types of responses can become a pivotal moment for some women, prompting them to seek formal assistance outside their faith/religious community.
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The paper provides some practice considerations:
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Increase your awareness and knowledge of spiritual and religious abuse and the intersection between IPV and religion/spirituality.
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Be mindful that many victim-survivors may experience multiple forms of abuse at different stages throughout their lives.
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Reflect on your own religious/spiritual beliefs and attitudes.
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Practitioners can support victim-survivors by helping them recognise the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships.;
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It is important to acknowledge and understand the role of religion and spirituality in their lives and how it may affect help-seeking behaviour or engagement with support.
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Use positive and strengths-based language about safe, healthy, positive and respectful relationships; this is more engaging than using negative language or labelling, which can stigmatise individuals and lead to disengagement from support.
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Avoid stereotyping individuals based on their religious affiliation and avoid making judgements and blaming religions/faiths for abusive behaviour that can lead to clients feeling alienated and negatively judged.
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Explore their religious/spiritual identity and evaluate how their religious/spiritual practices or beliefs impact them within the context of their experiences of IPV. This may increase their level of engagement with support and the knowledge may help address barriers to help.
Read the full paper here.
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From a research paper by The Australian Institute, 16/07/2024