Rural Child Sexual Abuse in the African American Church Community: A Forbidden Topic

Abstract

The church as an institution in the African American community has played a vital role from slavery to the present day, serving as an oasis from the maladies of the world. However, the African American church is not immune from sex abuse scandals. This article provides statistics, descriptive case studies, coping strategies for survivors of sexual abuse, solutions for reducing the incidence of sexual abuse in the church, and implications for social work practice and policies.