Training Materials

As a PASTOR what are the most important things for me to know about domestic abuse?

by Barbara Roberts. This is one of the FAQ pages on this website.

Assessing men who present as victims of family violence but who may actually be the primary aggressor (PDF) [Internet Archive link]

Nathan DeGuara draws on the work of the Victims Support Agency and No To Violence in assisting practitioners to assess whether men who are referred – or who present – as victims of intimate partner violence are the victim or the one perpetrating violence. The PDF linked to above is a PDF of the Powerpoint presentation Nathan DeGuara gave at the No To Violence Conference [Internet Archive link] held in Melbourne, Australia, in November of 2012.

Australian Maltreatment Study: The prevalence and impact of child maltreatment in Australia: Findings from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study

This study found that one in ten Australian men have committed a child sex offence, and one in six men are attracted to children. From the Twitter thread by Michael Salter, November 24, 2023, formatted to fit the ACFJ blog:

We’ve had some questions about our child sexual abuse perpetration prevalence survey, which found that one in ten Aust men have committed a child sex offence, and one in six men are attracted to children. The prevalence and impact of child maltreatment in Australia: Findings from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study [Internet Archive link]

We used 18 as the age of consent across all offences, although consent varies in Australia between 16 – 17. It is 18 for many child sex offences (ie child sexual abuse material, child sexual exploitation). Some have suggested that this inflated our findings. Why did we use 18 as the age of consent? Although our report focused on the Oz data, this is a multi-jurisdictional study that surveyed men in Oz, UK and USA. The age of consent varies up to 18 across the three countries.

We wanted comparative data so, rather than ask different questions in different countries, we standardised the questions with 18 as the age of consent across all offences. It is reasonable to question whether a lot of men are reporting consensual relations ie 19 yo [years old] and a 17 yo [years old]. However, 70% of men who reported sexual contact with children indicated online offending or sexual interest in children. The remainder indicated that they were friends with people they knew were sexually abusing children (we asked this) or had other risk indicators. There were only a couple of men in the sample who indicated sexual contact with children who had no other risk indicator. And the contact offending sample skewed much older — five times more likely to be 65 and above.

An alternative explanation that has been put to me is that elderly men are much more likely to report sex at 19 with a 17 yo [year old], which is a novel explanation with no empirical evidence that I’m aware of, and does not fit our data. In short, we are confident in our offending findings.

The distinction between sexual interest in prepubescent children and teenagers is important. We specifically asked youngest age of attraction so we can disaggregate this data, and we will be publishing more detailed analysis over the next 12 months. We have no fewer than nine papers in the drafting process based on this study. The comparative findings between the three countries allow us to identify the social determinants of child sexual abuse, in what we believe will make a significant contribution to primary prevention.

Churches Caring for People with Memory Issues

by Jim Patterson, The Roys Report, April 2, 2024.

Culture Reframed

Building resilience and resistance in young people to hyper-sexualized media and pornography.

The Debate Over Men’s Versus Women’s Family Violence

This paper by Dr. Michael Flood, postdoctoral fellow at La Trobe University, demonstrates that there is no ‘gender symmetry’ ion domestic violence, there are important differences between men’s and women’s typical patterns of victimization, and while men often are the victims of violence, they are most at risk from other men.  Permission is granted for this document to be circulated and posted online.

A Gender Debate in Domestic Violence: The Role of Data, by Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse

This paper discusses the issues of gender and violence in relationship and the controversy between proponents of gender asymmetry (i.e. men are more likely to be violent and women more likely to be victims) and proponents of gender symmetry (i.e. men and women are equally violent and equally likely to be victims). This is a downloadable PDF.

The Heart of Trauma: Healing Our Embodies Brains in the Context of Relationships, Part 1 (Video)

by Bonnie Badenoch, PhD, LMFT. From the video (modified): This is a FREE introductory webinar with Bonnie Badenoch. Bonnie will discuss her May 21, 2021 training workshop with PCPSI (Professional Counselling and Psychotherapy Seminars Ireland) “The Heart of Trauma: Healing Our Embodied Brains in the Context of Relationships”.

Information on Bonnie Badenoch from the Professional Counselling and Psychotherapy Seminars Ireland (PCPSI) page for the webinar: We at PCPSI are excited to host this five-part webinar series with Bonnie Badenoch, PhD, LMFT, a marriage and family therapist, supervisor, teacher and author. She is co-founder of the nonprofit agency, Nurturing the Heart with the Brain in Mind in Portland, Oregon. For some time, we have admired Bonnie’s approach to integrating relational neuroscience, Interpersonal Neurobiology (Dr Daniel Siegel) , The Divided Brain (Dr Iain McGilchrist) and the Polyvagal Theory (Dr Stephen Porges) into the art of therapy.

Time marks for the video:
Time mark: 15:18 — Definition of Trauma
Time mark: 18:25 — Lack of Empathic Witness
Time mark: 19:23 — Why is Non-Judgmental Presence So Important in Facility and Safety in the Counseling Room
Time mark: 22:37 — Bodies Lean toward Healing
Time mark: 30:55 — Breathing
Time mark: 32:35 — Implicit Memory
Time mark: 33:04 — Behavioral Impulse
Time mark: 43:16 — Unlocking the Emotional Brain
Time mark: 44:26 — Sensitive Mindfulness

The Heart of Trauma: Healing Our Embodies Brains in the Context of Relationships, Part 2 (Video)

by Bonnie Badenoch, PhD, LMFT.

Time marks for the video:
Time mark: 11:28 — How is the Circuitry of Relationship Built
Time mark: 13:47 — Hand Model of the Brain
Time mark: 15:55 — The Myth of Self Regulation
Time mark: 16:20 — Core Regulation
Time mark: 16:39 — Co-Regulation
Time mark: 22:58 — Mirror Neurons and Resonance Circuitry
Time mark: 25:55 — Internalized Secure Base
Time mark: 27:30 — Addiction
Time mark: 29:39 — The Challenges of Healing Developmental Trauma
Time mark: 29:50 — Why Developmental Trauma is So Challenging to Heal
Time mark: 41:52 — Intentional Touch

Honouring our Clients’ Resistance to Violence and Oppression

Interview with therapist and researcher Dr Allan Wade.

Honouring Women’s Resistance: How Women Resist Abuse in Intimate Relationships

Excellent 34 page PDF booklet from Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter.  Their booklet Choosing to Change: A Handbook for Men concerned about their abusive behavior toward those they love – may be helpful for abusers who want to change.

Investigating Non Fatal Strangulation Assault: A Trauma Informed Approach

Tom Tremblay is a retired Chief of Police from Burlington, Vermont and the former Commissioner of the Vermont Dept. of Public Safety.  He has been an advisor and instructor in the investigation of domestic violence and sexual assault. We are impressed by the way Tom Tremblay recommends how to question victims in a way that understands their distress and how the trauma might have affected them.

Also by Tom Tremblay: Sexual Assault:  A Trauma Informed Approach to Law Enforcement First Response.

Jimmy Hinton — podcast on radio show “Restory” with Mary DeMuth

Jimmy Hinton is a child protection advocate, a pastor, a husband and a father.  In 2011, after learning that his (pastor) father had molested young girls, he and his mom turned him in to authorities.  He is now serving a 30-60 year sentence.  This is a 50 minute interview where Jimmy tells his story of how he found out about his father and the circumstances leading up to his father’s arrest.  In addition Jimmy talks about how most Christians don’t understand what the Bible says about evil.  He talks about sin leveling, the role of the pastor and church leadership and how their role is to protect the sheep and they are to report, not investigate, criminal matters.

Language and Violence Masterclass by Dr Linda Coates

Dr Linda Coates and Dr Allan Wade founded the Centre for Response-Based Practice Canada

Making the Church a Safe Place

In this two-part video training, Dr. Phil Monroe, Professor of Counseling and Psychology at Missio Seminary (was Biblical Seminary) explores how faith communities can unintentionally create additional distress for those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  The video series shows how to 1) identify common struggles of trauma survivors in faith communities, 2) understand the impact of trauma on the brain functioning and interpersonal relationship, 3) recognize the tendency to over-spiritualize invisible wounds, and 4) identify leader, lay, and counselor interventions to improve the church experience of those suffering from PTSD. The video series starts near the end of the page.

The myth of women’s false accusations of domestic violence and rape and misuse of protection orders

It is a myth that women routinely make up allegations of domestic violence and rape, including to gain advantage in family law cases. And women use protection orders to remove men from their homes or deny contact with children.

• • Rates of false accusations of rape are very low.
  • The risk of domestic violence increases at the time of separation.
  • Most allegations of domestic violence in the context of family law proceedings are made in good faith and with support and evidence for their claims.
  • Women living with domestic violence often do not take out protection orders and do so only as a last resort.
  • Protection orders provide an effective means of reducing women’s vulnerability to violence.

Neurobiology of Trauma & Sexual Assault

A video by Jim Hopper, Ph.D., July 2015. From the YouTube description: 110-minute version (don’t worry, it’s very engaging!) of Dr. Hopper’s most popular and high-impact training for investigators, prosecutors, higher ed administrators, etc. More at Jim Hopper: Sexual Assault & the Brain.

Respecting & Listening to Victims of Violence

This handbook produced by Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter explains how to talk with victims in respectful ways — ways that will really help women who are being abused by their partners.  NB: the word violence in the title does not mean it’s only restricted to physical violence. The authors of the handbook are using the term in the way many professionals use it, to cover all the various tactics of coercive control that domestic abusers can use: emotional, verbal, financial, social, sexual, physical, spiritual and legal abuse.

Risk Assessment

For practitioners and victim-advocates, this article explains what is necessary to understand and assess risk.

Screening Questions for Intimate partner sexual abuse

Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs

Sexist humour and rape jokes: Five key points

Paper by Michael Flood.  Sexist jokes often are dismissed or excused as harmless fun. Yet they have real, negative effects in the world. They are linked to sexist and violent behaviour, they worsen gender inequalities, and they increase tolerance for violence against women.

Strangulation: Detection & Investigation

Brian Bennett is a domestic violence instructor with the State Criminal Justice Academy in South Carolina and an advisor in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Together We Heal

Founded by David Pittman, a child sexual abuse survivor, this website is for any who suffer from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse.  It exists to provide guidance and counseling to those in need, educate any who seek information on how to better protect our children and to expose the sexual predators and their methods.