Citation

Homiak KB, Singletary JE. Soc. Work Christ. 2007; 34(1): 18-46.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, North American Association of Christians in Social Work)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Studies of clergy, congregations, and victims of family violence often portray the church as a place of ongoing hope and increased pain. Some clergy deny that family violence is present in their congregations or fed ill-equipped to address it; other clergy are highly aware of this problem and are proactive in addressing its effects on families. In this study, the researcher mailed a survey to 100 different clergy in the (254) area code of central Texas in order to explore the number of abuse cases reported to clergy, how clergy address family violence, and the needs of clergy in responding to cases of reported abuse, Clergy also described their responses to these reports of abuse, which included confronting the families, informing authorities, referring victims to outside resources, and providing emotional, spiritual, and sometimes financial support. A small percentage of clergy felt very equipped to counsel victims of domestic violence (8%) or refer them to community resources (32%). The author provides implications for social workers, which include providing training for clergy and initiating collaborative relationships with congregations. Clergy need to promote violence-free congregations by recognising and condemning abuse, educating congregants, validating and empowering women, and collaborating with community agencies to provide safety and basic assistance for victims. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)