Resources For Sex Abuse Victims - D'Amore Personal Injury Law, LLC

Resources For Victims Of Sexual Abuse

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At D’Amore Personal Injury Law, we are here 24/7 to help our clients in their time of need. Here you will find a list of resources to help you cope with past trauma.

Additional Resources

GROUNDING TECHNIQUES GUIDE

After a trauma, it’s normal to experience anxiety, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Grounding techniques help control these symptoms by turning attention away from thoughts, memories, or worries, and refocusing on the present moment. Click For A Grounding Techniques Guide.

GROUNDING WORKSHEET

Grounding is a set of simple strategies that can help you detach from emotional pain (e.g., anxiety, anger, sadness, self-harm). Here is a worksheet to get you started.

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES IN MARYLAND

All Maryland citizens should report suspected abuse or neglect to the local department of social services or to a local law enforcement agency. Visit Website

NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE

You can visit RAINN on their website or call the nation hotline number at 800.656.HOPE (4673) to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.

Supplemental Reading Recommendations For Trauma Survivors

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

“The Body Keeps the Score” highlights the importance of recognizing trauma as a whole-body experience and emphasizes the interconnectedness of the brain, mind, and body in the healing process. Van der Kolk explores various therapeutic approaches and interventions that have proven effective in treating trauma, including trauma-focused therapy, neurofeedback, and somatic experiencing.

• Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, Eberhardt

“Biased” is a thought-provoking exploration of the hidden prejudices that shape our perceptions and actions. It serves as a call to action, urging readers to confront their biases and work towards creating a more inclusive and unbiased society.

• Trauma stewardship: An everyday guide to caring for self while caring for others by Connie Burk and Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

“Trauma Stewardship” is a valuable resource for individuals in caregiving roles, providing a comprehensive guide to recognizing and addressing the challenges of this work. It encourages self-care and offers strategies for resilience, ultimately promoting the well-being of those who care for others.

• Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon

“Far From the Tree” is a thought-provoking exploration of parenting, identity, and difference. It examines the bonds of love that transcend societal norms and offers a compelling perspective on the value of embracing and celebrating the diversity that exists within families and communities.

• Queer (In)justice: The criminalization of LGBT People in the United States by Joey L. Mogul, Andrea J. Ritchie, and Kay Whitlock

“Queer (In)justice” is a significant contribution to understanding the experiences of LGBT people within the criminal justice system. It exposes the deep-rooted biases and injustices they face, while also offering a call to action for advocacy and reform to create a more equitable and inclusive society.

• What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

Powerful, enlightening, and hopeful, What My Bones Know is a brave narrative that reckons with the hold of the past over the present, the mind over the body—and examines one woman’s ability to reclaim agency from her trauma.

• Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children by Jason Berry

“Lead Us Not Into Temptation” exposes the complicity and silence of the Catholic Church hierarchy in the face of abuse allegations. It raises important questions about power dynamics, the prioritization of the institution over the well-being of victims, and the failure to hold perpetrators accountable.

• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

“How to Be an Antiracist” is a transformative book that offers a powerful framework for challenging racism and working towards a more equitable and just society. It serves as a guide for individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of racism and take concrete steps to actively oppose it in their personal lives and within broader systems and institutions.

• Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke

Unbound (2021) is a powerful memoir by Tarana Burke, the founder of the Me Too movement. Survivors of sexual abuse stay silent because of shame and victim-blaming around the abuse. The Me Too movement has created a remarkable community of survivors who support each other in challenging stigma and holding perpetrators to account.

• Powerarchy: Understanding the Psychology of Oppression for Social Transformation by Melanie Joy

Melanie Joy explores the concept of “Powerarchy” and its role in perpetuating various forms of oppression and abuse. Joy questions why individuals who oppose one form of oppression may still engage in others and examines the disconnect between people’s values and actions. She argues that Powerarchy, an invisible system, conditions us to believe in a hierarchy of moral worth and engage in unjust power dynamics. Joy highlights how powerarchies are sustained through cognitive distortions, narratives, and privileges. She also provides tools for personal and societal transformation. Through her analysis, Joy encourages readers to work towards dismantling Powerarchy and creating a more just world.

Additional Sources of Information

BishopAccountability.org

BishopAccountability.org is the largest public library of information on the Catholic clergy abuse crisis. We are a digital collection of documents, survivor witness, investigative reports, and media coverage. We also do basic research on abuser histories and church management, and we maintain definitive databases of persons accused in the United States, Argentina, Chile, and Ireland, with other databases in development.