Caring for perpetrators of sexual violence: a pastoral theological perspective defining sexual violence, possible causes, its impact, and risk factors

Abstract

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 As a church pastor, I have often observed that many worshippers seek counselling due to their challenges in their various walks of life. These challenges vary widely, ranging from difficulties with children coping with schoolwork to financial and marital problems, which can lead to harmful coping mechanisms such as substance abuse (Miranda & Van Nes 2020:np). Upon closer examination through narrative therapy, it frequently becomes evident that sexual violence is the underlying cause of many of these issues.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 The Impact of the Study Non-pastoral counselling disciplines, which contribute to efforts combating sexual violence, define it as follows: 𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 (Jelin 2012:343-345; Blandino et al. 2021:112). These non-consensual sexual acts include criminal offences such as rape, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment (Augustyn et al. 2024:1-32; Ferragut 2022:757-775; Quick & McFadyen 2017:286). 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵'𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀.

This understanding will inform the church's role in contributing to combating sexual violence. Given the increasing prevalence of sexual violence in South Africa (Ajayi et al. 2021:7; Devries & Meinck 2018:367-368; Isilow: 2021:np), an examination of related literature indicates that considerable efforts have been made to empower counselling and pastoral care practices for victims of sexual violence (Rudolfsson & Tidefors 2015:453,463-467; Dlamini 2022:238-249; Koloti 2021:108-110). 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗜 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. To address this gap, I conducted an empirical study to determine whether the church is willing and capable of contributing to the fight against sexual violence perpetration, particularly by providing pastoral care to perpetrators, in addition to its prophetic responsibility.