The mission of the Black Sexual Abuse Survivors (BSAS) Web site is to serve as an online support group for black, adult males and females who were sexually abused as children.
BSAS is a non-professional, not-for-profit resource, where its participants provide support to each other online with their recovery from sexual abuse.
What is Sexual Abuse?
Sexual abuse is when a person (usually an adult, but can be another child/teen) forces or manipulates a child/teen into sexual activity, or uses the child/teen for his/her sexual gratification. This can include incest.
What is Incest?
Incest is sexual activity with a relative.
(Please note: Some individuals have expanded this definition to include non-blood-related, individuals who have a close relationship to the family or child/teen)
What are Sexual Abuse Survivors Recovering from?
They are recovering from being victims.
General Definitions
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): a psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event (i.e. wartime combat, physical violence, sexual abuse or a natural disaster) that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares and avoidance of reminders of the event — abbreviation PTSD — called also post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Coping Mechanisms: The sum total of ways in which we deal with minor to major stress and trauma. Some of these processes are unconscious ones, others are learned behavior, and still others are skills we consciously master in order to reduce stress, or other intense emotions like depression.
Sexual Abuse Survivor: someone who has experienced sexual abuse but identifies his/herself as a survivor as opposed to a victim. A survivor has the desire to live and rebuild their life.
Perpetrator: A person who commits a sexual act against a child. This person can be a man, woman, child/teen. Despite a common myth, homosexual men are not more likely to sexually abuse children than heterosexual men are.
RESOURCES FOR HEALING
Please note, the following lists are not comprehensive. Listed below are the
top 10 resources recommended by BSAS.
Top 10 books recommended by BSAS:
•“African Americans and Child Sexual Abuse,” by Veronica D. Abney
•“Boys into Men: Raising Our African American Teenage Sons,” by Nancy Boyd-Franklin, Pamela A. Toussaint,
and A. J. Franklin
•“Broken Boys/Mending Men: Recovery from Childhood Sexual Abuse,” by Stephen D. Gruban-Black
•“The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse,” by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
•“I Will Survive: The African-American Guide to Healing from Sexual Assault and Abuse,” by Lori S. Robinson
and Julia A. Boyd
•“Lasting Effects of Child Sexual Abuse,” by Gail Elizabeth Wyatt
•“No Secrets No Lies: How Black Families Can Heal from Sexual Abuse,” by Robin D. Stone
•“Racism & Child Protection: The Black Experience of Child Sexual Abuse,” by Valerie Jackson
•“Sexual Abuse in Nine North American Cultures: Treatment and Prevention,” by Lisa Aronson Fontes
•“Stolen Women: Reclaiming Our Sexuality, Taking Back Our Lives,” by Gail Wyatt
*For a comprehensive list of books on sexual abuse, click here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/
104-6485486-3943117?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=blacks+and+sexual+abuse
Top 10 web Sites
recommended by BSAS:
•Amanae: holistic non-touching bodywork specifically for those healing from trauma like sexual abuse. http://amanae.us/
•Black Women’s Health Imperative: national organization that focuses black women’s health. www.blackwomenshealth.org
•ChildHelp USA/National Child Abuse Hotline: a national organization that provides resources and support to abused children. www.childhelpusa.org
•Darkness to Light: a national nonprofit to designed to create public awareness and prevention of child sexual abuse. www.darkness2light.org
•Incest Survivors Anonymous (ISA): national 12-step support group for male and female incest survivors. http://www.lafn.org/medical/isa/home.html
•Men Can Stop Rape: an organization to prevent rape and violence against women. http://www.mencanstoprape.org
•National Center for Victims of Crime: a national organization that provides resources and help for victims of crime. www.ncvc.org
•Rape, Abuse & Incest National
Network: one of the country’s largest networks for sexual abuse survivors; has 24-hour hotline (800-656-4673), has list of local rape crisis centers. www.rainn.org
•Survivors of Incest Anonymous: organization for male and female sexual abuse survivors. This organization may also include perpetrators. www.siawso.org
•Voices in Action: international organization for sexual abuse survivors; provides local referrals for help.
www.voices-action.org
Black Psychologists:
The Association of Black Psychologists: has
a national list of black psychologists. http://www.abpsi.org/listing.htm
Legal Resources:
Lawyers for Children America (LFCA)
151 Farmington Avenue, RW4A
Hartford, CT 06156-3124
860-273-0441 (phone)
CT@lawyersforchildrenamerica.org (e-mail)
www.lawyersforchildrenamerica.org
One Voice the National Alliance for Abuse Awareness
PO Box 27958
Washington, DC 20038
202-667-1160 (phone); OVoiceDC@aol.com
(e-mail)
Distributes a guide for survivors considering litigation and an attorney referral list.
Justice for Children
733 15th Street NW, Suite 214
Washington, DC 20005
202-462-4688
www.jfcadvocacy.org
***For a comprehensive list, go to:
http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Support_Groups/Sexual_Abuse/Survivors/
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=sexual+abuse
+support+groups
Related articles
- The C.O.W.S. YURUGU Study Session (Pages 421 – 490) on Friday, June 29th at 8:00PM Eastern/ 5:00PM Pacific
- The C.O.W.S. YURUGU Study Session (Pages 351 – 420) on Friday, June 22nd at 8:00PM Eastern/ 5:00PM Pacific
- The C.O.W.S. YURUGU Study Session (Pages 151 -210) on Friday 06/01/2012 08:01 PM EDT
- The C.O.W.S. YURUGU Study Session on Friday, May 18th 8:00PM Eastern/ 5:00PM Pacific
- The C.O.W.S. YURUGU Study Session (Pages 281 – 350) on Friday, June 15th 8:00PM Eastern/ 5:00PM Pacific
- The C.O.W.S. YURUGU 3rd Study Session (pages 100 – 150) on Friday, May 25th 8:00PM Eastern/ 5:00PM Pacific
- The C.O.W.S. YURUGU Study Session (Pages 211 -280) on Friday, June 8th 8:00PM Eastern/ 5:00PM Pacific
- Mama Marimba Ani speaks on the Spiritual Connectedness of Our children
