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1.21 SPIRITUAL ABUSE -- TYPES AND CATEGORIES OF ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR

==== Spiritual Abuse

MEANING: Anything an adult does that interferes or distorts a child's spiritual growth may be abusive. For example, adults are spiritually abusive when they assert they can speak for God. This happens when an adult says, "If you don't do what I tell you, God will punish you." Telling a child, that he or she is evil is also abusive since the child's behavior may be bad but the child is not.

Spiritual abuse can also be the corruption by an older person of a child's value system. Beyond childhood it may be the disrespect for another's religious beliefs. This can involve preventing people from practicing their religion.

Churches and religious groups define spiritual abuse differently. They refer to it as the abuse by a church or a leader who tries to control or manipulate.

PERSONAL NOTE FROM RICK DOBLE: If a child does something bad, it is crucial that the behavior be labeled as bad but NOT the child. While this seems like a fine distinction it is like night and day. If children believe they are fundamentally bad, they may decide that this is their true nature. If however, they are told that their behavior is bad and needs to change, they are much more likely to comply.

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