UNITED STATES
Religion News Service – Rhymes with Religion
Boz Tchividjian | Oct 23, 2014
Since beginning this blog almost ten months ago, I have posted a couple interviews with individuals I believe are heroes for their commitment and service to shining light into the dark places as they serve children and survivors of sexual abuse. I am amazed and immeasurably blessed at these quiet champions and think it is critical that they be introduced to the wider world. In an effort to facilitate this introduction, I have decided to start a monthly interview feature entitled, ‘Heroes in our Midst’. – Boz
Two years ago, I was privileged to meet a man who is giving his life to serving a large population of sexual abuse survivors who have been kept in silence for generations. Chris Anderson is the executive director of MaleSurvivor, an organization that serves male survivors of sexual trauma and their loved ones. This first of a two part interview with Chris will address the challenges faced by male sexual abuse survivors and the work of MaleSurvivor. Part two of the interview, which will be posted next week, will focus on the unique struggles that male survivors of sexual abuse face within faith communities and how those communities can actually be a resource for authentic hope and healing.
Boz: Tell us a little bit about MaleSurvivor? What is it and when did it start?
Chris: MaleSurvivor was founded in 1994 by a group of social workers, clinicians, and other interested professionals who recognized the lack of any formal organizations working to raise awareness and address the unique needs of male victims of sexual abuse. Nationwide, approximately 25% of men – 1 in 4 will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.
In our 20 years we have grown into a unique non-profit that brings together professionals across disciplines and survivors to build “communities of hope, healing, and support.” From the very beginning MaleSurvivor has worked to tear down barriers that keep male victims silent and ashamed. We helped establish one of the first, and currently the largest, online discussion board for male survivors and their loved ones. In 2001, MaleSurvivor held it’s first “Weekend of Recovery” – a unique experiential retreat that brings together a small group of male survivors with a trained, compassionate, and experienced group of mental health professionals for a powerful healing experience. Since that time MaleSurvivor has run over 60 retreats in locations all over North America and we have had over 1000 men attend a Weekend. Lastly, we continue to work to build relationships with professionals around the world to train others in how to better engage with and support male survivors of any form of sexual abuse.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.