PRESS RELEASE
April 14, 2016
For Immediate Release
Contact: Audra Jennings
Litfuse Publicity Group
903-874-8363
@litfuse

The first step to healing is giving abuse a name

Three men share their stories of sexual abuse as an encouragement for others to share theirs
 
Seattle: From Penn State to the Catholic Church scandal, stories of sexual abuse are covered in the national media, but news reports do not reveal all the facts of how prevalent abuse is among males. "The standard statistic is that one in six boys is sexually abused before the age of 18 (1in6.org). However, Male Survivor recently reported one in four men has been sexually abused," Andrew J. Schmutzer, co-author of Naming Our Abuse: God's Pathways to Healing for Male Sexual Abuse Survivors (Kregel Publications/April 27, 2016/ISBN: 978-0825444005/$14.99), explains. "One thing to understand about these statistics is that they are largely based on self-reporting, so they have been historically hard to come by. As specialists know, men don't readily talk about their abuse."
 
Given the staggering statistics, why then does the church seem to be averse to addressing the issue? This was the question asked by Schmutzer and his co-authors, Daniel A. Gorski and David Carlson, as they began their own journey toward recovery from childhood sexual abuse in their church support group. They also found most of the books on bookstore shelves were written for women. In response, they joined together to tell their stories in Naming Our Abuse.
 
Having experienced the horror of sexual abuse themselves, the authors are uniquely qualified to address the healing process. Each one shares his story, modeling for men how telling - and writing - their stories can play a significant role in recovery. "Writing helps the brain process the significance of what happened, not just the fact that it happened," Schmutzer explains. "Dignity is recaptured by remembering rightly, honestly and deeply. Writing honors pain by putting it in black and white."
 
Using the easily relatable metaphor of a car accident, Naming Our Abuse leads the victim from their "Wreck," to writing the "Accident Report," on to "Rehabilitation" and ultimately "Driving Again." The four-step model also illustrates for readers that healing is a process, rather than something that can be healed through a single counseling session, support group or some kind of spiritual experience.
 
Naming Our Abuse also appeals to men by requiring active engagement as opposed to passive reading. Readers are encouraged to go at their own pace, allowing themselves to identify with the fears, experiences, relational fallout and emotional pain that the authors share. After reading through each stage of recovery, the book prompts readers to reflect on their own experiences (journaling) and consider next steps (questions to answers and action points) and concludes by offering coping tips to help readers on their journey.
 
Learn more about Naming Our Abuse and its authors at www.kregel.com.
 
Advance Praise 
 
"This book will be a great help to those who have suffered in secret not knowing if they can tell anyone their story or if they will be believed. Please read this book so you will better understand what many men are facing; and if you have been abused, you will be glad it has been put into your hands."
            ~ Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, senior pastor, The Moody Church, Chicago
 
"In Naming Our Abuse, these powerful stories bring us that much closer to shattering the silence and shame that has choked the lives of too many for too long."
            ~ Boz Tchividjian, executive director, GRACE
 
About the authors

Andrew J. Schmutzer is Professor of Biblical Studies at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. He holds a B.A. in Theology from Moody Bible Institute, a Th.M. in Old Testament from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies from Trinity International University. Schmutzer's writing includes numerous academic essays, articles and study note contributions to the New Living Translation Study Bible (Tyndale). He's a member of Christian Counseling Professionals of Chicagoland, as well as an associate member of the Trauma & Transformation project to address sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. He serves as a consultant for www.1in6.org., an organization to help male victims of sexual abuse.
 
Schmutzer was born in South Africa and raised by missionary parents in Zululand and Swaziland. He and his wife, Ashley, are co-founders of a support group for sexual abuse survivors called CHAI (Courageous Healing of Abuse and Isolation). The couple has three children.
 
Schmutzer was born in South Africa and raised by missionary parents in Zululand and Swaziland. He and his wife, Ashley, are co-founders of a support group for sexual abuse survivors called CHAI (Courageous Healing of Abuse and Isolation). The couple has three children.
 
Daniel A. Gorski is a 30-year veteran software engineer who has worked for companies such as AT&T and Nokia. He earned a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Illinois and a M.S. in Computer Science from Kansas State University, specializing in expert systems and software automation.
 
David Carlson is a special education teacher, working in the suburbs of Chicago for the majority of his adult life. He takes great pride in being an advocate for his students and their families, helping them to navigate whatever challenges life may present.
 
Suggested interview questions
  • What brought the three of you together to write Naming Our Abuse?
  • It seems we hear more about sexual abuse among girls and women than we do boys and men. Could you share some of the statistics regarding male sexual abuse?
  • Why did you choose the metaphor of a car accident for the book's outline and format? What are the four stages you walk readers through?
  • How does a man recapture his dignity through telling his story of childhood sexual abuse (CSA)?
  • You say writing down your stories "translated your trauma." What did you mean by that? What are other benefits of writing therapy?
  • How is Naming Our Abuse designed specifically to address the ways men recover from CSA?
  • What are some of the stereotypes Christian men are often judged by that can make it difficult for them to be honest about their abuse?
  • Sometimes when a family member is named as the abuser, the rest of the family's first instinct is to defend the abuser rather than protect the abused. What should a family do when they learn abuse has occurred?
  • What are some of the warning signs families should be aware of if abuse is happening within the home, at school or anywhere else?
  • How can childhood abuse affect a person's ability as an adult to assess and process incoming messages and situations properly?
  • How can churches be more supportive of victims and aid in the recovery process?
  • What are some things you should NEVER say to a victim of CSA?
  • Why is forgiveness not the same as reconciliation? Do victims of CSA need to reconcile with their abusers?
  • At the end of the book, you each wrote a letter to your younger self. What was the purpose behind that?
 
To request a review copy of Naming Our Abuse, to schedule an interview with Andrew J. Schmutzer or for more information, please contact Audra Jennings, [email protected].

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