This is a summary of an article that was originally published in the Catholic News Agency.
In 2017, TIME Magazine named a group of abuse and sexual assault whistleblowers in the workplace as “The Silence Breakers.” This magazine issue came shortly after allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
The fury of allegations shed light on the need for victims to get healing, overcome embarrassment and avoid retaliation or retribution.
In the article, Dr. Benjamin Keyes, a psychologist and Director of the Center for Trauma and Resiliency Studies at Divine Mercy University, said it’s important to support and encourage victims:
“There’s a whole lot of relief that someone has finally heard the story…they’re no longer isolated with the information, and how well they fare afterwards really depends on what happens around them.
“The Church can be supportive, especially in the parishes, (by) making it safe for (whistleblowers) to be who they are, by acknowledging the courage that it took for them to do that, and to be supportive vocally within the body of the Church so that people hear that the Church is supporting it,” he said.