Cherry Hill Seminary Releases “Don’t Look Away”
Recognizing & Responding to Abuse for Non-Professionals
In response to growing concern about accountability in our communities, Cherry Hill Seminary has released a free media presentation called “Don’t Look Away: Recognizing & Responding to Abuse for Non-professionals.”
“Don’t Look Away” was created to help individuals and small groups better understand the nature of sexual abuse and appropriate ways to respond, as well as what to do if you have been abused, yourself. Numerous resources are given, such as the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, National Domestic Violence Hotline, and others.
The presentation also references a newEmergency Resources page on the Cherry Hill Seminary web site. The page is a quick reference, not only on sexual abuse, but on domestic violence, addictions, child and elder abuse and neglect, mental health, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“So many of us, unless we are a professional trained in such matters, don’t really know what to do or not do when we are confronted with possible abuse,” said Executive Director Holli Emore. “For far too long, we have either not recognized the signs of abuse among us, or we have looked away, assuming, hoping, that someone else will take care of the problem. But those problems don’t go away by themselves.”
Don’t Look Away is intended for a general, public audience; that is, it is not a scholarly piece. It is simple, direct and to the point. The additional resource links enable the viewer to pursue further information, if they wish. Cherry Hill Seminary also offers extensive coursework in ethics, pastoral counseling, and related issues.
Feel free to share Don’t Look Away widely. You are asked not to change the content, and to credit Cherry Hill Seminary as the creator. For more information, visit www.cherryhillseminary.org.
