Cultural and spiritual abuse
Australian and international research indicates the need to recognise spiritual and cultural abuse as a form of domestic and family violence that may be part of a broader and complex pattern of behaviours experienced by a victim. While they may be interrelated with broader patterns of physical, psychological, sexual, economic and other forms of violence, spiritual and cultural abuse have unique dimensions where spirituality or cultural identity is central to the victim’s way of life, or their personal sense of meaning, purpose and wellbeing.
As with many forms of domestic and family violence, spiritual and cultural abuse are means by which a perpetrator can exercise dominance, control or coercion over a victim (often identified as coercive control) who is especially vulnerable due to their spirituality or cultural identity. Behaviours may include any form of domestic and family violence and may involve the perpetrator:
belittling the victim’s spiritual or cultural worth, beliefs or practices
violating or preventing the victim’s spiritual or cultural practices
denying the victim access to their spiritual or cultural community
causing the victim to transgress spiritual or cultural obligations or prohibitions
forcing on the victim spiritual or cultural beliefs and practices that are in conflict with their own
manipulating spiritual readings and practices to justify abuse
misusing the traditions, practices and expectations of the spiritual or cultural community to which the victim belongs as a means of normalising or suppressing the abusive behaviours, silencing the victim, or preventing the victim from seeking support and help.
Some specific examples of these behaviours include the perpetrator:
denouncing the victim’s prayers as having no purpose or value
insisting that the victim honour the perpetrator rather than the victim’s cultural or spiritual beliefs
asserting his entitlement to a dowry from the victim’s family, or punishing the victim or her family for what he claims to be an insufficient dowry
publicly humiliating the victim during spiritual or cultural ceremonies
preventing the victim from wearing clothing prescribed by spiritual or cultural practices
preventing the victim from attending their chosen place of worship
causing the victim to transgress spiritual or cultural belief systems by forcing the victim to drink alcohol or to have intercourse during menstruation
citing biblical readings in claiming the eternal sanctity of marriage and God’s disapproval of divorce
compelling the victim to keep the abuse secret by threatening that disclosure will result in the victim being disbelieved, shunned and shamed by their spiritual or cultural community.
A review of the literature undertaken by researchers at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) found that:
Spiritual and religious abuse may be subtle and difficult for practitioners and service providers to recognise without other forms of abuse (e.g. physical violence) being present.
Spirituality/religion can have a dual role in relation to intimate partner violence (IPV). It can serve as an important coping mechanism for women experiencing IPV but can also contribute to the drivers of IPV.
Spiritual and religious abuse is linked to emotional and psychological distress, social isolation, and negative feelings about one’s faith and identity
Last updated: July 2024
Cultural and spiritual abuse
Australian and international research indicates the need to recognise spiritual and cultural abuse as a form of domestic and family violence that may be part of a broader and complex pattern of behaviours experienced by a victim. While they may be interrelated with broader patterns of physical, psychological, sexual, economic and other forms of violence, spiritual and cultural abuse have unique dimensions where spirituality or cultural identity is central to the victim’s way of life, or their personal sense of meaning, purpose and wellbeing.
As with many forms of domestic and family violence, spiritual and cultural abuse are means by which a perpetrator can exercise dominance, control or coercion over a victim (often identified as coercive control) who is especially vulnerable due to their spirituality or cultural identity. Behaviours may include any form of domestic and family violence and may involve the perpetrator:
belittling the victim’s spiritual or cultural worth, beliefs or practices
violating or preventing the victim’s spiritual or cultural practices
denying the victim access to their spiritual or cultural community
causing the victim to transgress spiritual or cultural obligations or prohibitions
forcing on the victim spiritual or cultural beliefs and practices that are in conflict with their own
manipulating spiritual readings and practices to justify abuse
misusing the traditions, practices and expectations of the spiritual or cultural community to which the victim belongs as a means of normalising or suppressing the abusive behaviours, silencing the victim, or preventing the victim from seeking support and help.
Some specific examples of these behaviours include the perpetrator:
denouncing the victim’s prayers as having no purpose or value
insisting that the victim honour the perpetrator rather than the victim’s cultural or spiritual beliefs
asserting his entitlement to a dowry from the victim’s family, or punishing the victim or her family for what he claims to be an insufficient dowry
publicly humiliating the victim during spiritual or cultural ceremonies
preventing the victim from wearing clothing prescribed by spiritual or cultural practices
preventing the victim from attending their chosen place of worship
causing the victim to transgress spiritual or cultural belief systems by forcing the victim to drink alcohol or to have intercourse during menstruation
citing biblical readings in claiming the eternal sanctity of marriage and God’s disapproval of divorce
compelling the victim to keep the abuse secret by threatening that disclosure will result in the victim being disbelieved, shunned and shamed by their spiritual or cultural community.
A review of the literature undertaken by researchers at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) found that:
Spiritual and religious abuse may be subtle and difficult for practitioners and service providers to recognise without other forms of abuse (e.g. physical violence) being present.
Spirituality/religion can have a dual role in relation to intimate partner violence (IPV). It can serve as an important coping mechanism for women experiencing IPV but can also contribute to the drivers of IPV.
Spiritual and religious abuse is linked to emotional and psychological distress, social isolation, and negative feelings about one’s faith and identity
Last updated: July 2024