Sexual abuse is fundamentally an abuse of power. Abusers use their power, control, or influence over victims in order to gain access to sexual contact. Because there is a power imbalance, healing usually requires an infusion of power into the situation. The challenge for Aboriginal communities is to develop a strategy for dealing with sexual abuse that balances the needs of everyone involved in the situation for protection, healing, justice, and the restoration of healthy human relations. The community's own culturally-based understanding of how to best do this should provide the guiding framework for building a program.
Sexual abuse is a part of the pattern of life in many families and communities.
It is not possible to end abuse without changing the pattern. A process of community learning and development is also needed. Prevention and wellness programs, as well as community development must be a part of the process. In any case, healing comes from within. This manual is written to assist Aboriginal community sexual abuse response teams to develop their own strategies for addressing the issues of sexual abuse in their communities.