Beyond Labels: The Complexity of Naming Clergy Sexual Abuse Victim-Survivors’ Experiences
摘要
This chapter explores how individuals who have experienced clergy sexual abuse within Korean Protestant churches navigate and reframe their identities, moving beyond reductive labels such as “victim,” “survivor,” “victim-survivor,” “coper,” and “thriver.” Drawing on Eun-Hye’s personal story as a focal case, it illustrates how each term can validate certain experiences while inadvertently limiting others, particularly within cultural and religious contexts shaped by patriarchal structures, honor-shame dynamics, and spiritual authority. The chapter emphasizes the fluidity of healing trajectories, underscoring that recovery is neither linear nor uniformly defined by a single identity. It further highlights the necessity for pastoral caregivers to engage with theological, psychological, and cultural complexities, recognizing that individuals may shift among these labels over time. In doing so, caregivers can better align their supportive strategies—through sensitive listening, intercultural awareness, and long-term, trauma-informed pastoral care. By acknowledging diverse expressions of trauma, resilience, and post-traumatic growth, faith communities can honor victim-survivors’ agency while building safer ecclesial spaces that foster ongoing healing and transformation.