Exploring Domestic Abuse in the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to create awareness of domestic abuse in the Church, more specifically the Seventhday Adventist Church (SDAC). Due to a lack of corporate cooperation, it was necessary to conduct an exploratory qualitative pilot study, using snowball sampling to recruit six married females aged, 25–50, members of the SDA church, from three Caribbean countries. The participants reported that they were aware of several females who experienced domestic abuse, including violence, but were reluctant to self-disclose because of shame, stigma lack of trust, and support of church members and clergy. The study concluded that there is domestic abuse in the SDA church, the extent of which remains concealed and unexplored. There is an absence of emotional and psychological services for victims of domestic abuse at the local church level. The study highlighted the need for a comprehensive study of domestic abuse in the SDA church and wider Church community in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.