Take Action
There are many ways you can help.
Call for an Attorney General or Grand Jury Investigation
Write a letter to the attorney general of your state. Demand, request, and beg them to impanel a grand jury. So far, 20 attorneys general are taking this step.
Legal Action
On all things related to the SNAP and CCR lawsuit filed against Vatican officials and Pope Benedict for human rights violations. You will find informative documents and links to other important websites.
21 Things People Can Do to Prevent Abuse and Support Survivors
SNAP put together 21 suggested ideas of things you can do to make a difference in your own community to help protect children, support survivors, and prevent future cases of abuse.
What to do when your minister is accused of abuse
1) Remain open-minded.
The natural human instinct is to recoil from alleged horror, and to immediately assume that the allegations are false. But the overwhelming majority of abuse disclosures prove to be true. In every case, the proper and Christian response is to remain open-minded.
Talking to kids about sexual violence
A helpful guide that offers parent’s information on sexual violence and tools on how to have ongoing conversations on this important topic throughout childhood and adolescent.
Tips for posting comments
Understanding Sexual Harrassment
Why Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse Don't Disclose
An insightful and well-researched article that examines why people carry the secret of childhood sexual abuse into adulthood.
Other helpful organizations
FAQs
1. What is SNAP and what is your involvement with the organization? SNAP has the word "survivors" in it - does this imply that some victims of child abuse by priests do not survive the experience?
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (www.survivorsnetwork.org) is a self-help group that supports people who have been victimized by clergy, and helps them try to pick up the pieces of their lives, heal and move forward. We also cooperate with news media and provide reliable information when we can, as a way to help ourselves recover and prevent future abuse.
Like most people, my life largely revolves around my family and my full time job. But in my "off hours," I've had the honor of being SNAP's national director for the past decade.
Unfortunately, some men and women do not survive childhood sexual abuse. While every victim's experience is tragic, the stories of those who commit suicide as a result of abuse are among the most heart wrenching. Recent articles by Stan Finger of the Wichita Eagle, for example, chronicle the trauma of Janet and Horace Patterson, whose son Eric was molested by a priest. Many of us in the survivors movement consider ourselves fortunate to have endured our victimization and remained alive and sane. Some have not been so lucky.
For more information, contact the SNAP National Office. If you have questions on how to navigate this website, please visit our Help Page.
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