In our article, Dr. Candice Beasley, MSW, DSW, LCSW-BACS explains that domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) are chronic pandemics that span race, ethnicity, sex/gender, and religion. She also argues that social workers should consider intersections between both DV and IPV and spiritual abuse, wherein perpetrators use religion or spirituality as a control tactic. Dr. Beasley emphasizes the importance of remaining nonjudgmental when supporting survivors of DV and IPV who may have negative reactions toward aspects of religion or spirituality.
Read the article to learn more about spiritual abuse and how social workers can best support DV and IPV survivors. You can also explore our social work programs, which incorporate the concepts of DV and IPV into the curricula.