Awake Blog
Welcome to the Awake Blog! If you’re new to Awake, we recommend you check out these top blog posts from our archive.
Sign up here to receive an email notification when a new blog post is published!
What Does Grooming Look Like in the Abuse of Adults?
This week we revisit a 2023 post on the topic of grooming, the manipulative techniques used by abusive people to set the stage for the abuse of adults as well as children.
Allison DeGeorge
“It has taken me more than a decade to find the words that have become my abuse story and I feel very … afraid to share. The only reason I share it now is that I do not want anyone to have to endure the shame and isolation I felt as I searched … for an explanation of what happened to me.”
Awake’s Top 10 Blog Posts of 2023
To mark the arrival of 2024, we take a look back over the Awake Blog in 2023, a busy year of growth for Awake. Here are the ten blog posts that were read and shared the most often.
What Does Grooming Look Like in the Sexual Abuse of Adults?
As we grapple with the problem of sexual abuse of adults in the Catholic Church, it’s important to acknowledge the role of grooming, the tactics some abusive people use to gain access to their victims and avoid getting…
Jim Richter
“When one victim-survivor can extend the hand of compassion and kindness to another, even when struggling with their own pain, that is grace to me.”
Jennifer LaVoy
“If my story helps just one person realize the danger of clericalism and abuse of power, it’s worth it to me.”
Catholics Have Questions About Awake’s Next Step Recommendations. We Offer Answers.
We call the recommendations “Next Steps” because we see them as building on the progress the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has already made to assist survivors and address abuse by church leaders. But we believe more can and should be done. We developed these recommendations carefully over the course of two years by listening deeply to survivors and researching widely accepted best practices already implemented in other dioceses.
What We Often Get Wrong About Sexual Abuse and Sexual Offenders
On the Awake blog we’ve written multiple posts about grooming, the tactics abusers may use to prepare their victims for abuse.
What is Grooming, and How is it Related to Sexual Abuse in the Church?
Discussions of sexual abuse sometimes mention “grooming,” the tactics used by abusers to prepare their victims for abuse. It’s important to recognize grooming behaviors as potential early signs of abuse.
Courageous Conversation: Panelists Describe Pain, Loneliness, and Healing After Clergy Sexual Abuse in Adulthood
Awake Milwaukee’s latest Courageous Conversation was an emotionally intense discussion of the wounds suffered by people sexually abused as adults in the Catholic Church.
What We Often Get Wrong About Sexual Abuse and Sexual Offenders
On the Awake blog we’ve written multiple posts about grooming, the tactics abusers may use to prepare their victims for abuse.
More on Grooming: How Should I Respond if I Suspect Grooming Behavior?
Last week on the blog we discussed grooming, or the tactics abusers may use to prepare victims for abuse, including the red flags that may signal boundary violations and the potential for impending abuse.
What is Grooming, and How is it Related to Sexual Abuse in the Church?
Discussions of sexual abuse sometimes mention “grooming,” the tactics used by abusers to prepare their victims for abuse. It’s important to recognize grooming behaviors as potential early signs of abuse.