Shame, Fear & Power: Understanding Child Sexual Abuse

Graeme Cann has been at the forefront of combatting domestic violence and child sexual abuse in Australia for 60 years. He is the founder of The Christian Counselling Association of Australia, and has counselled hundreds of victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse since 1960.

Graeme has come to the conclusion that 'power asymmetry' is insufficient to explain domestic violence and child abuse, where guilt and shame often underpin pathological behaviours.

In this discussion we explore Graeme's personal experience as a victim of child sexual abuse, the indicators of pedophilia, and why so much child abuse occurs in religious institutions.