Abusive exorcism and corrective rape as conversion violence

Domain XVI · Historical, discredited & harmful

What it is

This topic is not a therapy and is not taught here. It names two forms of violence that sources record as part of the wider field of conversion practices: abusive exorcism or "deliverance" aimed at a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and rape described by perpetrators or communities…

Format

• Session number and length follow the client's needs and the setting; pace is set by safety and by the survivor.
• In South Africa, ActionAid's 2009 report Hate Crimes: the rise of "corrective" rape in South Africa was reported as finding that a support group recorded ten new cases a week in Cape Town alone, and that of 31 lesbians reported murdered in homophobic attacks since 1998, two cases reached court and…

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Stabilisation and trauma processing. Goal: reduce trauma symptoms, shame and self-blame; offer or refer for evidence-based trauma care. Move on when symptoms are manageable and the client can hold the story without overwhelm.

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Does it use a device, heat, cold, water or a physical procedure? Has a medical professional checked that it is safe for you?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• isolation after moving. Working: stable housing and at least one supportive connection.
• advocacy replacing the client's own care. Working: the client feels agency, not exposure.
• testing of your reliability; generalised mistrust. Working: the client uses one new service.
• giving legal advice beyond your role. Working: the client knows where to get accurate advice.
• avoidance of care because of fear of being outed or mocked. Working: the client attends medical care.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.