Braving Healing's Paths to Justice: Exploring Justice After Enduring Childhood Sexual Abuse

Justice shouldn't come at the cost of healing. Most often, when discussions of justice arise around the topic of childhood sexual abuse, we think of the criminal legal system. Yet for so many who have endured childhood sexual abuse, the criminal process is emotionally difficult and retraumatizing. Many have opted for silence rather than face retraumatization of courtrooms, disbelief, or dismissal. But justice isn't limited to courtrooms and criminal cases. This book explores Four Paths to Justice: the Path of Civil Justice, the Path of Criminal Justice, the Path of Restorative Justice, and the Path of Advocacy. Each Path offers different opportunities and different challenges. While no path is perfect, each offers unique opportunities to those who have endured. What's right for each person? That's a decision that must rest in each individual's hands. Paths to Justice is a trauma-informed guide created by those who have endured CSA for others who have, too. It is a resource to help those who have endured better understand their options, clarify the limitations of each Path, and pursue the kind of justice that best supports their healing. Whether what's desired is accountability, healing, recognition, or all of the above, this guide offers a map of the Four Paths to Justice.