The Aug. 14 release of the grand jury report on decades-long abuse in Pennsylvania by over 300 Catholic priests was a double-edged sword for victims of sexual abuse.

More than 1,000 victims referenced in the report got the closest thing to justice, but the healing process is far from over.

“Any time there is large amounts of news media coverage, it isn’t uncommon for people to feel reminded of their own experiences of abuse,” said Ali Mailen Perrotto, president of the Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center in Lebanon and Schuylkill counties.

“It is one of the trauma echoes, right along with hearing something, seeing something or smelling something that takes a victim back to those horrible memories.”

Around 3.2 million Pennsylvanians, a quarter of the state’s population, is Catholic.

“Faith is a very important part of people’s lives, especially here in Schuylkill and Lebanon counties,” Perrotto said. “This has rocked a lot of people to the core. We’re here to provide support and talk to people, even if you haven’t been abused, but this is really affecting your lives. This is all a lot to sit with.”

Women’s Resources of Monroe County said in a Facebook post that it stands with the victims recognized in the grand jury report.

“We recognize,” the post states, “that news coverage about sexual abuse, transcripts of victim testimony, and the resultant conversations among our friends, neighbors and family can often be traumatic and bring about feelings of helplessness, anger or despair for victims, parishes and the community. This report and its scope may deeply impact victims and our community at large. We want all affected to know they are not alone – there are free and confidential resources for those victims identified within the report, for parishioners in need of assistance with processing the report, as well as the community in general who may need guidance in talking through the emotional toll.”

Healing is different for every person. Many choose never to report victimization. They fear nobody will believe them or it will be swept under the rug.

The majority of victims in the Catholic Church abuse report are young boys.

“There is still somewhat of a stigma for any man to come forward when it comes to abuse,” Perrotto said. “Our society has long told us it’s only adult women that are abused, when the real numbers are much more equal. I think we are seeing more males coming forward in the last 10 years.”

The effects of child sexual abuse can last a lifetime, Women’s Resource of Monroe County reports.

“Victims may feel significant distress and display a wide range of psychological symptoms, both short- and long-term. Childhood sexual abuse has been correlated with higher levels of depression, guilt, shame, self-blame, eating disorders, somatic concerns, anxiety, dissociative patterns, repression, denial, sexual problems and relationship problems. Also, delayed disclosures of sexual violence are normal, common and should be expected. Many people who have been sexually abused wait months, years or decades before discussing what was done to them with anyone, let alone making a formal report to authorities.”

When a person passes away, as many of the priests named in the grand jury report have, that victim can feel freed up to tell his story.

“We see that a lot,” Perrotto said. “That victim feels the threat isn’t there any more.”

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office left open a clergy abuse hotline, which has been ringing off the hook since Tuesday’s report was released.

“Our hotline for clergy sex abuse has been lit up since yesterday afternoon,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro tweeted Aug. 15, “(We have gotten) 150+ calls/emails & lots of survivors who are now surfacing to tell their stories and seek justice. I’ll repeat it again: This is an ongoing investigation.”

Northampton County Director of Children and Youth Services Kevin Dolan said in a call Friday that in recent years the clergy and former Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky revelations have resulted in his department being inundated with calls, to the tune of 7,000 a year. County council recently agreed to let him hire 11 new employees to help keep up with the need.

“I’ve been doing this for over 44 years and I’ve never seen numbers like this in my career,” Dolan said. “Five times a year I teach a class at St. Luke’s School of Nursing, usually about 60 in a class, and I can guarantee you that after each three-hour lecture two or three people come up to me afterward and tell me they were abused when they were children, and I hook them up with my staff if that’s what they want to do. It’s all over the place.”

Dolan said the county office will take all calls, but their focus is on children. Adults who desire care or counseling will be directed elsewhere, such as the Crime Victims Council of Pinebrook Family Services, where staff is trained to help them.

For anyone considering getting help, Dolan said, “I want to express that it’s okay to talk about it. So many adults keep it locked in their heart and never talk about it. They get along, but a lot of time it causes some kind of flaw with their family or their spouses. It’s okay to call for help. It’s not like you’ll be in counseling for ever and ever; it may just be eight or 10 weeks, but that’s all you [might] need to talk about it and process it and let it out.”

Meanwhile, SARCC is emphasizing its prevention education services. Parents and caregivers can learn more about identifying signs of grooming and receive mandated reporting training.

For more information, visit http://sarcclebanon.org.

VICTIM TIP LINES

Sexual assault victims can contact the following agencies:

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE (4673)

Pennsylvania Attorney General’s clergy abuse hotline: 888-538-8541

Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley: 610-437-6610 (24-hour hotline)

Northampton County Children and Youth Services: 610-829-4800

Pa. State Childline 1-800-932-0313

Lehigh County confidential WarmLine: 610-782-3200 for someone to listen, or: Crisis Intervention 610-782-3127 if experiecing a mental health crisis.