Definition
An existential sexual abuse threat is a purely downside sexual abuse-related risk that could directly cause an organization to cease operating in its current form, whether through insolvency, loss of license, catastrophic reputational collapse, or an inability to safely or lawfully continue delivering services.
These are not everyday sexual abuse challenges. They sit at the extreme end of the threat spectrum and combine severity with finality: if realized, recovery would be unviable.
Why It Matters in Jigsaw
Most organizations face many operational risks, but only a small number are truly existential.
In child- and vulnerable adult-serving organizations, sexual abuse is one of the very few risks that can threaten existence through multiple pathways at once:
- Financial collapse (e.g., lawsuit settlements, funder and insurance withdrawal)
- Reputational destruction (e.g., loss of stakeholder and public trust)
- Regulatory loss (e.g., withdrawal of licenses or accreditations)
- Operational incapacity (e.g., mass staff and volunteer departures)
This makes existential sexual abuse risks fundamentally different from other SAM-related risks: they are purely negative, carry no upside, and must be treated as “must-manage” priorities.
Cause and Consequence
Every existential risk is best understood in two parts:
- Cause — the event, condition, or chain of events that triggers the collapse pathway.
- Consequence — the chain of impacts that make continued operation impossible.
Example:
- Cause: A long-standing abuse pattern by a senior leader is uncovered in the media.
- Consequence: Sponsor and funder withdrawal, mass client departure, leadership resignations, multiple lawsuits, leading to insolvency.
Existential SAM Threat Session Sample Script