NCJ Number
208802
Journal
Working Together Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: Winter 2005 Pages: 1-5
Date Published
2005
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The founder and senior analyst of the FaithTrust Institute, an organization committed to ending sexual and domestic violence, examines trends in sexual abuse by religious leaders over the past 20 years and the response of religious institutions to this problem, along with the work of the FaithTrust Institute in this area.
Abstract
After portraying sexual abuse by religious leaders as being on a continuum from relatively minor inappropriate sexual behavior on one or a few occasions to sociopathic predatory sexual abuse that persists over time. In dealing with this problem some 20 years ago, religious groups tended to either deny that it existed, to the detriment of victims and the treatment of offenders, or acknowledged it as a problem for individual pastors in given congregations and transferred them to other congregations, hoping the behavior would stop. Publicity about the problem, particularly in the Catholic Church and with boy victims, has increased in recent years, and the Church's failure and insensitivity in dealing with the problem has been noted. More attention needs to be given to the full range of sexually abusive behaviors of religious leaders in every religious institution in terms of stated policy and seminary training for prospective pastors. The FaithTrust Institute has had a significant role in identifying the problem and framing it as an issue of power and vulnerability. It has equipped seminaries to better prepare their students for a disciplined and sensitive ministry in terms of sexual behaviors by pastors. Further, the Institute has been a consultant in a number of important legal cases that have set precedents for the cases that followed. The Institute has also worked with victims as well as offenders to help in addressing their needs.