Some Priest Child Molesters Can Be Returned to Ministry (From Child Sexual Abuse, P 74-83, 1998, Bruno Leone and Brenda Stalcup, et al, eds. - See NCJ-171702)

• NCJ Number: 171711
• Author(s): S J Rossetti
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: At Issue: An Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

Psychological counseling and drug treatment programs, coupled with after-treatment supervision, have been successful in treating many child sexual abusers, particularly priests.

Abstract

The church is under increasing pressure to ostracize priests known to have sexually molested minors, although simply releasing priests who have molested children into society untreated and unsupervised is not acceptable. Another part of the reluctance to consider rehabilitation for those convicted of child sexual abuse is the common misconception that child molesters are clinically untreatable and compulsively driven to practice their perversion. Priest child molesters tend to be intelligent men, many of whom have had otherwise exemplary ministries. Key issues in dealing with priests are the risk of reoffending and whether church members are willing to accept them back into the church. Data suggest priest child molesters are likely to commit fewer acts against fewer victims. The treatment of priest child molesters is discussed in terms of clinical diagnosis and abuse history, quality of treatment and response to treatment, aftercare, availability of supervision, and other pastoral considerations. The author suggests a priest child molester should not return to a ministry that directly involves minors.