Priest Sexual Abuse encompasses a range of illegal and heinous behaviors commonly commited on kids and teens by pedophilic priests or other church employees involving sexual abuse of varying amounts. church abuse Connecticut may be a one-time, non-consensual scroll barencounter or it might include several acts within a continuing interaction. For instance, a continuing “trusting” interaction with a young child spawned by the predatory intent of a clergy associate, cloaked with the trust and respect imputed to a priest, leading to non-consensual sexual abuse acts of molestation.
Within most alleged Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse situations, the short-coming by the Clergy member’s superior to completely, adequately and immediately disclose the crime to police and other authorities, or the further failure to research, cope with and deal entirely with the occurrence amplifies the harm on the abuse survivor, the community and potentially others. Current Church Sexual Abuse cases reported in the press highlight these failures, which includes “pass-the-trash” situations when the abuser oftentimes a clergy in the Catholic Church, is suddenly moved from one church to another only to continue his predatory, criminal action on an innocent parish community.
Priest and Clergy Sexual Assault and Retribution Not a week passes without a news headline coverage about sexual abuse and molestation of children by predator clergy, or the effects of the abuse on the victims and their families. If you are a survivor of sexual assault from a priest or other church member, these reports are most likely to act as an echo chamber, replaying the horror, embarrassment, guilt and various unwelcome feelings hurting your wellness. Encouraged by the social movement and other channels that encourage victims to disclose the assault they suffered, survivors of assault are more frequently turning to the legal system to compensate them for the lifetime harm and injury they have suffered.
If you are a survivor of abuse perpetrated by a member of the clergy, the impact of the abuse on your life and core belief system may be immeasurable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible person and institutions to blame for their crimes and failures may offer an amount of justice and recompense to assault survivors. Commonly, victims can assert their legal rights through confidential mediation therein avoiding the need for litigation. However, if litigation is necessary, a motion might be filed where the plaintiff can remain anonymous.
Abusive Behavior All predators, to varying amounts, employ predatory methods which are generally referred to as grooming, focusing on a potential assault victim. Below is a list of grooming actions exhibited by predators who are in a job of authority relative to the subordinate young child.
Grooming Grooming is a significant piece of a predator’s ploy. In a religious environment, the priest is held as God’s representative. In this setting, the predator frequently works closely with small numbers of children, understanding each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and situations. Once a victim is located, these vulnerabilities – like violent family setting, loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – might be systematically exploited in the following ways:
Trust A predator will initially work to gain the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to notice as church communities are frequently tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the assaulter can pretend sincere concern in the child’s wellness and groeth – both emotional and religious.
Reliance As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential victim and oftentimes their family, the child will start to rely more and more on the predator for whatever need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The child may spend increased time with the predator, feeling more comfortable with the relationship and relying on its stability and security. In addition to attention and affection, the possible victim may receive presents from the priest, including valuable, intangible presents such as blessings and special recognition. Isolation While grooming continues, the predator will try to isolate the possible victim. This could mean individual counseling sessions, meals or other methods of one-on-one isolated moments. Sexualization The predator might start to de-sensitize the target from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and various behaviors that lead to sexual interaction. This may begin with crossing the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with inappropriate messages to determine the victim’s response to the progression. This will continue until the relationship gets to one of a physical, sexual nature. Maintenance Once the sexual relationship is created, the predator will try to maintain control over the child and the continued interaction. The predator will likely seek to manipulate the victim by continuing to make the victim feel special and worthy. The predator will continue to exploit the victim by whatever ways necessary to maintain the immoral physical relationship.
Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors
The effect of childhood assault on the survivor can be overwhelming and life-changing. Many priest assault survivors suffer from long-term effects of the abuse including depression, disturbed sleeping, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and eating patterns, and difficulty creating and maintaining healthy relationships. Individualized treatment and support groups can help survivors overcome these effects.
Legally, a victim of Priest Sexual Assault may gain financial compensation from the abuser and, more commonly, from the church for its failure to shield the child from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its process of reviewing and resolving to reports of assault. If you are a victim of Priest or Clergy Sexual Assault and would like to confidentially discuss your experience and your legal options, we are ready to speak with you.
|