Clergy Abuse includes a range of immoral and unacceptable actions frequently commited on children and tweens by pedophilic clergy or other church members involving sexual abuse of varying amounts. The abuse may be a one-off, non-consensual scroll barencounter or it may involve many assaults within a continuing interaction. For example, an ongoing “trusting” interaction with a young child spawned by the predatory behavior of a church member, cloaked with the trust and reverence imputed to a priest, leading to non-consensual sexual abuse acts of molestation.
Within most claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse situations, the short-coming by the Clergy member’s superior to entirely, adequately and immediately report the crime to law enforcement and other authorities, or its continuing failure to investigate, contend with and deal entirely with the occurrence amplifies the harm on the abuse survivor, the community and possibly others. Current Church Sexual Assault cases reported in the media show these short-comings, that includes “pass-the-trash” situations where the perpetrator oftentimes a priest in the Catholic Church, is secretly moved from one location to another only to continue his predatory, criminal behavior on an unsuspecting parish community.
Priest and Clergy Sexual Abuse and Justice Not a day passes without a news headline reporting about sexual assault and molestation of young children by pedophile priests, or the effects of the assault on the survivors and their families. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse from a priest or other clergy member, these stories are likely to act as an echo chamber, reverberating the horror, shame, guilt and other unwelcome thoughts hurting your well-being. Encouraged by the social movement and other channels that encourage victims to disclose the abuse they experienced, victims of assault are increasingly turning to the legal system to compensate them for the life-long harm and injury they have experienced.
If you are a victim of abuse perpetrated by a member of the church, the impact of the abuse on your life and core belief system can be immeasurable. Regardless, holding the responsible person and institutions accountable for their crimes and indifference might offer a measure of justice and recompense to abuse victims. Oftentimes, victims can leverage their legal rights through confidential mediation thereby avoiding the need for litigation. But, if litigation is required, a case may be filed where the survivor can remain anonymous.
Abusive Behavior All abusers, to varying degrees, use predatory tactics which are commonly known as grooming, aiming at a possible abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming actions exhibited by predators who are in a position of authority in relation to the subordinate child.
Grooming Grooming is a significant part of a predator’s ploy. In a religious environment, the priest is viewed as God’s representative. In this setting, the predator often works closely with small numbers of children, identifying each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and circumstances. Once a target is located, these vulnerabilities – such as violent family setting, loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – can be systematically leveraged in the following ways:
Trust An assaulter will first work to get the child’s trust. This strategy is most difficult to notice as religious communities are often tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the priest can pretend sincere interest in the child’s wellness and development – both emotional and religious.
Reliance As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential victim and oftentimes their family, the child will begin to rely more and more on the predator for any need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The child may spend more time with the predator, feeling more and 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 predator, including valuable, intangible gifts like blessings and special recognition. Isolation As the grooming continues, the predator may work to isolate the possible victim. This could mean solo counseling sessions, meals or various forms of one-on-one isolated moments. Sexualization The predator will start to de-sensitize the child from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and various actions that lead to sexual interaction. This might start with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with suggestive messages to determine the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will continue until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature. Maintenance Once the sexual relationship is established, the predator will try to keep control of the child and the continued interaction. The predator will likely want to manipulate the child by continuing to make the target feel special and worthy. The predator will keep exploiting the target by whatever means needed to maintain the immoral physical relationship.
abused in church Massachusetts on Clergy Abuse Survivors
The effect of childhood assault on the victim can be severe and life-altering. Several clergy assault survivors suffer from lifelong effects of the abuse including depression, disturbed sleeping, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and eating patterns, and problems creating and keeping vibrant relationships. Individualized treatment and support groups can help victims overcome these effects.
Legally, a survivor of Priest Sexual Abuse can 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 method of reviewing and responding to reports of assault. If you are a survivor of Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse and would like to confidentially discuss your experience and your legal options, we are prepared to speak with you.
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