Clergy Abuse comprises a range of illegal and heinous acts commonly perpetrated against children and tweens by predatory priests or other church members involving sexual assault of varying amounts. The assault may be a one-off, non-consensual scroll barevent or it may involve several assaults inside an ongoing interaction. For example, an ongoing “trusting” interaction with a child spawned by the predatory intent of a clergy associate, blanketed with the trust and respect provided to a member of the clergy, leading to non-consensual sexual assault acts of molestation.
In nearly all claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse scenarios, the short-coming by the Clergy member’s superior to completely, adequately and promptly disclose the offense to police and other authorities, or the further failure to investigate, contend with and resolve fully with the situation amplifies the harm on the abuse survivor, the community and potentially others. Current Priest Sexual Assault cases covered in the press show these short-comings, which includes “pass-the-trash” situations where the abuser frequently a clergy in the Catholic Church, is suddenly re-assigned from one parish to another only to continue his predatory, criminal behavior on an unsuspecting parish community.
Priest and Clergy Sexual Abuse and Justice Not a day goes by without a media announcement coverage regarding sexual abuse and molestation of children by pedophile clergy, or the aftermath of the abuse on the survivors and their families. If you are a victim of sexual abuse from a priest or other church member, these stories are most likely to act as an echo chamber, replaying the horror, shame, guilt and various unwanted thoughts harming your well-being. Encouraged by the societal movement and other pathways that encourage victims to reveal the assault they experienced, victims of abuse are increasingly employing the legal system to compensate them for the lifelong damage and injury they have suffered.
If you are a victim of abuse perpetrated by a member of the clergy, the result of the abuse on your life and core belief system may be incalculable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible clergy and institutions accountable for their crimes and indifference may provide an amount of justice and recompense to assault victims. Oftentimes, priest lawsuit Rhode Island can leverage their legal rights through confidential mediation thereby avoiding the need for litigation. But, if litigation is necessary, a motion may be filed where the plaintiff can remain anonymous.
Predatory Behavior All abusers, to varying degrees, employ predatory tricks that are generally known as grooming, targeting a potential abuse victim. Following is a list of grooming behaviors used by predators who are in a position of authority relative to the subordinate young child.
Grooming Grooming is a major part of a predator’s ploy. In a religious environment, the priest is viewed as God’s representative. In this environment, the predator often works closely with small amounts of children, identifying each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and situations. Once a victim is identified, these vulnerabilities – such as tumultuous family setting, isolation, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – might be systematically leveraged in the following ways:
Trust An assaulter will initially work to get the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to notice as religious communities are frequently tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the assaulter can pretend sincere concern in the child’s wellbeing and groeth – both emotional and religious.
Reliance As a predator establishes a trusting relationship with the potential child-victim and oftentimes their family members, the child will begin to rely more and more on the predator for any need it is that the priest is exploiting and fulfilling. The child will spend more time with the priest, feeling more and more comfortable with the relationship and relying on its stability and security. In addition to attention and affection, the potential target may receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, intangible presents such as blessings and special recognition. Isolation While grooming escalates, the predator will work to isolate the potential target. This could result in solo counseling sessions, meals or various forms of one-on-one isolated moments. Sexualization The predator might begin to de-sensitize the child from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and other actions that lead to sexual interaction. This might start with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with inappropriate messages to gauge the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will escalate until the relationship gets to one of a physical, sexual nature. Maintenance As the sexual relationship is created, the predator will work to maintain control of the child and the continued interaction. The priest will likely seek to manipulate the child by continuing to make the target feel special and worthy. The predator will continue to exploit the target by whatever methods necessary to maintain the immoral physical relationship.
Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors
The impact of childhood abuse on the survivor can be overwhelming and life-altering. Several clergy assault survivors suffer from lifelong effects of the assault including depression, disturbed sleeping, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and eating patterns, and difficulty establishing and keeping vibrant relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups can assist survivors overcome these effects.
Legally, a survivor of Priest Sexual Assault can gain financial compensation from the abuser and, more commonly, from the religious organization 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 abuse. If you are a survivor of Priest or Clergy Sexual Assault and would like to confidentially discuss your experience and your legal options, we are ready to talk with you.
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