Clergy Abuse encompasses a range of illegal and unacceptable behaviors commonly commited against children and adolescents by predatory clergy or other church members involving sexual assault of varying amounts. The sexual assault can be a one-time, non-consensual scroll barevent or it may include several assaults inside an ongoing interaction. For instance, a continuing “trusting” relationship with a child spawned by the predatory intent of a church associate, blanketed by the trust and reverence imputed to a priest, leading to non-consensual sexual attack acts of molestation.
In most alleged Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse situations, the short-coming by the Clergy member’s employer to entirely, adequately and promptly disclose the crime to police and other authorities, or the continuing failure to research, address and deal entirely with the situation amplifies the harm on the abuse survivor, the community and possibly others. Recent Church Sexual Assault cases reported in the press show these short-comings, including “pass-the-trash” situations when the perpetrator oftentimes a priest in the Catholic Church, is suddenly moved from one church to another merely to continue his predatory, criminal behavior on an unaware parish community.
Priest and Clergy Sexual Abuse and Retribution Not a day passes without a media headline reporting regarding sexual assault and molestation of young children by predator priests, or the legacy of the assault on the survivors and their families. If you are a victim of sexual abuse from a priest or other clergy member, these articles are likely to serve as an echo chamber, replaying the horror, shame, guilt and other unwanted thoughts staining your well-being. Encouraged by the societal movement and other channels that encourage them to disclose the abuse they suffered, survivors of assault are increasingly turning to the legal system to compensate them for the life-long damage and injury they have experienced.
If you are a victim of assault commited by a member of the clergy, the impact of the abuse on your life and core belief system can be immeasurable. Regardless, holding the responsible person and institutions to blame for their crimes and failures might offer an amount of justice and recompense to assault survivors. Frequently, victims can leverage their legal rights through confidential mediation therein avoiding the need for litigation. However, if litigation is required, a case might be filed where the plaintiff can remain anonymous.
Predatory Behavior All predators, to varying degrees, employ predatory methods which are generally referred to as grooming, targeting a potential assault victim. Following is a survey of grooming behaviors exhibited by predators who are in a job of authority relative to the subordinate child.
Grooming Grooming is a major part of a predator’s ploy. In a church setting, the clergy member is revered as God’s representative. In this setting, the predator frequently works closely with small numbers of children, identifying each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and circumstances. Once a target is identified, these vulnerabilities – like violent family setting, isolation, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – might be systematically leveraged in the following ways:
Trust A predator will initially try to gain the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to discern as church communities are often tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the priest can feign genuine concern in the child’s wellness and development – both emotional and religious.
Reliance As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential target and oftentimes their family members, 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 victim will devote increased 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 potential victim may receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, intangible presents such as blessings and special recognition. Isolation As the grooming progresses, the predator may try to isolate the potential victim. This may mean solo counseling sessions, meals or other forms of one-on-one isolated encounters. Sexualization The predator will begin 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 suggestive messages to gauge the victim’s response to the progression. This will escalate until the relationship gets to one of a physical, sexual nature. Maintenance Once the sexual relationship is established, the predator will try to keep control over the child and the continuing interaction. The predator may likely seek to manipulate the child by continuing to make the victim feel special and worthy. The predator will keep exploiting the target by whatever ways 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-changing. church lawsuit New Jersey suffer from long-term effects of the assault including depression, disturbed sleeping, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and eating patterns, and problems establishing and maintaining vibrant relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups can help victims overcome these effects.
Legally, a survivor of Priest Sexual Abuse may gain financial compensation from the abuser and, more frequently, from the church for its failure to protect the child from the assault, as well as failures or deficiencies in its process 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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