Priest Abuse encompasses a wide-range of illegal and unacceptable actions often perpetrated on children and tweens by pedophilic priests or other church employees involving sexual abuse of varying amounts. church lawsuit Connecticut can be a single, non-consensual scroll barencounter or it might involve several acts within a continuing interaction. For instance, an ongoing “trusting” relationship with a child spawned by the predatory intent of a church member, blanketed with the trust and respect imputed to a member of the clergy, leading to non-consensual sexual abuse acts of molestation.
Within all claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse scenarios, the short-coming by the Clergy member’s superior to entirely, adequately and immediately disclose the offense to law enforcement and other authorities, or the continuing failure to investigate, handle and resolve fully with the situation amplifies the effects on the abuse survivor, the community and possibly others. Recent Priest Sexual Assault cases reported in the press uncover these short-comings, which includes “pass-the-trash” scenarios where the predator frequently a clergy in the Catholic Church, is secretly transferred from one location to another only to continue his predatory, criminal behavior on an innocent parish community.
Priest and Clergy Sexual Assault & Justice Not a week passes without a media headline coverage about sexual abuse and molestation of young children by pedophile clergy, or the legacy of the assault on the victims and their families. If you are a survivor of sexual assault from a priest or other clergy member, these reports are most likely to act as an echo chamber, reverberating the horror, shame, guilt and various unwelcome thoughts staining your wellness. Encouraged by the societal movement and other channels that encourage victims to reveal the assault they experienced, victims of assault are more frequently employing the legal system to compensate them for the life-long damage and injury they have experienced.
If you are a survivor of assault perpetrated by a member of the church, the impact of the abuse on your life and core belief system may be incalculable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible person and institutions accountable for their crimes and indifference might offer an amount of justice and recompense to assault survivors. Oftentimes, victims can leverage their legal rights through confidential mediation thereby avoiding the need for litigation. But, if litigation is necessary, a case may be filed where the victim can remain anonymous.
Predatory Behavior All abusers, to varying amounts, employ predatory tactics which are generally referred to as grooming, focusing on a possible abuse victim. Below is a survey of grooming behaviors used by predators who are in a position of authority relative to the subordinate young child.
Grooming Grooming is a significant piece of a predator’s ploy. In a church setting, the clergy member is held as God’s representative. Within this environment, the predator often works closely with small numbers of children, identifying each child’s needs, weaknesses and circumstances. Once a target is located, these vulnerabilities – such as violent family setting, isolation, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – can be systematically exploited in the following ways:
Trust An assaulter will initially try to gain the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to notice as religious communities are frequently tight-knit and personal relation with clergy is commonplace. Here, the assaulter can pretend genuine interest in the child’s wellbeing and groeth – both emotional and religious.
Reliance As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential child-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 will spend more time with the predator, feeling more comfortable with the relationship and counting on its stability and security. In addition to attention and affection, the possible target may receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, intangible presents like blessings and special recognition. Isolation As the grooming escalates, the predator may try to isolate the possible victim. This might result in single counseling sessions, meals or other forms of one-on-one isolated moments. Sexualization The predator will start to de-sensitize the target from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and various behaviors that lead to sexual interaction. This might begin with crossing the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with suggestive messages to determine the victim’s reaction 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 work to maintain control of the child and the continued interaction. The predator will likely seek to manipulate the child by continuing to make the target feel special and worthy. The predator will keep exploiting the victim by whatever methods necessary to maintain the inappropriate physical relationship.
Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors
The effect of childhood assault on the victim can be overwhelming and life-altering. Many priest 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 establishing and keeping healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups can help victims overcome these effects.
Legally, a survivor of Clergy Sexual Abuse may gain financial compensation from the abuser and, more commonly, from the religious organization for its failure to protect the child from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its process of reviewing and responding to reports of abuse. If you are a victim of Priest or Clergy Sexual Assault and would like to confidentially discuss your situation and your legal options, we are ready to talk with you.
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