Church Abuse encompasses a wide-range of immoral and heinous acts frequently perpetrated against young children and teens by pedophilic clergy or other church members involving sexual assault of varying amounts. The abuse might be a single, non-consensual scroll barencounter or it can involve several assaults inside a continuing interaction. For instance, a continuing “trusting” relationship with a young child created by the predatory behavior of a church member, blanketed by the trust and respect provided to a priest, leading to non-consensual sexual attack acts of molestation.
Within all claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse situations, the short-coming by the Church member’s superior to completely, adequately and promptly report the offense to police and other authorities, or its continuing failure to investigate, address and resolve entirely with the situation increases the harm on the assault survivor, the community and potentially others. Current Priest Sexual Assault cases covered in the media uncover these failures, which includes “pass-the-trash” situations where the abuser frequently a priest in the Catholic Church, is suddenly moved from one church to another merely to continue his predatory, criminal action on an unsuspecting parish community.
abused in church Bridgeport Connecticut and Clergy Sexual Assault and Justice Not a week goes by without a news announcement coverage regarding sexual assault and molestation of children by predator clergy, or the effects of the abuse on the victims 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, reverberating the horror, embarrassment, guilt and other unwanted thoughts harming your wellness. Encouraged by the societal movement and other pathways that encourage survivors to disclose the assault they suffered, survivors of assault are more frequently employing the legal system to compensate them for the lifetime harm and injury they have experienced.
If you are a survivor of abuse perpetrated by a member of the church, the impact of the abuse on your life and foundational belief system might be immeasurable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible clergy and institutions to blame for their crimes and failures can offer a measure of justice and recompense to abuse victims. Oftentimes, victims can leverage their legal rights in confidential mediation therein avoiding the need for litigation. But, if litigation is required, a case may be filed where the survivor can remain anonymous.
Predatory Behavior All abusers, to varying amounts, use predatory methods that are generally known as grooming, tracking a possible abuse victim. Following is a list of grooming actions exhibited by predators who are in a job of authority in relation to the subordinate young child.
Grooming Grooming is a significant part of a predator’s strategy. In a church setting, the priest is viewed as God’s representative. Within this setting, the predator often works closely with small numbers of children, understanding each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and circumstances. Once a victim is located, these vulnerabilities – like tumultuous family setting, isolation, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – might be systematically exploited in the following ways:
Trust A predator 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 interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the assaulter can feign sincere interest in the child’s wellness and development – both emotional and religious.
Reliance As a predator establishes a trusting relationship with the potential victim and oftentimes their family members, the child will start to rely more and more on the predator for whatever need it is that the priest is exploiting and fulfilling. The victim will devote 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 might receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, intangible presents like blessings and special recognition. Isolation While grooming continues, the predator may work to isolate the possible victim. This could mean solo 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 other behaviors 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 work to maintain control over the child and the continued interaction. The priest may likely want to manipulate the victim by continuing to make the victim feel special and worthy. The predator will keep exploiting the target by whatever methods necessary to maintain the immoral physical relationship.
Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors
The effect of childhood abuse on the victim can be overwhelming and life-altering. Many priest abuse 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 difficulty creating and keeping healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups can assist survivors overcome these effects.
Legally, a victim of Priest Sexual Assault may recover financial compensation from the abuser and, more frequently, 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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