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Survey Reveals Prevalence of (Protestant) Clergy Sexual Misconduct
Christian Post ^ | September 11, 2009 | Audrey Barrick

Posted on 09/12/2009 6:44:04 AM PDT by NYer

Findings from a nationwide study reveal that clergy sexual misconduct is more prevalent than many people believe.

According to research by Baylor University, 3.1 percent of adult women who attend religious services at least once a month have been victims of clergy sexual misconduct since turning 18. In other words, seven women in every congregation of 400 adults have been victimized.

Ninety-two percent of the sexual advances were made in secret and 67 percent of the offenders were married to someone else at the time of the advance.

"Because many people are familiar with some of the high-profile cases of sexual misconduct, most people assume that it is just a matter of a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers," said Dr. Diana Garland, dean of the School of Social Work at Baylor University and lead researcher in the study, in a statement Wednesday. "What this research tells us, however, is that Clergy Sexual Misconduct with adults is a widespread problem in congregations of all sizes and occurs across denominations. Now that we have a better understanding of the problem, we can start looking at prevention strategies."

The study, which was conducted on more than 3,500 American adults, is the largest scientific study into clergy sexual misconduct and is being published later this year in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

It is part of an effort by Baylor to identify and prevent clergy sexual misconduct. With virtually no research or information available to inform prevention strategies, Baylor University's School of Social Work sought to provide data for that purpose. Along with spreading awareness and educating the public, the team at Baylor hopes the findings will be used to draft model legislation to make it illegal for clergy to make sexual advances just as it is with patients and doctors.

Sexual misconduct by clergy is only illegal in Texas and Minnesota.

Garland hopes the study will prompt congregations to consider adopting policies and procedures designed to protect their members from leaders who abuse their power.

"Many people – including the victims themselves – often label incidences of Clergy Sexual Misconduct with adults as 'affairs,'" said Garland. "In reality, they are an abuse of spiritual power by the religious leader."

The research study also includes a paper co-authored by Garland on first-hand accounts from men and women who are victims of clergy sexual misconduct, family members or spouses of victims, religious leaders who have committed CSM, and helping professionals who have provided care for offenders and survivors.

Data from the 2008 General Social Survey – an in-person survey conducted by National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago – was used to estimate the prevalence of clergy sexual misconduct. Questions developed specifically for this project were administered by the Baylor team.

Clergy sexual misconduct was defined as minister, priests, rabbis, or other clergypersons or religious leaders who make sexual advances or propositions to persons in the congregations they serve who are not their spouses or significant others.


TOPICS: Catholic; Moral Issues
KEYWORDS: adultery; baptist; catholic; clergy; moapb; pastors; protbashing; protestant; protestantabuse; sexabuse; sin
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To: Petronski

Deliberately making a deceiving title for a thread purely in an effort to create a religious war thread out of thin air is despicable.


41 posted on 09/12/2009 11:30:28 AM PDT by ansel12
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To: RFEngineer
What if the title were set as “Survey Reveals Prevalence of Clergy Sexual Misconduct (Catholic Priest Altar-boy buggers excluded)?

It would speak volumes about the anti-Catholic bigot, Klanner or otherwise sick mind who posted it.

Your comparison is ridiculous.

42 posted on 09/12/2009 11:31:31 AM PDT by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
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To: ansel12

If that ever happens, I’ll assess the situation and let you know if I agree.


43 posted on 09/12/2009 11:32:07 AM PDT by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
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To: RFEngineer
No, somebody wanted to start a Catholic vs. Protestant flame war.

Amazing the amount of mindreading that goes on on the Religion Forum, where mindreading is prohibited.

44 posted on 09/12/2009 11:33:02 AM PDT by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
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To: Petronski

The article does not have focus on Protestant clergy and the article never mentions Protestant, the title never mentions Protestant and the study itself is for all clergy with no emphasis on Protestant.

The question is, will freepers fall for this and give the thread poster what he wants.


45 posted on 09/12/2009 11:34:40 AM PDT by ansel12
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To: ansel12

Well, you’re here, aren’t you...


46 posted on 09/12/2009 11:35:55 AM PDT by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
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To: Petronski
Amazing the amount of mindreading that goes on on the Religion Forum, where mindreading is prohibited.

Cool, the moderators moved this from News to the religion page, that is entirely different.

Thanks moderators and have fun you guys.

47 posted on 09/12/2009 11:37:39 AM PDT by ansel12
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To: ansel12
So you're okay with making a totally bogus and impossible attempt at mindreading when the rules don't explicitly prohibit it?
48 posted on 09/12/2009 11:42:12 AM PDT by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
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To: notaliberal

I’m surprised the Mod let it stand.


49 posted on 09/12/2009 11:43:54 AM PDT by tiki (True Christians will not deliberately slander or misrepresent others or their beliefs)
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To: Petronski

“Amazing the amount of mindreading that goes on on the Religion Forum, where mindreading is prohibited.”

One does not need to read minds to see the obvious.


50 posted on 09/12/2009 11:52:15 AM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: Petronski

“Your comparison is ridiculous.”

Why is it ridiculous? It completely changes the tenor of the thread - which is what you support. In my example, it becomes anti-Catholic. In the one that you continue to defend it becomes anti-Protestant.

Both falsely (and provocatively) frame the article title - but according to you are completely acceptable.


51 posted on 09/12/2009 11:56:41 AM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: NYer
The article is from a Protestant journal with the focus on protestant clergy.

Of course it is.

Misconduct is a big problem always, among catholics and non-catholics alike. Not in numbers, but in terms of the damage done. Catholics have seen some of their problems become public in a very big way, but obviously some high-profile non-catholic ministers have blown up over the years too.

But besides the ones who blow up publicly, there are others whose problems never make the front page.

And its funny, the very hierarchical nature of the catholic church has been usurped by many, they've managed to use the system to avoid detection or avoid consequences. The very un-hierarchical nature of some non-catholic churches has often allowed a different kind of charlatan to exist. Most people can smell a phony a mile away, but there are always enough people who can't to keep these jaybirds in business.

You always have to approach clergy, as with anyone else, with some discernment. Let the Holy Spirit guide. Look at his personal life, not for perfection but for signs that he's out of balance behind the scenes. Listen to what he says from the pulpit; is it scriptural, does he seem to be led by the Spirit?

I've seen some real crackpots over the years who manage to swim in those waters and they get by thanks to people who are looking for God and can't tell the difference between the real thing and a conman. And I've seen ministers and priests who quite evidently didn't have the calling. And I've seen people in various parts of the ministry who believed that their importance to the work gave them some kind of immunity. Its funny, God does grant us a lot of freedom but abuse your freedom and the slap-down can be quite dramatic. Ignore God's warnings, he seems to give people warnings as they are going off the track, but ignore them and you're headed for a very public reckoning.

And, as I alluded to earlier, ministers and priests are subject to pressures and temptations and even blackmail in a way that most people never are. They get hit on every day, and counseling with people they can find themselves in an awkward position from time to time, which is why as I said its important that they avoid meeting with people alone, its too easy to be accused of something you didn't do. I've also seen or heard of cases like that. Keep the door open so the church lady in the next room can be your witness. Take someone with you when you go to call.

Its easy to make the mistake of thinking that, because your heart is pure, no one could ever mistake your intentions. They mistake them all the time.

Beyond that, I wish guys in the ministry who are out of control would admit it to themselves and take that year off to deal with it. Some do, some keep going until they have that train wreck. We recently had an assistant pastor step down to deal with personal issues. He didn't specify in too much detail, unresolved problems having to do with his family life. He had delayed while the church was involved with some special projects he was in charge of, but once those were done he filmed a two minute video resignation and stepped out of the lime-light to deal with it, whatever it is.

I wish more people would do that.

52 posted on 09/12/2009 11:58:12 AM PDT by marron
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To: Petronski; RFEngineer

The statement could have been taken to mean the title of this thread or the counter-example, therefore it is too ambiguous to be reading the mind of another Freeper.


53 posted on 09/12/2009 11:58:26 AM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: RFEngineer; Petronski; All
On "open" threads in the Religion Forum, taking umbrage at a particular style of posting, sourcing, phrasing, translation, omissions, bias, etc. should be expected. That is normal in town square style debate.

Just be careful to keep the debate on the issues themselves and not the individual Freepers.

54 posted on 09/12/2009 12:05:47 PM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: Religion Moderator

I didn’t request any ruling or reprimand on that.

You provided one, very helpfully, as is your responsibility.


55 posted on 09/12/2009 12:06:47 PM PDT by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
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To: Petronski; aMorePerfectUnion; NYer
I’m not sure what would motivate you to post “protestants”...

(Petronski) "Is it not accurate?"

It is not only not an accurate quote of the headline it is a downright dishonest representation "edited" by NYer in a deliberate attempt to mislead the reader to believe the story is exclusive to Protestants only.

From the article in question:

Survey Reveals Prevalence of Clergy Sexual Misconduct

And the final paragraph:

"Clergy sexual misconduct was defined as minister, priests, rabbis, or other clergypersons or religious leaders who make sexual advances or propositions to persons in the congregations they serve who are not their spouses or significant others."

If you are aware of the percentages to be assigned to
minister
priests
rabbis
other clergypersons

please state them.

56 posted on 09/12/2009 12:07:07 PM PDT by OLD REGGIE (I am a Biblical Unitarian?)
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To: RFEngineer
Why is it ridiculous?

Because it equates one parenthetical "protestant" with another parenthetical "Catholic Priest Altar-boy buggers excluded."

Frankly, you reveal a certain something about yourself merely by coming up with that language, hypothetical or not.

57 posted on 09/12/2009 12:09:18 PM PDT by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
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To: OLD REGGIE
by NYer in a deliberate attempt to mislead

That is attributing motive to another Freeper, which is a form of "making it personal."

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

58 posted on 09/12/2009 12:09:29 PM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: Religion Moderator

“Just be careful to keep the debate on the issues themselves and not the individual Freepers.”

Unfortunately, the thread title is the issue, not the issues in the posted article.

The title should match the article, and the parenthetical changes the title. If you won’t remove it, please modify it to include all religions inside the parentheses to make it more correct (and more ridiculous).


59 posted on 09/12/2009 12:10:16 PM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: OLD REGGIE

Suddenly the anti-Catholic crowd becomes very particular about statistics.

Amazing.


60 posted on 09/12/2009 12:10:29 PM PDT by Petronski (In Germany they came first for the Communists, And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist...)
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