Church Abuse – Information

Priest Abuse encompasses a range of illegal and improper behaviors frequently commited on children and adolescents by predatory clergy or other church employees involving sexual abuse of varying degrees. The assault can be a single, non-consensual scroll barencounter or it may include several acts within a continuing interaction. For example, a continuing “trusting” interaction with a young child created by the predatory behavior of a church associate, cloaked by the trust and respect imputed to a member of the clergy, leading to non-consensual sexual attack acts of molestation.

Within nearly all claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse scenarios, the failure by the Clergy member’s employer to fully, adequately and promptly report the offense to law enforcement and other authorities, or its further failure to investigate, handle and deal fully with the situation amplifies the harm on the abuse survivor, the community and possibly others. Recent Church Sexual Abuse cases reported in the media uncover these failures, that includes “pass-the-trash” situations where the abuser commonly a clergy in the Catholic Church, is suddenly re-assigned from one church to another only to continue his predatory, criminal behavior on an unaware parish community.

Priest and Clergy Sexual Abuse & Justice
Not a week passes without a news announcement coverage regarding sexual abuse and molestation of young children by pedophile clergy, or the legacy of the abuse on the victims and their families. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse from a priest or other clergy member, these reports are likely to serve as an echo chamber, replaying the horror, embarrassment, guilt and other unwelcome emotions hurting your well-being. Encouraged by the societal movement and other channels that encourage them to reveal the assault they experienced, victims of assault are more frequently turning to the legal system to compensate them for the lifetime damage and injury they have experienced.

If you are a victim of assault perpetrated by a member of the clergy, the impact of the abuse on your life and core belief system can be incalculable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible church and institutions to blame for their crimes and failures might provide a measure of justice and recompense to abuse victims. Frequently, victims can assert their legal rights in confidential mediation thereby avoiding the need for litigation. But, if clergy lawsuit Pennsylvania is required, a case can be filed where the plaintiff can remain anonymous.

Abusive Behavior
All predators, to varying amounts, use predatory tricks which are generally referred to as grooming, focusing on a possible abuse victim. Following is a list of grooming behaviors exhibited 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 strategy. In a church setting, the priest is held as God’s representative. In this environment, the predator frequently works closely with small amounts of children, identifying each child’s needs, weaknesses and situations. Once a victim is identified, these vulnerabilities – like violent family setting, loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – might be systematically exploited in the following ways:

Trust
A predator will first try to get the child’s trust. This strategy is most difficult to discern as religious communities are frequently tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the predator can feign genuine interest in the child’s wellness and groeth – both emotional and religious.

Reliance
As a predator creates 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 any need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The child may spend 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 possible victim may receive gifts from the priest, including valuable, intangible gifts such as blessings and special recognition.
Isolation
While grooming escalates, the predator might try to isolate the possible victim. This might mean solo counseling meetings, meals or other methods of one-on-one isolated encounters.
Sexualization
The predator will begin to de-sensitize the child from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and various behaviors that lead to sexual interaction. This could start with crossing the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with inappropriate messages to gauge the victim’s response to the progression. This will continue until the relationship gets to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is established, the predator will try to keep control over the child and the continuing interaction. The priest will likely want to manipulate the child by continuing to make the victim feel special and worthy. The predator will keep exploiting the victim by whatever means 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-changing. 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 healthy relationships. Individualized therapy and support groups can help survivors overcome these effects.

Legally, a victim of Priest Sexual Assault may recover 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 method 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 experience and your legal options, we are prepared to speak with you.