Clergy Abuse Information

Clergy Abuse comprises a range of illegal and improper behaviors frequently perpetrated against children and teens by predatory clergy or other church members involving sexual abuse of varying degrees. The assault may be a one-off, non-consensual scroll barencounter or it may include many acts within an ongoing interaction. For instance, an ongoing “trusting” interaction with a child created by the predatory intent of a clergy associate, cloaked by the trust and respect imputed to a priest, leading to non-consensual sexual abuse acts of molestation.

In all claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse scenarios, the short-coming by the Clergy member’s superior to fully, adequately and promptly disclose the offense to law enforcement and other authorities, or its continuing failure to investigate, contend with and resolve entirely with the situation increases the harm on the abuse survivor, the community and possibly others. Recent Priest Sexual Assault cases covered in the press uncover these failures, that includes “pass-the-trash” scenarios where the abuser oftentimes a priest in the Catholic Church, is silently re-assigned from one location to another only to continue his predatory, criminal behavior on an innocent parish community.

Priest and Clergy Sexual Abuse & Retribution
Not a day passes without a news headline coverage regarding sexual assault and molestation of children by predator priests, or the effects of the assault on the survivors and their families. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse from a priest or other clergy member, these stories are likely to act as an echo chamber, replaying the horror, shame, guilt and other unwanted thoughts harming your wellness. Encouraged by the social movement and other channels that encourage survivors to disclose the abuse they suffered, victims of abuse are more frequently turning to the legal system to compensate them for the lifetime damage and injury they have experienced.

If you are a survivor of assault perpetrated by a member of the clergy, the result of the abuse on your life and core belief system can be immeasurable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible priest and institutions accountable for their crimes and failures may provide a measure of justice and recompense to assault survivors. Frequently, victims can assert their legal rights in confidential mediation thereby avoiding the need for litigation. However, if litigation is necessary, a motion may be filed where the survivor can remain anonymous.

Predatory Behavior
All abusers, to varying degrees, employ predatory tricks that are commonly referred to as grooming, focusing on a potential abuse victim. Below is a list of grooming actions used by predators who are in a job of authority relative to the subordinate young child.

clergy abuse New York is a major part of a predator’s strategy. In a religious environment, the priest is revered as God’s representative. Within this setting, the predator frequently works closely with small numbers of children, understanding each child’s needs, weaknesses and situations. Once a victim is identified, these vulnerabilities – like violent family setting, isolation, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – may be systematically leveraged in the following ways:

Trust
An assaulter will initially try to gain the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to notice as church communities are often tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the assaulter can pretend sincere concern in the child’s wellness and groeth – both emotional and religious.

Reliance
As a predator establishes a trusting relationship with the potential victim and oftentimes their family, the child will begin to rely more and more on the predator for any need it is that the priest is exploiting and fulfilling. The victim may devote more time with the priest, feeling more comfortable with the relationship and relying on its stability and security. In addition to attention and affection, the possible target may receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, intangible presents such as blessings and special recognition.
Isolation
While grooming escalates, the predator may work to isolate the potential target. This may result in single counseling meetings, meals or various methods of one-on-one isolated encounters.
Sexualization
The predator may begin 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 advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is created, the predator will try to keep control of the child and the continued interaction. The predator may likely seek to manipulate the victim 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 impact of childhood assault on the survivor can be overwhelming and life-altering. Many priest assault survivors 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 difficulty establishing and keeping healthy relationships. Individualized treatment and support groups can help survivors overcome these effects.

Legally, a survivor of Priest Sexual Abuse may recover financial compensation from the predator and, more frequently, from the religious organization for its failure to protect the victim from the assault, as well as failures or deficiencies in its process of reviewing and resolving 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.