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Priest Abuse comprises a range of immoral and heinous actions commonly perpetrated on children and teens by pedophilic priests or other church employees involving sexual assault of varying amounts. The assault might be a one-off, non-consensual scroll barevent or it might include several assaults inside an ongoing interaction. For instance, a continuing “trusting” interaction with a young child created by the predatory behavior of a clergy associate, cloaked by the trust and respect provided to a member of the clergy, leading to non-consensual sexual attack acts of molestation.

In nearly all claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse scenarios, the short-coming by the Clergy member’s superior to completely, adequately and promptly disclose the crime to law enforcement and other authorities, or the continuing failure to investigate, contend with and deal entirely with the occurrence amplifies the harm on the assault survivor, the community and possibly others. Current Priest Sexual Assault cases reported in the press uncover these short-comings, that includes “pass-the-trash” situations where the perpetrator commonly a priest in the Catholic Church, is secretly transferred from one church to another only to continue his predatory, criminal action on an innocent parish community.

Priest and Clergy Sexual Abuse & Retribution

Not a week goes by without a media announcement reporting regarding sexual abuse and molestation of children by predator clergy, or the aftermath of the abuse on the victims and their families. If you are a survivor of sexual assault from a priest or other church member, these articles are likely to serve as an echo chamber, reverberating the horror, embarrassment, guilt and other unwanted emotions staining your well-being. Encouraged by the societal movement and other pathways that encourage them to reveal the abuse they suffered, survivors of assault are increasingly employing the legal system to compensate them for the life-long damage and injury they have experienced.

If you are a survivor of abuse perpetrated by a member of the clergy, the impact of the abuse on your life and foundational belief system can be incalculable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible church and institutions to blame for their crimes and indifference might provide a measure of justice and recompense to assault victims. Commonly, victims can leverage their legal rights in confidential mediation thereby avoiding the need for litigation. However, if litigation is necessary, a case might be filed where the plaintiff can remain anonymous.

Abusive Behavior

All abusers, to varying degrees, employ predatory tricks that are commonly known as grooming, targeting a possible assault victim. Following is a survey of grooming actions exhibited by predators who are in a job of authority in relation to the subordinate child.

Grooming

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

Trust

A predator will initially work to get the child’s trust. This strategy is most difficult to notice as church communities are often tight-knit and personal interaction with clergy is commonplace. Here, the predator can pretend sincere interest in the child’s wellness and development – both emotional and religious.

Reliance

As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential child-victim and oftentimes their family members, the child will begin to rely more and more on the predator for whatever need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The victim will devote increased time with the predator, feeling more and more comfortable with the relationship and counting on its stability and security. In addition to attention and affection, the potential victim might receive presents from the predator, including valuable, intangible gifts like blessings and special recognition.

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As the grooming progresses, the predator will try to isolate the possible victim. This may mean single counseling meetings, meals or various methods of one-on-one isolated moments.

Sexualization

The predator might start to de-sensitize the child from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and various actions that lead to sexual interaction. This could start with breaking the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with suggestive messages to gauge 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 established, the predator will try to maintain control of the child and the continued interaction. The predator may likely want to manipulate the child by continuing to make the victim feel special and worthy. The predator will continue to exploit the victim by whatever ways necessary to maintain the immoral physical relationship.

Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors

The impact of childhood assault on the victim can be overwhelming and life-changing. Several priest abuse 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 problems creating and keeping vibrant relationships. Individualized treatment and support groups can assist victims overcome these effects.

Legally, a victim of Priest Sexual Abuse can gain financial compensation from the abuser and, more commonly, from the church for its failure to shield the child from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its method of reviewing and resolving to reports of abuse. If you are a survivor of Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse and would like to confidentially discuss your situation and your legal options, we are prepared to speak with you.