As more victims have come forward to file cases against the offenders, clergy sexual abuse has gained wide media attention in recent years.
After decades of enforced silence and cover-up, the long list of sexual abuse by clergy members is now revealed to the public.
In the year 2007, the total amount of financial compensation payment to victims has reached more than $600 million.
However, no amount of money can compensate the pain and suffering that victims had to live with for the rest of their lives.
Although the clergy sexual abuse problem is very serious, some of the church leaders have not dealt with it without bias.
For many years, the Catholic Church has concealed evidence of any allegations against clergy members, relocated abusive priests to other parishes instead of reporting the abuse to police, paid off the victims to remain silent, and even ignored the complaints of the victims.
What are the Effects of Clergy Sexual Abuse? The effects of sexual abuse by clergy on victims are always traumatic and tremendous because the perpetrators are trusted and respected in the community.
Priests are automatically given authority and power by the people; so the children and young people entrusted to them are especially vulnerable.
When clergy members exploited their innocence, the damages wrought are deep and long-lasting that victims still suffer from them even when they reached adulthood.
These effects may include: depression, severe anxiety, shame, guilt, panic attacks, mistrust of other people, self-destructive behaviors, and intimacy and sex issues.
What is the Extent of Suffering? Although thousands of victims have come forward, it is still unknown how many people have suffered from sexual abuse by clergy members.
In 2002, about 1,200 priests across the United States were accused of sexual abuse acts involving: fondling, genital contact, masturbation, exposure, pornography, voyeurism, and sexual intercourse.
Between 1950 and 1004, a large-scale study commissioned by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has estimated that about 4 percent of all priests in the U.
S.
had faced accusations of alleged sexual abuse.
Some of the priests have been prosecuted and jailed.
The Catholic Church has been forced to issue a series of public apologies due to deep shame.
After decades of enforced silence and cover-up, the long list of sexual abuse by clergy members is now revealed to the public.
In the year 2007, the total amount of financial compensation payment to victims has reached more than $600 million.
However, no amount of money can compensate the pain and suffering that victims had to live with for the rest of their lives.
Although the clergy sexual abuse problem is very serious, some of the church leaders have not dealt with it without bias.
For many years, the Catholic Church has concealed evidence of any allegations against clergy members, relocated abusive priests to other parishes instead of reporting the abuse to police, paid off the victims to remain silent, and even ignored the complaints of the victims.
What are the Effects of Clergy Sexual Abuse? The effects of sexual abuse by clergy on victims are always traumatic and tremendous because the perpetrators are trusted and respected in the community.
Priests are automatically given authority and power by the people; so the children and young people entrusted to them are especially vulnerable.
When clergy members exploited their innocence, the damages wrought are deep and long-lasting that victims still suffer from them even when they reached adulthood.
These effects may include: depression, severe anxiety, shame, guilt, panic attacks, mistrust of other people, self-destructive behaviors, and intimacy and sex issues.
What is the Extent of Suffering? Although thousands of victims have come forward, it is still unknown how many people have suffered from sexual abuse by clergy members.
In 2002, about 1,200 priests across the United States were accused of sexual abuse acts involving: fondling, genital contact, masturbation, exposure, pornography, voyeurism, and sexual intercourse.
Between 1950 and 1004, a large-scale study commissioned by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has estimated that about 4 percent of all priests in the U.
S.
had faced accusations of alleged sexual abuse.
Some of the priests have been prosecuted and jailed.
The Catholic Church has been forced to issue a series of public apologies due to deep shame.
SHARE
