A test of faith: Exploring the attitudes and experiences of Catholics in the aftermath of the Church's child sexual abuse scandal

Abstract

In the wake of #MeToo, public opinion toward institutional sex abuse has become an increasingly important topic to examine. In the U.S., the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal is arguably one of the most widely publicized accounts of alleged institutional sex crime “cover-ups.” However, scholarship that has explored the impact of this crisis on the public, particularly on Catholic Americans, is underdeveloped. Drawing on a recent national poll, this study investigates the extent to which Catholics reported negative and positive actions in response to the scandal. It then moves toward identifying divides across these experiences. Results indicate that views about religion in society, perceptions of institutional sex crime, personal experiences related to the allegations, and confidence in leadership predict the action undertaken by Catholics. Implications are discussed.