Child Abuse in Irish Catholic Settings: A Non‐Reductionist Account

Abstract

The reputation of the Irish Catholic Church has been damaged, maybe irrevocably, by the extensive evidence of child abuse in its midst. This paper summarises the evidence for that crisis and goes on to offer a multi‐factorial and non‐reductionist account of the abuse in a wider context. By adopting a systemic approach, this account aims to discern those factors which are peculiar to the Irish case and those that have more general significance for child protection. The Irish case demonstrates a complex set of conditions of possibility for child abuse. Some of these were only relevant to Ireland and the Catholic Church but some were not. In particular, varieties of systemic isolation and the a priori social marginalisation of victims are important to consider as salient risk factors. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.The Irish case demonstrates a complex set of conditions of possibility for child abuseKey Practitioner Messages Religious settings are sites of vulnerability for children. The Catholic Church has been under particular scrutiny internationally about child abuse in its midst. The Irish Church warrants additional scrutiny because of the enmeshment of State and Church. However, child abuse can be found in other countries, in other denominations and in secular organisations. These general and particular features are best understood using a systemic framework to avoid reductionist accounts of abuse.‘Best understood using a systemic framework to avoid reductionist accounts of abuse’