Clergy Abuse: What Is to Be Done?

Abstract

Why do some priests engage in the sexual abuse of children? What are the warning signs for parents? Is there a typical profile of priests who are more likely to engage in sexual abuse of children? What is to be done about clergy abuse? These questions have been addressed in this paper. Previous studies focused more on psychopathology, deviant opportunities, age, and the role of socialization in clergy abuse. This paper goes further by arguing that the initial psychological/psychiatric evaluation of applicants into seminaries is inadequate and that the educational curriculum of seminaries contributes to clergy abuse. Majority of Catholic priests involved in child sexual abuse suffered from psychiatric and psychological problems, were involved in substance abuse, suffered from endocrine disorders and were victims of childhood sexual and physical abuse themselves. This paper maintains that it is possible to predict a clergy who is more likely to engage in sexual misconduct. After reviewing data on some of the convicted priests, and some academic catalogs of Catholic seminaries, several recommendations are made.