Abstract
ABSTRACT Women remain perhaps the forgotten majority of persons to survive clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse. The impact of this abuse of women has been largely overlooked. Through a qualitative exploration of narratives from semistructured interviews of 25 women sexually abused by clergy (18 as adults and 7 as children), this study examined how the women experienced symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Consideration is given to clergy-specific factors related to CPSA. Other considerations included intensified captivity experiences for many and extreme isolation related to nonexistent “contexts” for validation and support. A change in personal spirituality among many subjects from structured traditional religious practice to spirituality strongly dependent on interpersonal and relational factors is also considered.
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