Priest Sexual Abuse includes a wide-range of immoral and heinous actions commonly commited against children and tweens by pedophilic clergy or other church members involving sexual abuse of varying amounts. The abuse might be a one-time, non-consensual scroll barencounter or it might involve numerous assaults inside an ongoing interaction. For instance, a continuing “trusting” relationship with a child created by the predatory intent of a church associate, blanketed by the trust and reverence imputed to a member of the clergy, leading to non-consensual sexual abuse acts of molestation.

Within nearly all claimed Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse situations, the short-coming by the Clergy member’s superior to fully, adequately and promptly disclose the offense to law enforcement and other authorities, or its further failure to research, contend with and deal fully with the situation amplifies the harm on the abuse survivor, the community and possibly others. Current Church Sexual Abuse cases covered in the press uncover these failures, which includes “pass-the-trash” situations when the perpetrator oftentimes a clergy in the Catholic Church, is quietly transferred from one church to another only to continue his predatory, criminal action on an unsuspecting parish community.

Priest and Clergy Sexual Assault and Retribution
Not a day goes by without a news announcement coverage about sexual assault and molestation of children by pedophile priests, or the effects of the assault on the victims and their families. If you are a victim of sexual abuse from a priest or other clergy member, these articles are likely to act as an echo chamber, replaying the horror, shame, guilt and various unwanted feelings harming your well-being. Encouraged by the societal movement and other pathways that encourage them to disclose the abuse they experienced, survivors of assault are increasingly turning to the legal system to compensate them for the lifetime damage and injury they have suffered.

If you are a victim of assault commited by a member of the church, the impact of the abuse on your life and core belief system may be immeasurable. Nonetheless, holding the responsible clergy and institutions to blame for their crimes and indifference might offer a measure of justice and recompense to assault victims. Oftentimes, victims can leverage their legal rights in confidential mediation thereby avoiding the need for litigation. However, if litigation is necessary, a motion may be filed where the victim can remain anonymous.

Predatory Behavior
All abusers, to varying degrees, use predatory methods that are generally known as grooming, tracking a possible abuse victim. Below is clergy lawsuit Arizona of grooming behaviors used by predators who are in a position of authority relative to the subordinate child.

Grooming
Grooming is a major piece of a predator’s strategy. In a church setting, the clergy member is viewed as God’s representative. In this environment, the predator frequently works closely with small numbers of children, identifying each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and situations. Once a victim is identified, these vulnerabilities – such as violent family setting, loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – might be systematically leveraged in the following ways:

Trust
An assaulter will first try to get the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to discern as religious communities are frequently tight-knit and personal relation with clergy is commonplace. Here, the predator can pretend genuine concern in the child’s wellness and development – both emotional and religious.

Reliance
As a predator creates a trusting relationship with the potential target and oftentimes their family members, the child will start to rely more and more on the predator for whatever need it is that the priest is exploiting and fulfilling. The victim may spend more time with the priest, feeling more and more comfortable with the relationship and counting on its stability and security. In addition to attention and affection, the possible target may receive presents from the predator, including valuable, intangible presents such as blessings and special recognition.
Isolation
While grooming progresses, the predator might try to isolate the potential victim. This may mean single counseling sessions, meals or other forms of one-on-one isolated moments.
Sexualization
The predator will begin to de-sensitize the target from reacting negatively to contact, caressing and other behaviors that lead to sexual interaction. This may begin with crossing the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with suggestive messages to gauge the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will continue until the relationship gets to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
As the sexual relationship is created, the predator will work to keep control over the child and the continued interaction. The predator will likely want to manipulate the child by continuing to make the victim feel special and worthy. The predator will continue to exploit the target by whatever ways needed to maintain the immoral physical relationship.

Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors

The impact of childhood assault on the victim can be severe and life-altering. Several priest assault survivors suffer from long-term effects of the assault including depression, disturbed sleeping, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and eating patterns, and difficulty creating and maintaining vibrant relationships. Individualized treatment and support groups can assist victims overcome these effects.

Legally, a victim of Priest Sexual Assault may gain financial compensation from the predator and, more commonly, from the church for its failure to shield the child from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its method of reviewing and responding to reports of abuse. If you are a survivor of Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse and would like to confidentially discuss your experience and your legal options, we are prepared to speak with you.

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