Inaugural Digest: Clergy Sexual Misconduct Current Research
Welcome. Learn about recent research developments & a current study on clergy sexual abuse of adults.
In This Edition:
The Evidence is in: Institutional Response to Clergy Sexual Abuse of Adults Impacts Survivors’ Faith and Well-Being Recent study exposes the direct influence of religious institutions' reactions to clergy sexual abuse on the faith commitment and well-being of adult women survivors.
Transforming How Survivors Are Viewed Sociologist examines shifting from a primary focus on survivors' vulnerabilities to their assets to challenge misconceptions and enhance support for adult clergy sexual abuse survivors.
Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse Research Underway in Australia Researcher Calls for Participants to Fill Crucial Gap in Clergy Sexual Misconduct Research in Australia.
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Content Warning: Contains references to sexual abuse and spiritual abuse.
Letter from the Editor
Dear Readers,
With great pleasure and excitement, I present the first issue of our quarterly digest, CSM Research Insights, from ClergySexualMisconduct.com. As the editor-in-chief, I am delighted to embark on this journey of knowledge-sharing and exploration with you.
CSM Research Insights aims to bridge the gaps between academic research, survivor journeys, and expert viewpoints, offering focused content that brings depth to the conversation on clergy sexual abuse of adults, fostering a community that values understanding, resilience, and expert knowledge.
This project is a challenging endeavor. As research develops, we discover new ways of viewing the complexities of survivor experiences. Over time, language changes. We learn better practices and prevention strategies, impacting policy recommendations. We grow because of the courageous survivors telling their stories and community members listening, believing, learning, growing, changing, and telling others. CSM Research Insights exists to be another channel of telling. Please consider telling others by sharing the insights you learn through this publication, whether by posting this digest on social media or sharing it with survivors, advocates, religious leaders, and other community stakeholders.
In this premiere edition, you will find a curated selection of articles that provides a snapshot of the current research landscape. As with every digest, each article will direct you to more in-depth research and resources. Through the pages of CSM Research Insights, you will stay informed and be inspired to delve deeper into learning about this often misunderstood form of abuse. Education is an essential part of progress.
As we embark on this exciting venture, I invite you to participate actively in our community. Your feedback, thoughts, and suggestions are invaluable in shaping the future editions of CSM Research Insights. Let's create a space where knowledge and positive change are valued together.
Thank you for joining us on this journey. I look forward to the intellectual and practical application adventures that lie ahead. May future generations reap the benefits of what we learn and apply collectively today.
Warm regards,
T. P. Zamora
Editor, CSM Research Insights
The Evidence is in: Institutional Response to Clergy Sexual Abuse of Adults Impacts Survivors’ Faith and Well-Being
Recent study exposes the direct influence of religious institutions' reactions to clergy sexual abuse on the faith commitment and well-being of adult women survivors.
In the face of clergy sexual misconduct allegations, leaders, fearing a negative impact on their institution’s mission, frequently resort to safeguarding the institution by concealing information, manipulating the narrative, and mischaracterizing clergy sexual abuse as an "affair." Ironically, within Christian communities, these efforts to “preserve their gospel witness” often have adverse effects on survivors, including a loss of faith for some.
Entitled “It Was Like Double Damage,” a new study on clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse of adults (CPSAA) by Dr. Krystal Woolston, involving surveys from 108 participants and follow-up interviews with ten survivors from various Christian denominations, reveals that if an institution responds to adult women abused by clergy in an unsupportive way, privileging the institution over the survivor, the survivor will “generally exhibit a decrease in their spirituality and religious commitment” (p. 94). In contrast, when an institution shows courage, believes, and supports the survivor, the survivor’s “level of spirituality and religious commitment is likely to be higher” (p. 94).
The findings of this study hold substantial implications for religious communities, especially those focused on evangelism and confronting the difficulties of individuals departing from the faith. Dr. Woolston's research emphasizes the imperative for religious institutions to reassess and improve their responses to reports of clergy sexual abuse, acknowledging the profound impact on survivors' prospects of staying within the faith community and preserving their spirituality.
This critical study almost did not happen; over six years into her Ph.D. program, Dr. Woolston abandoned her dissertation on community engagement as she felt the pull to pursue research that could fundamentally change the way churches respond to clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse of adults. “Clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse is a traumatic experience, which can be made more traumatic based on how an institution responds to the survivor,” Dr. Woolston explains.
“All participants experienced some level of institutional betrayal which left lasting impacts on their ability to achieve posttraumatic growth, and their levels of spirituality, religious commitment, general well-being and flourishing,” the abstract reads. Beginning on page 43, readers can gain a better understanding of survivor experiences through her qualitative research findings, which produced six themes: (1) clergy abuse tactics, (2) misunderstood adult victimization, (3) institutional betrayal, (4) survivor faith impact, (5) institutional courage, and (6) hopes for the future church.1 The firsthand accounts of survivors provide invaluable insights for those endeavoring to grasp the nature of clergy sexual abuse against adults and its profound traumatic impact.
Interview participants share recommendations for improving institutional responses, emphasizing the need for institutions to show courage and support survivors, making this study a valuable tool for religious leaders. Dr. Woolston notes a third of potential participants were screened out because they did not report the abuse to the institution. “Because my focus was on how institutions responded to reports of abuse, I had to put that screening question in,” Dr. Woolston explains. “But what that tells us is that the problem of CPSAA is larger than we have data for, and we should do further research into why survivors don't report their abuse to their religious institutions.”
A crucial takeaway for religious leaders is that their response to allegations of clergy sexual misconduct is critical; responding unsupportively to survivors, under the pretext that publicly addressing the issue will result in people “leaving the faith,” is misguided. Research indicates the opposite action: supporting survivors openly, is more likely to yield positive outcomes. “This research illustrates the religious commitment and spirituality of survivors of [clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse] increases when institutions show courage, making it easier for institutions to understand how their actions post-abuse disclosure will impact survivors’ likelihood of remaining within a religious institution or finding a level of spirituality at all post-abuse” (p. 94).
Two scholars profoundly influenced Dr. Woolston's academic journey. She shares that Dr. Jennifer Brown Urban, her dissertation chair, instilled in her “ways to be thoughtful, caring, and an integrity-filled researcher.” Dr. David Pooler, who directed the first national survey of CPSAA survivors in 2015, also positively impacted her as a researcher. She shares her aspirations for future research endeavors. “Hopefully, we'll work together in the future to continue researching CPSAA and institutional responses.”
Read the study, “It Was Like Double Damage”: An Exploration of Clergy-Perpetrated Sexual Abuse, Institutional Response, and Posttraumatic Growth.
Transforming How Survivors Are Viewed
Sociologist examines shifting from a primary focus on survivors' vulnerabilities to their assets to challenge misconceptions and enhance support for adult clergy sexual abuse survivors.
Level one of understanding clergy sexual abuse against adults includes understanding power dynamics. Within religious institutions, the clergy wields greater power and authority over the church members within the hierarchy. In religious communities, clergy are typically granted automatic respect and deference. This power imbalance tilted in favor of the clergyperson compromises the ability of a church member to freely grant meaningful consent to sexual contact with their spiritual superior. Hence, clergy sexual misconduct is nonconsensual and is illegal in some US states.
In addition to understanding clergy sexual misconduct as an abuse of power, research on clergy sexual abuse of adults continues to show that abusive clergy target and exploit the vulnerabilities of their victims. In a 2015 study by Baylor University, over 60% of respondents reported the abuse began while their religious leader was providing counseling. Many survivor accounts include the religious leader preying on sensitive information disclosed to them based on perceived safety and care, demonstrating a betrayal of sacred trust.2
However, this vulnerability-centric model has its limitations. Survivors may be perceived as deficient and not as highly spiritual, educated, capable people, which research shows they often are. For example, in her peer-reviewed article, In Their Own Voices: Women Who Were Sexually Abused by Members of the Clergy, researcher Kathryn Flynn said, "The sample consisted of highly educated, mature, intelligent, responsible women with spouses and families. For the majority, their church affiliation was a factor of primary importance, and they had donated significant time to their churches."
In Dr. Wanda Lott-Collins’ peer-reviewed article, Silent Sufferers: Female Clergy Sexual Abuse, she describes how capable, seminary-educated clergywomen experience clergy sexual misconduct while working alongside senior clergymen. The target’s vulnerability arises not from any deficiency or lack of quality but rather from their lower-ranking position and gender, highlighting power dynamics and systemic issues within the religious institution that contribute to such misconduct. Referring to a case vignette on page 12, Dr. Lott-Collins says the target “felt trapped because she had less social power, while [the perpetrator] had wisdom, power, position, and the heart and trust of the people.”
In his peer-reviewed article, Critical Reflections on Clericalism and Clergy Misconduct: A Sociological Approach, sociologist Dr. Jason Martin critiques the prevailing narrative that primarily highlights survivors' deficiencies, namely their vulnerabilities. On pages 8 and 9, Dr. Martin presents three key points elucidating the consequences of adopting a vulnerability-centric model: (1) it “misplaces anxieties in a way that fails to protect institutions and individuals properly,” (2) “characterizing an abused individual as a vulnerable victim instead of a survivor of targeting ‘others’ them,” and (3) survivors of trauma may resort to self-blame by focusing on personal deficiencies and failures to explain intolerable circumstances, highlighting the detrimental impact of viewing survivors solely through a lens of vulnerability. This idea is reinforced by probing questions that blame the victim, such as “What was wrong in your marriage that allowed this to happen?”
Dr. Martin summarizes the vulnerability-centric approach to understanding clergy sexual misconduct on page 8 with his SUCCUMB Model (see Figure 1). This perpetrator-centered model frames abusive clergy as “tragic heroes who succumb to others’ weaknesses,” namely the “survivor’s deficiencies,” as explained in the acronym SUCCUMB: Susceptible/wounded, Unmoored/desperate, Contemptible/pitiful, Confused/aimless, Unprincipled, Manipulative/needy, Broken/unstable. His perpetrator-centered model contrasts his THIEVES model (see Figure 1), a survivor-centered model that highlights the perpetrator’s covetous behavior and targeting of the survivor’s strengths. THIEVES stands for the survivor’s strengths: Trusting, Hopeful/Optimistic, Insightful/talented, Earnest/fervent, Virtuous, Empathetic, and Steadfest/faith-filled.
© Jason Martin, 2023. Used with permission.
Dr. Martin explains that “re-centering of abuse survivors as valuable and visible is particularly important because they are typically cut off from their church communities, and along with disorientation and self-blame, tend to experience alienation from friends, family, and even from self.” By recognizing the strengths and resilience of survivors, Dr. Martin’s proposed shift in how survivors are viewed aims to overcome the pitfalls of a vulnerability-centric model, fostering understanding, empowerment, and a more comprehensive approach to addressing clergy sexual abuse of adults.
There is significantly more to glean from Dr. Martin’s paper, including his Typology of Reactions to Misconduct of Abuse and how a “prophetic sociological lens” can enhance our understanding of adult clergy sexual abuse. It concludes with an eye-opening historical account of a well-known and celebrated theologian and his recorded clergy sexual misconduct. This paper significantly contributes to the ongoing conversation surrounding clergy sexual abuse of adults, addressing a critical gap in the discourse.
Read Critical Reflections on Clericalism and Clergy Misconduct: A Sociological Approach by sociologist Dr. Jason Martin.
Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse Research Underway in Australia
Researcher Calls for Participants to Fill Crucial Gap in Clergy Sexual Misconduct Research in Australia.
A groundbreaking exploration of clergy sexual misconduct (CSM) against adults is underway in Australia. While Dr. Stephen de Weger's exemplary Australian studies on adults sexually abused by clergy in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) have made significant contributions to scholarship, there is currently a gap in empirical research on adult sexual grooming within Evangelical, Pentecostal Christian Faith Communities (EPCFC) in Australia. Jaime Simpson, a research student pursuing her Master of Philosophy (MPhil) at Queensland University of Technology in the School of Justice within Creative Industries, Education, and Social Justice, aims to change that.
“In an Australian context, there is no comprehensive examination or data that points to the patterns and tactics employed by pastors to groom and perpetrate sexual abuse or harassment of an adult congregation member within an Evangelical, Pentecostal Christian faith community,” Simpson shares. “This research will contribute to filling that research gap and provide further knowledge of adult sexual grooming patterns and tactics employed in EPCFC.”
Professionally, Jaime Simpson holds qualifications as a Level 4 counselor accredited by the Australian Counselling Association, specializing in domestic family violence and religious trauma. In her academic role, she serves as the Unit Coordinator for the Graduate Certificate of Domestic Violence Responses at Queensland University of Technology.
Those who identify with any of the three terms "evangelical, pentecostal, or Christian" and have experienced clergy sexual misconduct in an Australian ministry are invited to participate in this study. Simpson points out that although the term “pastoral sexual misconduct” is used in her call for respondents, participants may view their experiences with the pastor differently and can describe the language that supports their experience. “Giving participants the agency to choose their language is important in understanding their experiences,” Simpson explains.
Simpson will present her research in a Master of Philosophy thesis and aims to produce journal articles, books, conference presentations, and submissions to government and church bodies. She hopes to see other researchers focusing on secondary survivors—the spouses, she says, are “often the forgotten victims in this journey.” Additionally, she would like to hear the experiences of American survivors who live where laws criminalizing clergy sexual misconduct are in place and how this may impact how congregants in those states view CSM compared to states where no CSM laws exist.
On her research journey, Simpson acknowledges the profound impact of Australian author and investigative journalist Jess Hill, praising her book See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control, and Domestic Abuse for its incredible research. Simpson expresses gratitude for the invaluable contributions of Dr. Diane Langberg, as well as Rev. Dr. Marie Fortune for normalizing the conversation around the topic through her work, Is Nothing Sacred? dating back to 1989. She recognizes the exceptional research conducted by Baylor University's School of Social Work, particularly the work of Dr. Diana Garland and Dr. David Pooler. Lastly, she appreciates Dr. Jennifer Freyd's insights on betrayal trauma and institutional betrayal.
However, in her mind, the true scholars are survivors. “I’m incredibly inspired by all the victim-survivors who, in their own healing, have also had the courage to speak on podcasts, at conferences, write books, or anonymously provide their stories for research purposes.”
Learn more or participate in this study.
T. P. Zamora, editor of CSM Research Insights and sociology student, explores power dynamics and abuse within religious institutions and its multi-faceted impact on survivors.
Learn more about the concepts of institutional courage and institutional betrayal, developed from betrayal trauma theory by Jennifer J. Freyd.
To read survivor accounts, visit the research section of ClergySexualMisconduct.com to read studies, articles, and book chapters. You can also access a wealth of audio and visual media covering survivor accounts of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse of adults.
Thanks for your insights and hard work in putting this together. This is an excellent resource and look forward to the future ones already. Excellent work from Dr. Krystal Woolston and Dr. Jason Martin. I hope to bring some excellent research out of Australia as well.