Unchaste Celibates

Clergy Sexual Misconduct against Adults-Expressions, Definitions, and Harms

Bibliographic Data

ID3580579
AuthorsStephen Edward De Weger (0000-0002-8956-9337, Queensland University of Technology, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume13
Issue5
Pages393
Publication date2022-04-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel13050393
OpenAlexW4224316343
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited27

There is an ignored, misunderstood, and complex reality within the broader clergy sexual abuse scandal within the Roman Catholic Church (RCC)-that of clergy sexual misconduct against adults (CSMAA). Estimates and calculations of numbers of victims/survivors over the last half-century reach into the early millions. Furthermore, evidence reveals that CSMAA does produce many serious personal, relational, and practical harms. This article presents and discusses the many expressions of such harms. However, even with the evidence of such harms CSMAA events are, for the most part, still generally perceived as consensual affairs. Such a perception is challenged when CSMAA is contextualised within a professional misconduct framework, and even more so, when survivors thereof participate in the research. Furthermore, CSMAA is clearly not just one type of event. Accordingly, this article also presents a continuum of expressions of CSMAA to assist with perceptual accuracy of this issue along with an unambiguous definition of CSMAA

Criminology · Human sexuality · Misconduct · Perception · Poison control · Political science · Sexual abuse · Sexual assault · Sexual misconduct · Sexual relationship · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social Psychology

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Open DOIOpen Access