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Ramos V, de Almeida AN. From percentages to narratives: Giving silence a voice in child sexual abuse within the Portuguese Catholic Church, 1950-2022. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 154:106944. [PMID: 39053223 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the last two decades, several studies have examined the extent and expression of child sexual abuse (CSA) in religious institutions. In 2021, following new Vatican guidelines and under intense public pressure, the Portuguese Episcopal Conference commissioned a study on CSA in Portugal by members of the Portuguese Catholic Church (PCC) and others associated with it (from 1950 to 2022). OBJECTIVE AND METHODS The study draws on a web-based survey and a respondent driven sample. The questionnaire included categorical questions about victims, abusers, types of abuse, and open-ended questions. We characterized victims and abusers and developed a social cartography of abuse using Correspondence Analysis. Victims' narratives are also part of the model of analysis. RESULTS We validated 512 of CSA by members of the PCC. Boys were more frequently abused (57.2 % vs. 42.2 %); male abusers predominate (96.7 %); most victims were abused more than once (57 %); the average age of victims when the first abuse occurred was 11.2 years. More invasive forms of abuse predominate (80 % manipulation of sexual organs or penetration; only 20 % had no body touching). There are patterns of abuse, and space plays a pivotal role in understanding the forms that CSA takes within Catholic environments. The richness of individual narratives was an unexpected outcome that enables us to better understand the organisational and symbolical power structures in which abuse takes place. CONCLUSION Given the characteristics of our sample, these cases are the tip of the iceberg, with CSA within the PCC likely involved thousands of children. Further research should strive to consider victims' narratives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasco Ramos
- Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Aníbal Bettencourt 9, 1600-189 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Ana Nunes de Almeida
- Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Aníbal Bettencourt 9, 1600-189 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Hunt GR, Mathews B, Higgins DJ, Finkelhor D, Willis ML, Haslam DM, Lawrence D, Meinck F, Thomas HJ, Malacova E, Pacella RE, Scott JG. Submission to child abuse and neglect the prevalence of child sexual abuse perpetrated by leaders or other adults in religious organizations in Australia. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024:106946. [PMID: 39103255 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous national public inquiries have highlighted the problem of child sexual abuse in religious organizations. Despite this, evidence of population-wide prevalence is scarce. OBJECTIVE To provide the first nationally representative prevalence estimates of child sexual abuse perpetrated by adults in religious organizations in Australia. METHODS The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) surveyed 8503 people aged 16 and over about their experiences of child maltreatment. Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated based on responses to the child sexual abuse questions from the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2: Adapted Version (ACMS). RESULTS One in 250 people reported being sexually abused as a child by an adult in a religious organization (0.4 %, 95 % CI, 0.3-0.6 %). Men reported significantly higher rates of child sexual abuse by these perpetrators (0.8 %, 95 % CI, 0.5-1.2 %), compared to women (0.1 %, 95 % CI, 0-0.3 %). This type of sexual abuse was overwhelmingly perpetrated by men (0.4 %, 95 % CI, 0.3-0.6 %), compared to women (0 %, 95 % CI, 0-0.1 %), and was substantially more often experienced in Catholic organizations (71.9 %) than other Christian denominations or other religions. Prevalence of child sexual abuse in religious organizations has declined over time (2.2 % of men 65 years and older, compared with 0.2 % of 16-24-year-old men). CONCLUSIONS Child sexual abuse has been widespread in religious organizations in Australia. A decline over time indicates progress has been made in preventing sexual abuse of children. Religious organizations must take all reasonable measures to prevent child sexual abuse, with a particular need for interventions targeting male leaders, and organizational cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle R Hunt
- Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Australia
| | - Ben Mathews
- School of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, United States of America.
| | - Daryl J Higgins
- Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Australia
| | - David Finkelhor
- Crimes against Children Research Centre, United States of America; Family Research Laboratory, United States of America; Sociology at the University of New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Megan L Willis
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Australia
| | - Divna M Haslam
- School of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, Australia
| | - David Lawrence
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Franziska Meinck
- School of Social & Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa; School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Hannah J Thomas
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, Australia; School of Public Heath, The University of Queensland, Australia; QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Eva Malacova
- QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Rosana E Pacella
- Institute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom
| | - James G Scott
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Children's Health Qld, South Brisbane, Qld, Australia
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Russell DH, Higgins DJ, Harris L, Rinaldi A, Pound M, Zollner H. The safeguarding capability of adults in Catholic Church ministries: A global perspective. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 153:106801. [PMID: 38677176 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the wake of historical sexual abuse across the Catholic Church globally, the Church continues to develop policies and processes to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse, including supporting the skills, knowledge, and confidence of members of the Church. OBJECTIVE We investigated the safeguarding capabilities of a range of people with different roles within Catholic Church ministries in various countries. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Our 184 participants included lay people, religious men and women, school staff, safeguarding officers and tertiary students associated with the Catholic Church. Data were collected across seven different countries. METHODS We measured the awareness, confidence, attitudes, and knowledge of participants and examined differences between participants in different roles within the Church and different countries through General Linear Models. RESULTS We found varying levels of awareness, confidence, attitudes, and knowledge regarding sexual abuse prevention and safeguarding. We pinpointed the significant differences in three of these domains (confidence, attitudes, and knowledge) both between people with different roles in the church worldwide, but also between the countries from which participants came from. CONCLUSIONS We found that people in various countries and roles within the Church are at different stages of their safeguarding journey. Some are still understanding their roles (attitudes), some are still learning about how it is operationalised (awareness), and others are acquiring skills that will prepare them for enacting safeguarding policies and practices (confidence).
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Hugh Russell
- Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Australia.
| | - Daryl John Higgins
- Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Australia
| | - Lottie Harris
- Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Australia
| | - Angela Rinaldi
- Pontifical Gregorian University, Institute of Anthropology, Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcus Pound
- Centre for Catholic Studies, Durham University, UK
| | - Hans Zollner
- Pontifical Gregorian University, Institute of Anthropology, Interdisciplinary Studies on Human Dignity and Care, Rome, Italy
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Olabarria A, Burgués-Freitas A, López de Aguileta A, Zubiri-Esnaola H, Torras-Gómez E, Joanpere M, López de Aguileta G, Álvarez-Guerrero G, Aiello E, Pulido C, Redondo-Sama G. When the Media Omits or Includes Scientific Evidence in Its Publications: Science and Battles on X about Child Sexual Abuse. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1857. [PMID: 38136059 PMCID: PMC10742056 DOI: 10.3390/children10121857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Scientific evidence of social impact demonstrates how violence against children is successfully prevented. Currently, the scientific research on social impact has a focus on the analysis of actions that succeed in the implementation of such scientific evidence. This article is based on scientific research that looks at which media actions help or hinder the implementation of evidence-based actions to solve the most sensitive social problems. The social media analytics methodology has identified the posts and reposts generated during two consecutive days by news articles published by three newspapers about the official report on child sexual abuse in Spain. Their analyses have been made through communicative methodology, including voices of adult victims or survivors of child sexual abuse. The results indicate that media information that omits scientific evidence of social impact provokes battles between diverse ideological groups, while information based on scientific evidence of social impact generates consensus among people from different ideologies and actions oriented to overcome the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Olabarria
- Department of Didactics of Language and Literature, University of the Basque Country, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain; (A.O.); (H.Z.-E.)
| | | | - Ane López de Aguileta
- Social Work Training and Research Section, University of Barcelona, 08034 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Harkaitz Zubiri-Esnaola
- Department of Didactics of Language and Literature, University of the Basque Country, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain; (A.O.); (H.Z.-E.)
| | | | - Mar Joanpere
- Department of Business Management, University Rovira i Virgili, 43204 Reus, Spain;
| | - Garazi López de Aguileta
- Department of Curriculum & Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
| | - Garazi Álvarez-Guerrero
- Faculty of Education and Sport, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbao, Spain;
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of the Basque Country, 20018 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Emilia Aiello
- Department of Sociology, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Cristina Pulido
- Department of Journalism and Communication Sciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
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Poirson L, Robin M, Shadili G, Lamothe J, Corruble E, Gressier F, Essadek A. Male Victims of Sexual Abuse: Impact and Resilience Processes, a Qualitative Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1868. [PMID: 37444703 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11131868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of sexual abuse calls for exceptional awareness of its multidimensional impact on the mental, sexual, and social wellbeing of male adults. This study aims to deepen the overall understanding of sexual abuse consequences; to highlight some common resilience factors; and to strengthen therapeutic and social support. In this qualitative research, we conducted seven semi-structured interviews with male victims of sexual violence. The data were analysed with the interpretative phenomenological analysis. They shed light on the great suffering linked to sexual violence, and on seven themes which are seemingly pillars of resilience: bond to others, bond to the body, making sense of things, expression, rediscovering oneself, institutions, and finally, learning and commitment. The exploration of these themes reveals several avenues for adjusting care, most of which imply the importance of raising awareness so that spaces receiving the victims' word can emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Poirson
- Interpsy Laboratory, University of Lorraine, 54015 Nancy, France
| | - Marion Robin
- Department of Adolescent and Young Adult Psychiatry, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, 75014 Paris, France
- CESP, INSERM U1178, Team PsyDev, University Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 94275 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Faculty of Health, University Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Gérard Shadili
- Department of Adolescent and Young Adult Psychiatry, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, 75014 Paris, France
- Faculty of Health, University Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Josianne Lamothe
- School of Social Work, Sherbrooke University, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R, Canada
| | - Emmanuelle Corruble
- Department of Psychiatry, Bicêtre University Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris APHP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Saclay, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- CESP, INSERM U1018, Moods Team, Faculté de Médecine Paris Saclay, University Paris-Saclay, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Florence Gressier
- Department of Psychiatry, Bicêtre University Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris APHP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Saclay, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- CESP, INSERM U1018, Moods Team, Faculté de Médecine Paris Saclay, University Paris-Saclay, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Aziz Essadek
- Interpsy Laboratory, University of Lorraine, 54015 Nancy, France
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