Child Sexual Abuse in Protestant Christian Congregations: A Descriptive Analysis of Offense and Offender Characteristics
Keywords
child sexual abuseclergy
evangelical
religion
protestant
sexual abuse
Religions. Mythology. Rationalism
BL1-2790
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Utilizing data from 326 cases of alleged child sexual abuse that occurred at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian congregations, this study examines demographic and contextual characteristics of alleged child sexual abuse that took place within the most prevalent religious environment in the United States. Research questions are addressed in this study. First, what type of child sexual abuse most commonly occurs at or through activities provided by Protestant Christian congregations? Second, where do such offenses physically take place? Third, who are the offenders and what role(s) do they assume in the congregations? We find that the overwhelming majority of offenses were contact offenses that occurred on church premises or at the offender’s home, and that most offenders were white male pastors or youth ministers who were approximately 40 years in age. We conclude with policy implications and recommendations for future research.Date
2018-01-01Type
ArticleIdentifier
oai:doaj.org/article:5ee0c764313a4b1980828ac689a3bbe12077-1444
10.3390/rel9010027
https://doaj.org/article/5ee0c764313a4b1980828ac689a3bbe1