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Priest Abuse – Information

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Hatfield Haagensen
Clergy Sexual Abuse includes a range of immoral and heinous behaviors frequently perpetrated on children and adolescents by pedophilic clergy or other church members involving sexual abuse of varying amounts. The assault may be a one-off, non-consensual scroll barevent or it can involve several acts within an ongoing interaction. For example, a continuing “trusting” relationship with a young child spawned by the predatory intent of a church member, blanketed by the trust and respect provided to a member of the clergy, leading to non-consensual sexual attack acts of molestation.

Within all alleged Priest or Clergy Sexual Abuse scenarios, the failure by the Church member’s employer to fully, adequately and immediately report the offense to law enforcement and other authorities, or the continuing failure to research, cope with and resolve entirely with the situation amplifies the harm on the assault survivor, the community and potentially others. Current Clergy Sexual Assault cases reported in the press uncover these failures, which includes “pass-the-trash” scenarios when the abuser frequently a clergy in the Catholic Church, is suddenly re-assigned from one church to another only to continue his predatory, criminal behavior on an unaware parish community.

Priest and Clergy Sexual Abuse and Retribution
Not a day goes by without a media announcement coverage regarding sexual abuse and molestation of children by predator priests, or the aftermath of the abuse on the survivors and their families. If you are a survivor of sexual abuse from a priest or other church member, these stories are likely to serve as an echo chamber, replaying the horror, shame, guilt and various unwelcome feelings harming your wellness. Encouraged by the social movement and other channels that encourage victims to reveal the assault they suffered, victims of abuse are increasingly employing the legal system to compensate them for the lifelong harm and injury they have experienced.

If you are a victim of abuse commited by a member of the clergy, the impact of the abuse on your life and foundational belief system might be incalculable. Regardless, holding the responsible church and institutions accountable for their crimes and failures can provide a measure of justice and recompense to abuse victims. Commonly, victims can leverage their legal rights in confidential mediation thereby avoiding the need for litigation. However, if litigation is necessary, a case may be filed where the victim can remain anonymous.

Predatory Behavior
All abusers, to varying degrees, use predatory tricks which are commonly known as grooming, focusing on a potential abuse victim. Below is a survey of grooming behaviors exhibited by predators who are in a position of authority relative to the subordinate young child.

Grooming
Grooming is a major part of a predator’s ploy. In a religious environment, the priest is viewed as God’s representative. In this environment, the predator frequently works closely with small amounts of children, understanding each child’s needs, vulnerabilities and situations. Once a victim is identified, these vulnerabilities – like tumultuous family setting, loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional neediness, attention-seeking – can be systematically exploited in the following ways:

Trust
An assaulter will first try to gain the child’s trust. This step is most difficult to notice as church communities are often tight-knit and personal relation with clergy is commonplace. Here, the predator can feign sincere concern in the child’s wellness and groeth – both emotional and religious.

Reliance
As a predator establishes a trusting relationship with the potential target and oftentimes their family, the child will start to rely more and more on the predator for whatever need it is that the predator is exploiting and fulfilling. The victim may devote increased time with the predator, feeling more comfortable with the relationship and relying on its stability and security. In addition to attention and affection, the possible target may receive gifts from the predator, including valuable, intangible presents like blessings and special recognition.
long island priest abuse
As the grooming continues, the predator might work to isolate the possible victim. This could result in single counseling sessions, meals or various methods of one-on-one isolated encounters.
Sexualization
The predator may start to de-sensitize the target from reacting negatively to touching, caressing and various actions that lead to sexual interaction. This may start with crossing the physical-touch barrier, or verbally, with inappropriate messages to gauge the victim’s reaction to the progression. This will continue until the relationship advances to one of a physical, sexual nature.
Maintenance
Once the sexual relationship is created, the predator will try to keep control over the child and the continuing interaction. The priest will likely want to manipulate the child by continuing to make the target feel special and worthy. The predator will continue to exploit the target by whatever methods needed to maintain the inappropriate physical relationship.

Impact on Clergy Abuse Survivors

The impact of childhood assault on the survivor can be overwhelming and life-changing. Many clergy abuse 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 keeping vibrant relationships. Individualized treatment and support groups can assist survivors overcome these effects.

Legally, a survivor of Clergy Sexual Assault can recover financial compensation from the predator and, more commonly, from the religious organization for its failure to shield the child from the abuse, as well as failures or deficiencies in its process of reviewing and resolving to reports of abuse. If you are a survivor of Priest or Clergy Sexual Assault and would like to confidentially discuss your experience and your legal options, we are prepared to talk with you.
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Hatfield Haagensen
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