Understanding the Impact of Clergy Sexual Abuse

The sexual exploitation of a child by one who has been recognized as a representative of God is a sinister assault on that person’s psychosocial and spiritual well-being. Many survivors of such abuse present with a range of symptoms consistent with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as well as common co-occurring problems, including substance abuse, affective lability, and relational conflicts. Yet there are additional themes, particularly the impact of the abuse and institutional betrayal on the family, profound alteration in individual spirituality, and changes in individual and family religious practices, which differentiate this abuse from other traumas.

Understanding the profound and multidimensional effects of clergy perpetrated sexual abuse and the betrayal of trust by religious leaders on individuals, families and communities requires the collective wisdom of many voices. This book brings together the perspectives of survivors, practitioners and scholars to examine this unique form of interpersonal violence from theoretical, clinical and spiritual perspectives with consideration given to future research needs.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Child Sex Abuse.

Robert McMackin works with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Boston and a member of the Tufts University School of Medicine clinical faculty.

Terence M. Keane, Ph.D. is Director of the National Center for PTSD-Behavioral Sciences Division and Associate Chief of Staff for Research & Development at VA Boston Healthcare System. He is Professor and Vice Chairman in the Division of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. He is also Professor of Clinical Psychology at BU.

Paul Kline has worked in the field of child and family mental health for many years. He is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at Boston College where he teaches courses concerned with the care of children and families coping with violence and mental illness.