Sexually abusive clergymen: A conceptual framework for intervention and recovery

Effective intervention in cases of parishioner sexual exploitation by clergy can be better understood when placed in a meaningful conceptual framework. To improve our understanding, it is useful to compare clergy abuse to father/daughter incest. Within that context, it becomes more clear how this type of sexual exploitation originates and what intervention strategies are best suited to the situation. Borrowing from the field of sex offender treatment, clergy can also be helped most when a firm yet compassionate intervention is carefully planned and enacted. The experience of an intervention, while emotionally wrenching, can be a positive experience for all involved.Gerald Blanchard, M.A., A.C.P.S., is a clinical social worker in private practice residing in Sheridan, Wyoming. He is a faculty member with the Golden Valley Institute for Behavioral Medicine in Minneapolis and is the author of the recently published bookSex Offender Treatment: A Psychoeducational Model.     

Boredom Proneness,Social Connectedness,and Sexual Addiction Among Men Who Have Sex With Male Internet Users

The authors collected surveys from 517 men who have sex with men (MSM) recruited from Internet chat rooms to examine the relationships among boredom, social connectedness, and sexual addiction. The results provide addictions professionals psychosocial factors to assess when working with sexually addicted MSM.     

Sexual offenses against children: Patterns and motives

Children are the quintessential innocent victims; therefore, special opprobrium is reserved for offenders who sexually abuse them. This article describes the more prominent typologies of pedophilic sex offenders and discusses the role of child pornography in child sexual abuse of actual children. It next examines the often overlooked population of women offenders who sexually abuse children. Attention then turns to the sexual abuse of children in child care settings and by members of the clergy; practical recommendations are provided for reducing the risk of this kind of institutional child sexual abuse. Theoretical conceptualizations of child sexual abuse are considered, in the three main categories of cognitive–psychodynamic theories, neuropsychological conceptualizations, and contributions from the emerging field of evolutionary psychology. Finally, recommendations are made for developing a way of handling sex offenders, including sexual offenders against children, that balances the fair administration of justice with society's obligation to protect vulnerable potential victims.     

The distressed family and wounded children

This article addresses the issue of the need for clergy to be better informed regarding the assessment of child abuse and neglect. It provides a quick reference guide to assist clergy in assessing the risk factors in the abusive family with guidelines for the recognition of child maltreatment. In a society that is marked by unprecedented levels of child maltreatment reporting and an ever increasing shortage of mental health services, clergy are increasingly being confronted by situations involving potential child maltreatment that require expert crisis intervention skills. This article provides specific, concrete guidelines for clergy confronted with situations that call for the recognition of child maltreatment.Andrew J. Weaver, Ph.D., United Methodist minister and a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and serves as the director of the Pacific Center, Community Counseling Service, sponsored by 11 churches in Central Los Angeles.This article is dedicated to the staff of Alameda County Child Protective Services in Oakland, California, with appreciation for their courage and devotion to the grievous and demanding task of caring for distressed parents and their wounded children.     

An Investigation of Singaporean Clergy Treatment Models for Mental Problems

While clergy are recognized by their faith communities as important sources of mental health care, questions persist as to the treatment strategies they employ and endorse. This has implication for their likelihood to encourage their members to utilize professional mental health care resources. In this study, a modified version of the treatment portion of the Opinions about Psychological Problems (OPP, Barker, Pistrang & Shapiro, 1983) is used to examine the treatment strategies endorsed by a representative sample of Singaporean clergymen. Besides attempting to show the usefulness of this modified scale, this study highlights that clergy endorse psychological models the most when these models are congruent to their theological belief system. Organic and popular Charismatic deliverance treatment models received less support. Mathew Mathews recently submitted his Ph.D. thesis entitled Clergy & Counsellors: Mental health care in Singapore. He is actively researching issues at the intersection of religion and health including the role of religion in help seeking intentions.     

A hierarchical linear modeling assessment of dual-addiction status and change in sexual compulsivity over time

This study examined the association between dual-addiction status and sexual compulsivity over time in a sample of self-identified sexually compulsive males. Hierarchical linear modeling was utilized to address the study's research questions. Dually addicted sexually compulsive males exhibited lower rates of sexual compulsivity than their singularly addicted counterparts initially but displayed less precipitous declines in sexual compulsiveness over time. Implications for treatment providers are discussed.     

Cognitive-behavior therapy in the treatment of cancer patients

Cognitive-behavioral strategies are employed in the treatment of cancer patients to eliminate nausea, control anxiety, pain, and depression. Specific techniques including relaxation, systematic desensitization and hypnosis are discussed. It is shown how cognitive strategies can create a more favorable environment for treatment.William L. Golden, Ph.D. — Licensed psychologist in private practice in New York City and Westchester, New York. He also is on the faculty of Cornell Medical College, New York City, the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy, New York City, and the Institute for Behavior Therapy, New York City.Wayne Gersh, Ph.D. — Licensed psychologist and co-director of the Westchester Center for Behavior Therapy, White Plains, New York. He also is a psychologist for the American Cancer Society.     

Narcissistic Measures of Lutheran Clergy Who Self-Reported Committing Sexual Misconduct

This study sought to determine if narcissism was a factor in Lutheran clergy who self-reported committing sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct was defined as any activity in which a clergyperson, single or married, engaged in sexual behavior (sexual intercourse, kissing, touching or hugging with sexual intent, use of sexually explicit language) with a parishioner, client, or employee of the church (Francis & Turner, 1995). The results indicated that clergy who self-reported having committed sexual misconduct and had high levels of narcissism were not significantly different from those clergy who self-reported not having committed sexual misconduct. Demographic and related findings are also discussed. Former Lutheran minister and is currently an Assistant Professor of education atAssociate Professor of professional counseling in the Division of Professional Psychology at the     

Blessed be the Children: A Case–Control Study of Sexual Abusers in the Catholic Church

Individuals working in churches and other youth-serving institutions have a unique level of access to children, yet the problem of sexual abuse in institutional settings has received scant research attention. To address this gap, we analyzed data from a large sample of clergy (N = 1,121) and applied a social–ecological model of offending to identify risk factors for sexual abuse perpetration. Using a case–control study design that compared clergy sexual abusers with three control groups of clergy, this study focuses specifically on individual-, relationship-, and community-level factors associated with a higher risk of abuse in professional populations. Findings revealed that clergy sexual abusers tended to have more truncated pre-seminary dating histories, and that their dating and sexual partners were more likely to have been male than female. Self-reported sexual abuse history was associated with a greater likelihood of sexual abuse perpetration among clergy. Clergy abusers tended to be more involved with youth and adolescents in their ministries; however, they were observed to relate less well to youth and adolescents than their clergy counterparts. Given widespread changes in our cultural understanding of abuse as well as more specific changes in the organizational approach to seminary education, these differences underscore the role that youth-serving institutions and society can have in the primary prevention of child sexual abuse. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sexual addiction and compulsion: recognition, treatment, and recovery

The management of patients with compulsive sexual behavior requires an understanding of the profile of the sexually compulsive or addicted patient. This article summarizes patient characteristics and their implications for treatment. Data from a study of the recovery of 957 patients who had problematic, sexually excessive behavior are presented. Spanning 5 years, the study shows six distinct stages patients experienced and the clinical activities that were most useful to them. A trajectory of a typical diagnosis and treatment path is provided, as well as important resources for physicians and patients.     

Clergy sexual misconduct: The affair everyone remembers

Reported instances of clergy sexual misconduct have risen significantly in recent years. Allegations of sexual misconduct have long lasting effects on the career of the clergy, the persons involved, and the congregations. A distinction is made between those clergy who engage in this behavior due to a personality disorder, and those who engage in sexual misconduct as a response to spousal or congregational conflict. In working with the women who have been sexually involved with the clergy, there needs to be a recognition of both the damage done to the woman and the woman's perception that some benefits may have resulted from this relationship. Congregations who have been through this experience will be reluctant to deal with it Unless there is ongoing consultation, there is an increased risk that the congregation will project their unresolved issues on the subsequent clergyperson thereby severely jeopardizing his or her chances of succeeding in the position. Arlene B. Brewster is a psychologist in private practice and is on the adjunct faculty of the Northeastern Ohio College of Medicine. Additional information may be requested by writing her at Associates in Counseling, #205 5500 Market St., Boardman, Ohio 44512.     

Cognitive-behavior therapy with children: Developmental reconsiderations

The present paper reconsiders the role of developmental theory in the use of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) with children. The implication of Piaget's theory of cognitive development and Selman's social perspectivetaking theory are reviewed briefly in regard to CBT. It is argued that the assessment of both logical/analytical thought structures and social perspective-taking abilities may be useful in planning a course of CBT with children.Andrew Kinney, Ph.D., is an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy, New York City. He is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Mohawk Valley Community College, Utica, NY, and an Adjunct Lecturer of psychology at the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, NY.     

Drug addiction. Is it a disease or is it based on choice? A review of Gene Heyman's Addiction: A disorder of choice.

In Addiction: A disorder of choice, Gene Heyman surveys a broad array of evidence—historical, anthropological, survey, clinical, and laboratory‐based to build an argument about the role of basic choice processes in the phenomena that comprise drug addiction. He makes a compelling, multifaceted argument that conceptualizing drug addiction as a chronic disease (like schizophrenia or diabetes) is both misleading and erroneous. In developing his argument, he points out that the best survey data available indicate that most drug addicts quit their addiction, a fact inconsistent with a chronic‐disease model. He illustrates how basic, normal choice processes can lead to addiction, arguing that people do not choose to be addicts, but that normal choice dynamics can lead them to that condition. He points to a variety of factors that keep most from becoming addicted, with a focus on the role of choice governed by choice‐by‐choice contingencies versus choice governed by the outcome of sequences of choices, a difference in an under‐described activity called framing. His view is consistent with the most effective treatments currently available, and provides a basis for continued basic research on choice as well as research on treatment and prevention.     

Children of the parsonage

This article reports on a retreat and survey done with twenty-three youth, all of whom were children of clergy in the Louisville Annual Conference, the United Methodist Church. It explores their opinions and attitudes toward various facets of parsonage life, including general satisfaction, parsonage moves, family and church expectations, etc. It discusses the need for increased study of parsonage children and outlines common features of their experience.Robert M. Stevenson received his Ph.D. in Theology and Personality from the School of Theology at Claremont. He is the Director of Pastoral Care and Counseling for the Louisville Conference, the United Methodist Church. Reprint requests should be addressed to him at 134 Chestnut St., Bowling Green, KY 42101.     

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for professional sexual misconduct among the clergy

Inappropriate sexual behavior by professionals has been reported in increasing numbers. This article focuses on the cognitive-behavioral treatment of clergy who have acted out sexually. Case studies are used to identify the various issues and facets of treatment. The article concludes with a program designed to return previously offending clergy to active roles within their denominations is described.     

A prevention approach to infidelity among male protestant clergy

Empirical research by Blackmon (1984), Steinke (1989), Muck (1988), and Thoburn (1991), has established the fact that clergy sexual temptation should be an area of concern for the Church. The following article will venture beyond the empirical findings and construct a theoretical model by which we can better understand and prevent sexual temptation. While this model makes use of the data generated by Blackmon, Muck, Somers, Steinke, and Thoburn, it should be understood that the model makes logical inferences from the data which are not necessarily supported by the data. There will be a need to test the model through more sophisticated statistical analysis in the future.Ph.D., marriage and family therapist in private practice in Everett, WA.     

Personality and cognitive functioning among hospitalized sexual offending Roman Catholic priests

A tremendous amount of media attention has been directed towards sexual abuse perpetrated by Roman Catholic priests in recent years. While there are countless research studies on both sexual abuse victims and perpetrators in the professional literature, very few have specifically investigated Roman Catholic priests who sexually abuse minors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of personality and cognitive variables among hospitalized sex offending Roman Catholic priests using specific MMPI-2, WAIS-R, and Halstead-Reitan measurements. Specifically, the role of defensive coping styles as measured by the L, K, O-H, and R scales of the MMPI-2 along with IQ scores from the WAIS-R and the Halstead impairment index were investigated. A total of 160 Roman Catholic priests (80 who sexually abused minors and 80 nonabusing control patients) hospitalized in a private psychiatric facility specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of clergy were evaluated. Results suggest that overcontrolled-hostility (O-H) was the most reliable predictor of group membership while Verbal IQ approached statistical significance. Implications for further research are offered.     

God,Sex and Power

Abstract

After twenty years of reform, most church leaders can give an ethical analysis about why clergy sexual abuse is bad. Yet when many churches respond to complaints, committees are frequently inept in holding clergy abusers accountable, and clergy leaders are still likely to abuse their power over others. This article focuses on understanding clergy sexual abuse as a tangle of pathologies of theology, power and sexuality.     

child pornography and the internet: perpetuating a cycle of abuse

Thirteen men convicted of downloading child pornography were interviewed with a view to understanding how these men talked about the photographs and the function such talk played in their accounts. The interviews were informed by earlier work with defended subjects and were analyzed within a discursive framework. Quotations are used from the interviews to illustrate the analysis. Six principal discourses emerged within these accounts in relation to child pornography: sexual arousal; as collectibles; facilitating social relationships; as a way of avoiding real life; as therapy; and in relation to the Internet. These are discussed in the context of previous research. The analysis illustrates the important role that the Internet plays in increasing sexual arousal to child pornography and highlights individual differences in whether this serves as a substitute or as a blueprint for contact offenses. It also draws our attention to the important role that community plays in the Internet and how collecting facilitates the objectification of children and increases the likelihood that in the quest for new images children continue to be sexually abused. Discourses focussing on both therapy and addiction serve to distance the respondent from personal agency and allow for continued engagement with child pornography.     

Three perspectives on addiction

Three perspectives on addiction promulgated during the 1990s are reviewed, along with many earlier contributions to the understanding of addictive illness. It is suggested that these distinct yet overlapping formulations of the dynamics of addiction form a hierarchy for each patient suffering from an addiction. Assessment of a patient's ego strength, and of the relative importance of addictive behaviors in overall character structure, allows referral to various types of treatment, including psychoanalytic therapy. Case examples are presented, including material from the psychoanalysis of a woman addicted to heroin, methadone, cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine, alcohol, and shopping.