Why Is Child Abuse The Common Factor Among Religious Leaders?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-40531730

[Zacs-Master]

I would have thought perpetuating the belief in a mythical being, for the subjugation of the general public was THE common factor.

[ToraToraTora]

yeah ZM but they all have a different mythical being, this at least they have in common.

[Zacs-Master]

Your question title implies that all religious leaders are child abusers. Just so that your OP is debated correctly, is this the case or would you like to qualify it?

[ToraToraTora]

not all of course, but a shocking amount amount of various religions do turnout to be.

[mikey4444]

The short answer is that it isn't, at least not quite as you may be alluding to TTT.

You may find it worthwhile watching Monday's episode of "Panorama"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08xgvqn/panorama-cadet-abuse-coverup

This was about the Cadet Forces, but it could just as easily have been about the Scouts, sports clubs, Schools, the Church, or any other organisation where young, and vulnerable youngsters are to be found.

These organisation are attractive to kids, as they will be able to do all sorts of things that otherwise they wouldn't encounter in "civvy street"

The Leaders in all those organisations have easy access to kids, and because they are in a position of authority, find it extremely easy to exert their twisted wills towards the kids. As one chap said on the Panorama program, when you are lying on a blanket, on a dirty mess hall floor and the Instructor is standing over you, about to do God knows what, you are told to "take it like a man" and to obey orders from someone who is your better and your superior.

So, it isn't just about religious Leaders, in any shape or form.

[scooping]

It isn't. It's to do with people in a position of power, like the Combined Cadet Forces in the news in the last few days, like teachers (there are very many recent examples), like politicians, like some policemen etc, etc. Blaming a God, or a belief in God, is plain stupid.

[mikey4444]

Scooping....agree 100%.

[MallyJ]

Is it? Is it the common factor among Scout leaders? Or those in charge of young services recruits? or teachers, or nurses or stepparents or birth parents or any other large group of people who have dealings with young people? Of course not. I can't believe that anyone would suggest it is...the fact is that some people...a tiny minority in any group of people may abuse children..that does not mean all in that group do... ridiculous...

[Zacs-Master]

I think Tora has been taken in by the media. Again.

A recent royal commission report found it to be 7% of catholic priests were involved in 'abuse'.

Some facts here to put things in perspective:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_sex_abuse_cases_by_country

[pixie374]

It isn't a common factor, of course. Anybody in a position of trust will have more opportunities, the majority won't take advantage of that, but unfortunately some do.

[fender62]

why are adults attracted to children, is it a power thing..dominance or other, i do not understand the mindset of such individuals, can these people not have relationships with adults or something, low self esteem from abuse themselves, and what of the ones who were not abused as children, as a father myself i find it abhorrent.

[andy-hughes]

Power is the route of this evil.

Religion gives people a power way beyond anything reasonable - and such people honestly believe that they have the right to do as they please - which is reinforced by people around them who are not keen to say no to anything they say or do.

Catholic priests are so revered that for some it is head-turning, and they indulge their deviant souls because they can - aided by an entrenched cover of denial and relocation which has existed for centuries, and still exists now.

[fender62]

andy-hughes, clergy of what ever faith are revered and are held up as pure and without vice..yea, i guess thats the perfect spidersweb
at least now it's coming out with prosecutions etc, im sure it goes on in third world backwater countries as we speak sadly, fear poverty ignorance etc all play their part, reading of woman doing the same thing, i found strange though not as prevalent as far as we know.

[cassa333]

The OP hasn't mentioned other abusers, such as the cadets and teachers etc so to try and answer part of the question I think it is partly a power thing and partly, in the case of say Catholics who have to abstain, that the urge is greater than the 'love' for God.

At one time a lot of gay men went into the clergy because homosexuality was against the law and they thought that by being celibate the urge would go away.

I am in no way saying gay priests were child abusers but that men at one time used the church to hide who they were.

I do think though that its a combination of power (how many times have the victims recounted the abuse was used as a punishment for misdemeanours either real or perceived?) and celibacy.

[youngmafbog]

Religious leaders are revered by youngsters as part of the indoctrination. It therefore stands to reason that being a religious leader is an attraction to kiddie fiddlers.

Other leaders are an authority figure and they have kids placed in their trust so those positions also are attractive to those sorts, however for thes positions you now need to have a check done on you, I'm not sure if this applies to religious leaders too?

[mikey4444]

YMB....not sure of the answer to that one, but a good question though. I think the Anglican and Catholic Church has their own code on this, but I am not sure its compulsory.

But even if it is, isn't guaranteed to be 100% effective.

I am subject to a 2 yearly CRB check, as I may come into contact with kids in my job. But its only a precursory check and anyway, anything could happen during the gaps between to checks, so effectively its usless.

[EDDIE51]

With Catholic Priests I think it has a lot to do with the vow of celibacy.
It is just not normal for a man to have to live an entire life without sex. So a few of them see sex with a child as an alternative
I am sure the number of cases involving other denominations of the Christian church is far less as they can have a normal sex life as well as being a religious leader.

[mikey4444]

Eddie....not sure about that. I saw some figures some time ago, that said that lots of sexual abuse of boys was perpetuated by married men.

[youngmafbog]

Surely there is a percentage of the population that are that way inclined so that will be spread across males and females. It will also be spread across all walks of life, generations and jobs.

Where you will see the percentage being larger will be in groups where the adult has access to children and particularly where they are an authority figure, hence the apparent high numbers of religious leaders (and other leaders too). I dont think it has anything to do with sexual oppression or we would also see a high number of rapes from priests, which I dont believe we do.

[mikey4444]

YMB...I am tending to agree with you here. Its all about access to kids.

All we can really do is to make it as difficult as possible for abuse to happen.