4 ms·

> It’s also worth pointing out that child abuse happens in a lot of non-religious settings too. The Catholic Church has a problem, but in no way should we under

> It’s also worth pointing out that child abuse happens in a lot of non-religious settings too. The Catholic Church has a problem, but in no way should we understand child sexual abuse as a uniquely catholic issue. ...that's of course fair - but the Catholic church is to my knowledge the only one that does it on such a systemic level and gathered so much experience over time in controlling information flows, silencing victims and protecting the abusers.

angelzen 5y ago
Consider that your knowledge can be simply media bias.
- wolframhempel 5y ago
  Would you have a counter example of a contemporary institution that facilitated mass abuse on a bigger scale?
  - Apocryphon 5y ago
    Sort of a cheat since the Church of LDS is probably the most centralized non-Catholic church. https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-speak-church-jesus-christ-day-saints-sex/story?id=63690802 https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-speak-church-jesus-christ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_abuse_cases https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_abuse_cases
  - angelzen 5y ago
    School system and foster care system. Unfortunately this is very charged territory. Too many people are trying to push some angle. Finding credible data is difficult. One thing is clear: the US Catholic Church has made significant reforms that are driving out the bulk of the abuse, specifically taking allegations of child abuse very seriously. Here are a couple of links for further research. I am not an expert, I have not vouched them for credible data. Then again, the OP strategy of "cumulative over 70 years" is clearly a tactic to inflate the numbers for clicks. Make what you will of them. I will avoid entering a flamewar on which institution is the worst offender, given the shaky ground of the data and the shifting definitions of "sexual abuse". For example nonphysical sexual abuse (aka poor taste jokes) does not register at the same level as physical sexual abuse, and in the physical realm there is a difference between a tap on the bottom and physical intercourse. Etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_harassment_in_education_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_harassment_in_education... > A major 2004 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education found that nearly 10 percent of U.S. public school students reported having been targeted with sexual attention by school employees. Indeed, one critic has claimed that sexual harassment and abuse by teachers is 100 times more frequent than abuse by priests.[12] > One survey that was conducted with psychology students reports that 10% had sexual interactions with their educators; in turn, 13% of educators reported sexual interaction with their students https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/do-the-right-thing/201003/six-myths-about-clergy-sexual-abuse-in-the-catholic-church https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/do-the-right-thing/2... > According to the best available data (which is pretty good, coming from a comprehensive report by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2004, as well as several other studies), 4 percent of Catholic priests in the U.S. sexually victimized minors during the past half century. No evidence has been published at this time which states this number is higher than clergy from other religious traditions. The 4 percent figure appears lower than school teachers during the same time frame, and certainly less than offenders in the general population of men.

angelzen 5y ago

Consider that your knowledge can be simply media bias.

wolframhempel 5y ago
Would you have a counter example of a contemporary institution that facilitated mass abuse on a bigger scale?
- Apocryphon 5y ago
  Sort of a cheat since the Church of LDS is probably the most centralized non-Catholic church. https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-speak-church-jesus-christ-day-saints-sex/story?id=63690802 https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-speak-church-jesus-christ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_abuse_cases https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_abuse_cases
- angelzen 5y ago
  School system and foster care system. Unfortunately this is very charged territory. Too many people are trying to push some angle. Finding credible data is difficult. One thing is clear: the US Catholic Church has made significant reforms that are driving out the bulk of the abuse, specifically taking allegations of child abuse very seriously. Here are a couple of links for further research. I am not an expert, I have not vouched them for credible data. Then again, the OP strategy of "cumulative over 70 years" is clearly a tactic to inflate the numbers for clicks. Make what you will of them. I will avoid entering a flamewar on which institution is the worst offender, given the shaky ground of the data and the shifting definitions of "sexual abuse". For example nonphysical sexual abuse (aka poor taste jokes) does not register at the same level as physical sexual abuse, and in the physical realm there is a difference between a tap on the bottom and physical intercourse. Etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_harassment_in_education_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_harassment_in_education... > A major 2004 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education found that nearly 10 percent of U.S. public school students reported having been targeted with sexual attention by school employees. Indeed, one critic has claimed that sexual harassment and abuse by teachers is 100 times more frequent than abuse by priests.[12] > One survey that was conducted with psychology students reports that 10% had sexual interactions with their educators; in turn, 13% of educators reported sexual interaction with their students https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/do-the-right-thing/201003/six-myths-about-clergy-sexual-abuse-in-the-catholic-church https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/do-the-right-thing/2... > According to the best available data (which is pretty good, coming from a comprehensive report by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2004, as well as several other studies), 4 percent of Catholic priests in the U.S. sexually victimized minors during the past half century. No evidence has been published at this time which states this number is higher than clergy from other religious traditions. The 4 percent figure appears lower than school teachers during the same time frame, and certainly less than offenders in the general population of men.