What Is Clergy Sexual Abuse

Clergy sexual abuse is many things. It is a relationship of trust that has been broken by sexual behaviour. It is when one who is in a position of trust or power takes advantage of the person who is entrusted to his care. It is when someone who is supposed to help another takes advantage of her to satisfy his own selfish sexual or emotional needs. Abuse of power causes tremendous harm to both parties (and their respective families, the church, etc.), but especially the one whose trust (and body) has been violated.

Let’s be clear: You are not having an affair with your pastor. These are improper words to describe what happens in this type of situation. The “relationship” between a pastor and his congregant  is NOT an “affair”—it is ABUSE. Due to the imbalance of power in the relationship between Pastor/Congregant (Teacher/Student, Counsellor/Counsellee, etc.), there can be no mutual consent to any type of intimate behaviour or sexual activity. In fact, a woman who has been victimized in the past (either during her childhood or in other ways) may find that she is, in effect, virtually UNABLE to WITHHOLD consent. She may feel, due to circumstances, that she is not free to refuse any unwanted sexual advances. Pastoral sexual abuse doesn’t always occur due to transference. Sometimes it happens simply because the pastor is a sexual predator. The abuse is more than just a physical or emotional abuse. When a pastor (or elder or anyone seen as a spiritual leader in the church) betrays his sacred trust, it is spiritual abuse as well.

The clergy sexual abuse in the news recently refers mostly to the abuse of young boys by the male clergy. The reality is that women are often (men are occasionally) victims of sexual abuse and professional exploitation by pastors, ministers and clergy, as well as other professional caregivers, instructors and mentors. In fact, some studies have shown that abuse of adult women by clergy is even more prevalent than the abuse of children by clergy!