Sexual Abuse By Catholic Priests

Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests – First Results of a Qualitative Interview Study with Victims

Sandra Fernau, from the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, made a contribution to the 2012 Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, in the category “Victims and Victimization,” under the title “Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests – First Results of a Qualitative Interview Study with Victims”. Here is the abstract: The problem of sexual violence has received much attention in research in past decades. However, the recent disclosure of sexual abuse cases in religious institutions in Germany and other countries has shifted the focus of the public and experts in that area, highlighting a lack of empirical and epidemiological research. The present study will address this issue by examining the impact of experiences of sexual abuse in institutions. 30 adult victims (male and female) of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Germany will be interviewed using a semi-structured, guideline-based approach. Central topics are interviewees’ individual upbringing and religious instruction, coping strategies and attitude towards religion and the Catholic Church in general. The study intends to analyze characteristic features and consequences of sexual abuse within the religious context. First results from qualitative analyses will be discussed with respect to comparative findings from other studies.[rtbs name=”criminology”]

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Further Reading

• “Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests – First Results of a Qualitative Interview Study with Victims”, by Sandra Fernau (Proceedings)