Where can I find research on sex abuse as it relates to celibacy in the Church?

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I was recently listening to a political podcast where one of the guests stated that the scandal in the Catholic church shows what can happen when you repress sexuality . . . (blah) (blah)(blah).
I know I heard about a study that was done that concluded that there was no more sex abuse by Catholic priests than other denominations (or something like that). Can anyone point me to that study? I am sure it won’t change the man’s mind, but maybe keep him from spouting those lies.

Thanks, Joan
 
It is like this Joan, these men receive the sacraments very often which should help them not to commit sin. But at the same time, the Church is a vast organisation and there’s all sorts of things going on in the Church. My mum told me to take your bag with you when you go to communion which I always do now. Out of 12 apostles there was one traitor so I’d say there’s probably about 1/12th clergy up to something bad. Some people have entered the priesthood for the wrong reasons, although rare, and may have committed abuse beforehand or at seminary.
 
According to a speaker I recently heard on Relevant Radio who was on the USCCB national review board, there hasn’t been any formal, scientific study data on protestant clergy abuse rates nationwide like the John Jay study commissioned by the USCCB. Comparisons are based on estimates and seem to show no significant difference. That’s disappointing, but not conclusive due to the differing methods.

I forget the source, but I recall hearing that school teachers are MUCH more statistically likely to commit sexual abuse against minors than catholic priests. Try searching on that one and ask him to explain how THAT adds up.
 
Sometimes if a person is sick then they go into a job where they can commit abuse. Or sometimes it’s the other way round and they went into the job for another reason and committed abuse. But I know a few friends who have had abortions that work with vulnerable or sick children and adults and there’s no protection very often.
 
jmb717 said:
I was recently listening to a political podcast where one of the guests stated that the scandal in the Catholic church shows what can happen when you repress sexuality . . . (blah) (blah)(blah).
I know I heard about a study that was done that concluded that there was no more sex abuse by Catholic priests than other denominations (or something like that). Can anyone point me to that study? I am sure it won’t change the man’s mind, but maybe keep him from spouting those lies.

Thanks, Joan
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The person you quoted is either poorly informed or lying. The incidence of abuse by public school teachers and in the secular world is considerably higher, when viewed as a percentage, that priest sex abuse. (For detail, see the preceding post).

Also, it is important to note that more than 85% of the priest sex abuse victims were male, a trend we also see in secular environments (male offender + male victim). This indicates that same-sex attraction, particularly among men, seems, for many, to be a component of the motive to commit sex abuse.
 
Thanks for your help. 🙂 I did end up citing the Catholic League report as a source, just to show that it is not sexual repression that causes abuse. I will have to keep the information about public school abuse in my files, as I think that is the most telling regarding abuse not being related to celibacy.
 
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