USCCB - (OCYP) - The Response and Prevention Project

The Response and Prevention Project

The Response and Prevention Project Report is posted below. The Project Manager and author is Mary A. Lentz, Esq. The goals of this project were threefold: (#1) To provide victims/survivors of child sexual abuse a voice in helping other victims/survivors, (#2) To assist diocese/eparchies in developing appropriate responses to victims/survivors of child sexual abuse, and (#3) To identify preventive measures of child sexual abuse to be used by diocese/eparchies/religious communities.

Much time and effort were dedicated to this Project. This Project was designed to elicit direct input from victims/survivors and was not designed to be a scientifically valid empirical survey. To help put this Report in a framework and glean information from it, one must carefully read the Introduction. Through the "Response and Prevention Project", victims/survivors had the opportunity to voice their thoughts and express their feelings. This experience of listening to victims/survivors has helped the Bishops in adopting concrete steps of assistance. As such, this Report added a further dimension to much that the victims/survivors have already expressed in groups and individually to the Church. Much gratitude needs to be expressed to the victims/survivors who found the strength and courage to respond to this survey.

This Report will aid in further understanding how Bishops, clerical religious superiors, and victims/survivors can work together toward the most effect pastoral outreach possible. The Bishops, along with the Office of Child and Youth Protection, will continue to work with victims/survivors in helping to make their voices heard, and healing the hurts of the past.

The Response and Prevention Project Report
by
Mary A. Lentz, Esq.
Project Director

November 2005

Introduction

The Response and Prevention Project was initiated under the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and consisted of two segments. Part I of the Project involved three regional Focus Groups, which met in Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Atlanta in the spring of 2004 and consisted of seven to eight adult members who are victims/survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy or religious. Some Focus Group members are involved in support groups, others are not. The role of the Project Director during the Focus Group meetings was that of facilitator and recorder of members’ suggestions for the Questionnaire document. A major goal of these meetings was to develop a Questionnaire to ascertain recommendations from victims/survivors for effective outreach and response by dioceses/eparchies/religious communities to reports of child sexual abuse by clergy and religious. The Focus Group members expressed that the Questionnaire is vital to the healing process since it addresses areas the victims/survivors know well – their needs. The Focus Group members emphasized that the Questionnaire should state that it was developed by victims/survivors for victims/survivors. The final Focus Group meeting, held in Washington, D.C., was comprised of six members who had also participated in one of the three regional Focus Group meetings. The purpose of this meeting was to review the draft Questionnaire which had resulted from the three regional Focus Group meetings.

Part II of the Project involved posting the Questionnaire on the private web site http://www.victim-outreach.com from March 30, 2005 through May 18, 2005 operated by the Project Director. The Questionnaire was formatted for complete anonymity, and Respondents’ participation was voluntary. Neither the identity of any Respondent nor the e-mail address of a Respondent is known, although some Respondents questioned whether their identities could be known. The Questionnaire consisted of forty-three (43) questions with twenty-six (26) narrative subparts and eleven (11) separate questions requesting narrative responses. Respondents could provide additional comments at the end of Questionnaire. Responses to the Questionnaire could be made on-line or by downloading a hard copy and mailing it to the Project Director. If a victim/survivor’s sexual abuse had not been reported to a law enforcement agency, it was recommended that the Respondent do so. In addition, it was recommended that victims/survivors might wish to contact the Victim Assistance Coordinator of their diocese, eparchy, or religious community where the sexual abuse occurred or is occurring.

Goals of the Response and Prevention Project

The Response and Prevention Project sought recommendations of victims/survivors for appropriate responses from dioceses/eparchies/religious communities to reports of clergy/religious sexual abuse, including assisting victims/survivors and their families/loved ones in the journey to healing and implementing measures to prevent sexual abuse. The goals stated in the Questionnaire are:

To provide victims/survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy/religious a voice in helping other victims/survivors
To assist dioceses/eparchies in developing appropriate responses to victims/survivors of child sexual abuse
To identify preventative measures of child sexual abuse to be used by dioceses/eparchies/religious communities

Not a Scientific or Empirical Study

There were 31,554 “hits” on the web site, and 1,350 Respondents answered the on-line Questionnaire. Responses from eighty-three (83) downloaded copies of the Questionnaire were received by the Project Director. Not every Respondent answered every question and/or subpart(s) of a question. Some Respondents answered multiple subparts and/or answered individual questions with contradictory responses. Respondents were to be 18 years of age or older. Whether a Respondent is a victim/survivor of sexual abuse cannot be ascertained with any certainty whatsoever, and it is not possible to determine if a Respondent answered the Questionnaire on-line more than once. Respondents to the Questionnaire could register multiple answers to questions, thereby accounting for varying percentages. While Respondents to the on-line Questionnaire could not change answers previously entered, Respondents who downloaded the Questionnaire were not under similar restrictions. The results of the Questionnaire are nonetheless sincere, genuine, insightful, and authentic recommendations from victims/survivors who chose to participate.

Respondents were not asked for a timeframe when the sexual abuse was officially reported to Church officials, since the focus of the Questionnaire was not intended to be an empirical study. The intention of the Questionnaire was to ask for recommendations and input from the true experts of child sexual abuse, the victims/survivors themselves, to dioceses/eparchies/religious communities concerning appropriate responses to reports of sexual abuse. No personal interviews were conducted as part of The Response and Prevention Project, and Respondents did not participate in a controlled sampling. The Questionnaire was not a retrospective “audit” of the responses by dioceses/eparchies/religious communities to reports of sexual abuse and, therefore, does not necessarily serve as an accurate evaluation of present practices. The Questionnaire was developed as an instrument to provide from this point forward recommendations to Bishops and to assist them in meeting the individual needs of victims/survivors of child sexual abuse and their loved ones on their life-long healing journey.

When asked for the period of time when the sexual abuse occurred, nine hundred eighty-one (981) Respondents to the on-line Questionnaire answered this question as follows:

% of 981 Respondents to this Question	Number of Respondents to this Question	Years
5.2%	51	Before 1950
18%	177	1951-1960
25.3%	248	1961-1970
29.6%	290	1971-1980
14.1%	138	1981-1990
5.1%	50	1991-2000
2.8%	27	2001-2004

Eighty-one (81) of the eighty-three (83) Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire answered this question as follows:

Number of Respondents
to this Question Years
12 Before 1950
27 1951-1960
18 1961-1970
17 1971-1980
5 1981-1990
2 1991-2000
0 2000-2004

One thousand two hundred fifty-five (1,255) Respondents to the on-line Questionnaire identified their gender. 55.1% of those Respondents (691) stated that they were male, and 44.9% of those Respondents (564) stated that they were female.

Of the eighty-three (83) Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire, seventy-four (74) Respondents identified their gender. Thirty-six (36) Respondents indicated that they were female, and thirty-eight (38) responded that they were male.

Questionnaire Goal Results

The overall goal of the Project Questionnaire was to make recommendations to dioceses/eparchies/religious communities in their pastoral responses to victims/survivors of sexual abuse. In addition to the request for additional comments from Respondents at the end of the Questionnaire, responses to questions concerning coping techniques, spiritual wounds resulting from the sexual abuse, and the need for a spiritual (not necessarily religious) component to the healing journey received detailed responses from Respondents.

Goal #1 – To provide victims/survivors of child sexual abuse a voice in helping other victims/survivors.

On-line Questionnaire Responses

When asked about the coping techniques used and found to be helpful, seven hundred fifty-five (755) Respondents answered this question recommending techniques to other victims/survivors. The narrative responses to this question span a wide scope of recommendations, and Respondents cautioned that coping techniques are individual choices. While some Respondents stated they are still seeking successful coping techniques, responses included this advice:

Communicate directly with God and Mary
Pray and meditate
Find a counselor not associated with the Church who specializes in sexual abuse
Seek counseling/therapy and spiritual direction
Trust the healing journey and be patient with each step
Try not to abuse drugs, alcohol, sex, or prescription drugs
Keep a journal
Help others
Self-educate about sexual abuse
Report the abuser
Become involved in a support group/talk to other victims/survivors
Recognize that sexual abuse is not the fault of the victim/survivor

Seven hundred eighty-seven (787) Respondents answered the question concerning contact with the abuser. 52.1% of those Respondents to this question (410) responded that the victim/survivor should not have contact with the abuser, and 47.9% of those Respondents (377) recommended that contact take place. Of the three hundred ninety-one (391) Respondents who answered the question concerning how the contact should take place, 43.7% of those Respondents (171) suggested that contact be in person, 25.8% of those Respondents (101) recommended contact be in writing, 8.7% of those Respondents (35) suggested telephone contact, and 66.5% of those Respondents (260) recommended that the contact take place with another person(s) present.

Of the four hundred five (405) responses to the question regarding where personal contact with the abuser should occur, an office setting was recommended by one hundred six (106) or 26.2% of those Respondents to this question, and two hundred forty-one (241) Respondents (59.5% of those Respondents to this question) suggested a variety of professional settings such as a doctor/therapist’s office, a public place, jail, police station, diocesan offices, or wherever the victim/survivor feels safe.

Seven hundred forty-six (746) Respondents answered the question asking for recommendations to other victims/survivors of child sexual abuse to enable the healing journey. Six hundred forty-two (642) or 86.1% of those Respondents to this question recommended counseling, four hundred ninety-eight (498) or 66.8% of those Respondents to this question recommended that victims/survivors report to law enforcement, and four hundred sixty (460) or 61.7% of those Respondents to this question recommended that the abuse be reported to the diocese/eparchy/religious order. The most frequent responses to the narrative segment of this question were to contact national support groups and to talk with other victims/survivors. Some Respondents suggested that a lawyer be contacted, while an equal number of Respondents recommended that lawyers be kept out of the process.

Downloaded Questionnaire Responses

The coping techniques most frequently identified by Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire included:

Therapy/counseling
Keeping busy with meaningful activities
Prayer
Support groups and talking with other victim/survivors
Avoiding Church involvement

Twenty-eight (28) Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire recommended that victims/survivors not have contact with their abuser. Thirty (30) Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire recommended that there should be contact and suggested the meeting be in person (13), with another person(s) present (21), written contact (7), and telephone contact (2). The location most often recommended that a victim/survivor should have contact with their abuser was a place where each individual victim/survivor feels most comfortable.

Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire gave multiple answers to the question asking for recommendations to other victims/survivors to enable them to begin the healing journey. Forty-seven (47) Respondents recommended reporting the abuse to Church officials, fifty-two (52) recommended reporting to law enforcement, and sixty-two (62) recommended that victims/survivors seek counseling. Other recommendations included support groups, remaining close to God through worship and prayer, forgiveness, and strengthening personal spirituality.

Goal #2 – To assist dioceses/eparchies in developing appropriate responses to victims/survivors of child sexual abuse and the types of support which the Church can provide to make a substantial difference in healing.

Respondents to the Questionnaire were to be 18 years of age or older, so no assumption can be made concerning the timeframe when reports of sexual abuse were made to Church officials by Respondents. Similarly, responses to the questions concerning Church officials’ response to reports of sexual abuse cannot be assumed to have occurred in any specific timeframe, for instance, before or after the U.S. Bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

On-line Questionnaire Responses

When asked to indicate the actions by Church officials which would be helpful for the appropriate care and response to victims/survivors, seven hundred forty-six (746) Respondents answered this question. Six hundred sixty-eight (668) of those Respondents (89.5%) stated that respectful and caring responses are necessary, followed by six hundred forty-seven (647) of those Respondents or 86.7% stating that it must be acknowledged that the victim/survivor is not at fault. Six hundred forty-seven (647) of those Respondents also stated that there must be a prompt response to reports of sexual abuse. Six hundred forty-one (641) or 85.9% of those Respondents to this question stated that Church officials and their representatives must be educated regarding the life-long effects of child sexual abuse, and six hundred twenty-four (624) of those Respondents to this question or 83.6% stated that mental health services must be offered.

Six hundred sixty-nine (669) Respondents answered the question asking for recommendations how Church officials can bring healing now to victims/survivors and /or their family members. The spiritual needs of victims/survivors came through clearly in the narrative responses received to this question, as does the need of victims/survivors to receive a direct apology from the local Bishop. Respondents also asked for prayer, comfort, continual communication, spiritual support, and patience.

Other recommendations included:

Connect victims/survivors with other survivors
Make the perpetrator accept responsibility
Personal outreach from the Bishop with compassion to victims/survivors
Apology to victims/survivors and their families
Show by action that survivors and their healing is of paramount importance
Take seriously all accusations and suspicions
Remove all hierarchy who aided the abuser
Keep a strong tie with victims/survivors so that they know they are not alone
Educate people about what sexual abuse really is
Mediate a just compensation for victims/survivors
Keep the channels of communication open and dialogue with victims/survivors
Pray for victims/survivors
Continue to pay for all therapy and medical treatment needed by victims/survivors
Tell victims/survivors where to report sexual abuse
Do a needs assessment of victims/survivors
Open documents to law enforcement
Listen with more care and compassion and with less arrogance and business mentality often perceived as arrogance
Take steps to ensure children are safe, especially within their Church community
Establish victims’ advocacy groups
Listen without being judgmental and accusatory
Don’t let silence fall on this topic ever
Make public statements that the victims/survivors are innocent and not to blame
Engage in complete transparency
Release names of perpetrators; having healing service; reach out
Acknowledge the pain of victims/survivors and their families/loved ones
Offer help, no matter what diocese the sexual abuse occurred in
Earn the trust of victims/survivors

When asked what support and/or assistance should be offered by Church officials to victims/survivors, six hundred sixty-eight (668) Respondents answered this narrative question on-line. The responses were unique and personal to each Respondent. The responses can serve as a checklist for Church officials to determine the appropriate individual after-care and outreach victims/survivors desire. They included:

Offer justice and sincere care, not just a check in an attempt to erase memories
Encourage victims/survivors to choose a spiritual director
Hire the best qualified to work with victims/survivors
Speak out about the sexual abuse
Work with victims who cannot forgive God
Offer opportunities for victims/survivors to tell their stories until the pain is gone
Offer as much therapy as each victim/survivor feels he/she needs
Seriously address the core issues that allow and enable this type of abuse
Continually contact/follow-up with victims/survivors for a long period of time
Provide therapy as needed for each victim/survivor

Respondents were asked to state how their lives would have been different if the responses of Church officials had been more satisfactory. Five hundred thirty-seven (537) Respondents answered this narrative question on-line. The consensus of responses to this question focused on Church officials’ failure to believe the victims/survivors when they reported the abuse, as well as a lack of prompt response to their needs. Paramount among the responses was the need for spiritual outreach and educational programs about sexual abuse. Compassion, honesty, and sincerity were indicated as crucial responses by Church officials. Knowledgeable representatives assigned by the Church to meet with victims/survivors and apologies to victims/survivors were also stated as important to the healing journey.

Six hundred sixty-eight (668) on-line Respondents answered the question seeking the action(s) that could have been taken by dioceses/eparchies/religious communities upon receiving the report of abuse that would have made a substantial difference in the victim/survivor’s healing. The consensus of narrative responses to this question again emphasized the failure of Church officials to believe the victims/survivors when the report was made and the lack of prompt response to victims/survivors’ needs. The need for spiritual outreach was also paramount among the narrative responses, as well as the need for educational programs regarding sexual abuse. Compassion, honesty, and sincerity were urged. Respondents further stated that qualified, knowledgeable representatives of the Church be assigned to meet with victims/survivors. Apologies and requests for victims/survivors’ forgiveness (not asking the victim/survivor to forgive the abuser) were also stated to be critical to the healing journey.

When asked how officials of the diocese/eparchy/religious community responded to the report of abuse, three hundred ninety-seven (397) Respondents answered this question. One hundred fifty-six (156) of those Respondents or 39.3% chose to answer the narrative segment of this question. These responses were varied and very personal to the Respondents. The most frequently stated answers in the narrative portion of the question were:

Rapid but very empty response
No response/ignored the report of abuse
Uninformed or not fully knowledgeable of the effects of sexual abuse
Believed the abuser who denied the abuse
Protected/moved the priest abuser
Offered no counseling or help for the victim/survivor and his/her family
No apology offered to the victim/survivor
Wanted the victim/survivor to meet with the diocesan lawyer
Told the victim/survivor to keep quiet about the sexual abuse
Reported the sexual abuse to law enforcement
Told the victim/survivor he/she was at fault
Insincere sympathy
No report of the sexual abuse to law enforcement
Required an affidavit from the victim/survivor regarding the sexual abuse

The following is the response breakdown to the drop-down list to this question:

One hundred thirty-eight (138) or 34.8% of the three hundred ninety-seven (397) Respondents to this question stated the response of the diocese/eparchy/religious community was respectful
One hundred forty-six (146) or 36.8% of the Respondent who answered this question stated counseling was offered
One hundred fourteen (114) or 28.7% of those Respondents stated the response was kind and considerate
One hundred thirteen (113) or 28.5% of those Respondents indicated that they were told that reporting was the right thing to do
One hundred eleven (111) or 28% of those Respondents considered the response to be arrogant
One hundred seven (107) or 27% of those Respondents to this question stated that they were offered an apology.

Downloaded Questionnaire Responses

Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire stated the following actions as the top ten (in descending order) recommended appropriate caring responses from a diocese/eparchy/religious community:

Acknowledge that the victim/survivor is not at fault
Educate Church officials regarding the life-long effects of child sexual abuse
Be respectful and provide caring responses
Implement prevention measures
Offer counseling/therapy
Provide education/training to priests, deacons, religious, staff, parents, laity, and students
Report to law enforcement
Include victims/survivors on diocesan/eparchial review boards
Include victims/survivors in training programs for priests, deacons, religious, staff, parents, laity, and students
Publicize the names and current whereabouts of credibly accused abusers

In response to the question asking how Church officials responded to the report of their sexual abuse, the most frequent responses received from downloaded Questionnaire Respondents were as follows. Twenty-three (23) Respondents stated that counseling was offered, twenty (20) stated that the response was respectful, seventeen (17) received an apology, sixteen (16) were told reporting the abuse was the right thing to do, fifteen (15) were told they were not at fault for the sexual abuse, and fifteen (15) stated that the official(s) was/were kind and considerate. Twelve (12) Respondents stated that the Church official was arrogant, accusatory (11), and non-responsive (11). Seven (7) Respondents stated the official asked for forgiveness.

Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire identified action(s) that would have made a substantial difference in their healing journey, which included:

Provide compassionate responses
Believe the victim/survivor and investigate the report of sexual abuse
Speak personally with the victim/survivor
Respond promptly to the report of sexual abuse
Keep the lawyers out of the process
Offer counseling
Stop denying the sexual abuse
Refer the report of sexual abuse to law enforcement
Be less rigid and secretive
Admit responsibility
The Bishop should meet personally with victims/survivors

The most frequently recommended appropriate care and response to victims/survivors included:

Acknowledge that the victim/survivor is not at fault (67 responses)
Provide respectful and caring responses (65 responses)
Educate Church officials regarding the life-ling effects of child sexual abuse (63 responses)
Implement prevention measures (60 responses)
Offer mental health services to victims/survivors (60 responses)
Report to law enforcement (59 responses)
Provide education/training to priests, deacons, religious, staff, parents, laity, and students (59 responses)

In response to the request for recommendations concerning support and/or assistance that a diocese/eparchy/religious community should offer a victims/survivor of child sexual abuse, Respondents recommended:

Provide therapy/counseling selected by the victim/survivor for the length of time individually needed by a victim/survivor
Offer an apology to the victim/survivor
Appropriately punish the abuser
Be serious about “cleaning house”
Hold abusers accountable
Talk personally to victims/survivors and show them God’s love
Publicize the names of sexual abusers
Offer spiritual guidance to victims/survivors and their families/loved ones
Provide more pastoral care

When asked what the Church can do now to bring healing to victims/survivors and/or their family members, responses to the downloaded Questionnaire included:

Offer an apology for the sexual abuse
Be open when complaints of sexual abuse are made
Close legal proceedings faster
Continue therapy and spiritual and emotional counseling for victims/survivors
Provide a support group
Openly address the sexual abuse problems
Contact victims/survivors and ask how they are
Provide just and equitable monetary compensation

Goal #3 – To identify preventative measures of child sexual abuse to be used by dioceses/eparchies.

On-line Questionnaire Responses

Respondents were asked for their recommendations to prevent child sexual abuse within the Church. Seven hundred thirty-nine (739) Respondents answered this question on-line. Six hundred thirty-four (634) of those Respondents (85.8%) recommend background investigations of Church personnel and volunteers, six hundred twenty-six (626) or 84.7% of those Respondents recommended sex abuse educational programs for lay employees, six hundred eighteen (618) or 83.6% of those Respondents recommended the adoption of well-publicized codes of conduct for Church personnel and volunteers, six hundred fourteen (614) or 83.1% of those Respondents recommended sex abuse educational programs for seminarians, and six hundred eight (608) or 82.3% of those Respondents recommended sex abuse educational programs for parents/guardians. The open-ended narrative segment of this question resulted in additional recommended prevention procedures which included:

Establish a confidential hot-line to report sexual abuse
Carefully study seminary formation
Adhere to/enforcement of adopted policies, codes, and rules regarding sexual abuse
Acknowledge that sexual abusers cannot be cured
Cooperate fully with criminal investigations
Immediately remove all sexual abusers from active ministry
Prohibit any sexual abuser from access to children alone
Address child sexual abuse as a known societal problem

Downloaded Questionnaire Responses

Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire recommended background investigations of Church personnel and volunteers (64 responses), well-publicized codes of conduct for Church personnel and volunteers (62 responses), sex educational programs for clergy (63 responses), for school-aged youth (61 responses) for parents/guardians (60 responses), for seminarians (59 responses), for volunteers (55 responses), and for lay employees (54 responses). Other recommendations included:

Immediate removal of the accused sexual abusers from active ministry
Pursue criminal charges
Stop transferring sexual abusers
Release names of all sexual abusers
Implement education programs regarding sexual abuse

Sixty-five (65) Respondents to the downloaded Questionnaire stated that their sexual abuse caused them spiritual wounds, with eight (8) Respondents stating no spiritual wounds resulted. Forty-two (42) Respondents became distant from the Church, twenty-seven (27) no longer attend Church, thirty-three (33) reported they feel uncomfortable in Church, and thirty-two (32) are uncomfortable with people wearing Church garments. Twenty (20) Respondents stated they are unable to pray, and twelve (12) have lost their belief in God. Additional responses in the narrative segment of this question included loss of respect for priests, loss of trust in Church leadership, and questioning God’s existence. Only five (5) Respondents recommended that a spiritual component not be a part of the healing journey. Fifty-eight (58) Respondents recommended a spiritual component as part of the healing journey. Those Respondents suggested the component include spiritual counseling, occur only after sexual issues have been addressed, and when the victim/survivor is ready to participate. Prayer and discussion groups for victims/survivors only were also recommended.

Spiritual Component to the Healing Journey

The question regarding spirituality evoked and drew some of the most comprehensive and varied replies from both on-line and downloaded Questionnaire Respondents. The spirituality of the Respondents is evident throughout their responses. Respondents stated that they like to connect directly with God and that spiritual healing must be a part of the journey toward wholeness. Spiritual healing was helpful to many, but some Respondents stated only after therapy. Many Respondents considered a spiritual director to be a vital part of the healing journey. Others felt the spiritual component must be non-denominational and not necessarily religious. Respondents also emphasized that the spiritual component is a personal choice, as with all aspects of recovery. One Respondent stated, “The Church owes victims/survivors assistance in finding a way to reconnect with God.” Another stated, “I needed God. He knew what I was going through.” Responses demonstrated that victims/survivors are indeed survivors by their own strength and have survived mainly without support until recent years. It took tremendous courage and the hope of renewed faith in Church leadership to respond so candidly and genuinely to the entire Questionnaire. The Respondents asked for prayer, comfort, continual communication, spiritual support, and patience – the essence of religious practice. As one Respondent stated, “Healing begins from within; there lies the soul.” Another Respondent stated “Prayer is the key to strengthening faith.”

Respondents to the on-line and downloaded Questionnaire stated that their spirituality was deeply affected by the sexual abuse. When asked if the sexual abuse caused any spiritual wounds, seven hundred sixty-six (766) Respondents answered this question on-line. Six hundred seventy-three (673) or 87.9% of those Respondents stated the sexual abuse caused spiritual wounds, and ninety-three (93) or 12.1% of those Respondents stated that no spiritual wounds resulted from the sexual abuse. The narrative responses to this question demonstrate a definite need to address the spirituality component to healing. Responses also indicated that while Respondents’ faith in a personal God may not be altered, faith in the Church has been. For a number of Respondents, the Bishops’ acknowledgement of the abuse has assisted them to return to the active practice of their faith and to progress on their healing journey. The narrative responses to this question stated the following varied effects of the sexual abuse which must be addressed by the Church if victims/survivors are to be assisted in their journey to healing:

Spirituality damage
The continual struggle with faith and anger against God
The need to regain a relationship with God
Leaving the Church to join another Christian denomination
Remaining spiritual and believing in a Higher Power, but feeling the Church and its priests are unworthy of trust
Questioning God’s love
Lost hope for recovery/healing
Total loss of trust

Of the seven hundred twenty-two (722) on-line Respondents to the question asking if a spiritual component should be part of the healing process, five hundred thirty-eight (538) or 74.5% of those Respondents indicated yes, and one hundred eighty-four (184) or 25.5% of those Respondents responded no. The spiritual needs of victim/survivors were specifically stated especially in the narrative responses to this question, as are the need to receive a direct apology from the local Bishop. Recommendations by the Respondents included special liturgies, personal and group prayer sessions, retreats, and Bishop participation in the spiritual healing. Respondents to this question concerning a spiritual component to healing emphasized that the personal choices of each victim/survivor must be sought. Some are ready, while others are not. Respondents also recommended that the offer be made subject to acceptance when the victim/survivor is ready. Even if not immediately accepted, it was stated that this offer should not be withdrawn. Although responses show that many Respondents are struggling with the spiritual component of their healing journey, the consensus was that healing without the spiritual component is impossible for most. Additional responses included:

The damage of sexual abuse is deeply spiritual
Spiritual healing must be a part of the journey toward wholeness
The spiritual component needs to be void of dogma
Healing begins from within
Therapy first, then spirituality
Prayer is the key to strengthen faith
Healing is not possible without spirituality
Spiritual is not synonymous with religious
Spirituality should be based on restorative justice

Project Director Recommendations

The Questionnaire responses provide guidance for actions to be taken by Bishops which will make a substantial difference in the healing journey for victims/survivors. The following is recommended to dioceses/eparchies/religious communities. Bishops and representatives of dioceses/eparchies/religious communities should:

Become knowledgeable about the incurable illness of pedophilia, the seduction techniques used by sexual abusers on victims/survivors, and the life-long effects of sexual abuse
Remember that grace and prayer will not cure a pedophile
Remember that pedophiles have multiple victims
Know that pedophiles will lie to protect their goals – the abuse of targeted, vulnerable children
Respond immediately to reports and inquiries of victims/survivors
Be honest, genuine, compassionate, and caring
Avoid skepticism
Do not accuse victims/survivors of responsibility for the sexual abuse
Keep promises
Do not assume that victims/survivors want money when they report sexual abuse
Offer therapy/counseling based on an individual victim/survivor’s need with no arbitrary cut off
Keep lawyers out of counseling/therapy decisions
Avoid legal maneuvering
Never ask a victim/survivor if he/she intends to sue the diocese/eparchy/religious community
Listen, believe, offer an apology and assistance to victims/survivors, and ask for their forgiveness
Do not ask victims/survivors to forgive their abuser
Understand that victims/survivors have life-long effects from sexual abuse
Welcome victims/survivors back to the Church. Even if refused, keep that invitation open.
Periodically contact known victims/survivors to see how they are coping
Know why victims/survivors often take more than 15 years to report abuse
Encourage victims/survivors to report sexual abuse
Do not impose or reinforce guilt on the victim/survivor
Have a primary concern for the healing of the victims/survivors and their loved ones
Understand the justified anger of victims/survivors and do not become defensive
Never personalize any anger expressed by victims/survivors or make flippant comments in response
Recognize that healing is a personal journey for each victim/survivor
Never portray the feeling or recommend that a victim “get over it” or “move on” with his/her life
Always remember that victims/survivors are not morally or legally at fault
Understand the trust victims/survivors and their families once had in the ordained clergy as Christ’s representatives and the betrayal of that trust
Understand why some victims/survivors have turned away from the Church
Never reassign a sexual abuser
Organize prayer and healing services for victims/survivors and their loved ones who accept the invitation to participate
Establish support groups which may be either Church sponsored or non-Church sponsored to address victim/survivor’s needs
Recognize that counseling needed for one victim/survivor may not be what is needed by another victim/survivor
Do not negotiate the number of counseling sessions needed by a victim/survivor, but provide what is needed for healing on an individual basis
Do not require a waiver of confidentiality between mental health professionals and the patient-victim/survivor as a pre-requisite for Church-paid therapy
Remember that religion and Church involvement are what made the victims/survivors accessible to the sexual abuser and that religion and faith have always been an integral part of the victims/survivors’ lives
Consider the statement of a Respondent to the Project Questionnaire: “I cannot fight any more. God will offer us healing.”
Acknowledge that outreach programs, ministry, and liturgies for victims/survivors are critical, but that participation is a decision to be made by each victim/survivor
Prove to the victims/survivors and their loved ones that the U.S. Bishops “do get it” and do not need to be forced to make needed changes
Know the pain and courage required for a victim/survivor to come forward and tell about his/her abuse
Address the core issues that allow and enable this type of abuse
Continually contact/follow-up with victims/survivors
Include victims/survivors in solving this problem
Speak to victims/survivors, listen with your heart, and believe them
Keep promises
Teach confessors the proper response to victims/survivors in the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Keep victims/survivors informed of the action(s) taken against their abuser
Provide counseling, spiritual direction, and spiritual prayer support
Connect the victim/survivor with appropriate resources
Never cover up
Recognize that each victim/survivor’s needs are different
Give unconditional love and support
Offer significant outreach and compassionate support
Establish a continual ministry to victims/survivors and their families/loved ones

Conclusion

The goals of The Response and Prevention Project were met. The Questionnaire was created by victims/survivors not as an empirical or scientific study but as a means to give participating Respondents a voice to assist other victims/survivors and to recommend appropriate responses from Church officials to reports of sexual abuse. The Questionnaire responses are expressions by the true experts of child sexual abuse – the victims/survivors – with recommendations for pastoral responses and prevention. For each victim/survivor, while there may be similar effects shared with all victims/survivors, the total impact is uniquely personal, much like a fingerprint.

Appreciation is extended to all Respondents who took time and expressed the depth of their emotions to respond to the Questionnaire in order to assist the Bishops in appropriate responses to report of sexual abuse and to aid other victims/survivors on their journey to healing.