No, Homosexuality Is Not a Risk Factor for the Sexual Abuse of Children by Thomas G
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
B NDINGS Vol. 38 No. 1 A Publication of New Ways Ministry Winter 2018-19 No, homosexuality is not a risk factor for the sexual abuse of children By Thomas G. Plante their sexual impulse control is poor. But these individuals tended to be boys. If some, like most clerical sex offenders in AmericaMagazine.org the research data on this topic makes Father wanted to have private time with the church, select those with whom they October 22, 2018 clear that sexual orientation alone is not a an altar boy or perhaps take a boy off on have access and trust. risk factor for pedophilia or for commit- a camping trip or to a baseball game back The behavior and psychopathology Many people believe that homosexu- ting sexual crimes against children or in the 20th century, no one would have of sex offenders is complex, but there is a ality is the root cause of sexual abuse by teens or any- thought much of it. Boys were trusted large amount of quality research to help clergy in the Catholic Church since about one. Sexual us better understand their behavior, with 80 percent of the known victims have orientation by established best practices for evaluating been male. This has led some church itself is irrele- and treating them for their dysfunction. leaders to suggest that banning homosex- vant to child Best practices are also available for child ual men from the priesthood could pre- sexual abuse protection by better managing the envi- vent future victimization of children in behavior or ronment where children are involved the church. While it may be understanda- risks. with adults—within church activities as ble that some believe this, it is simply not So why well as in schools, youth sports, music true. You really have to know something are so many of and theater programs, and other extracur- about the psychopathology of sex offend- the clergy ricular youth activities. Being aware and ers and pedophiles to understand this sexual abuse thoughtful about this well-established issue more clearly. victims male? research and these recommended best No one would suggest banning het- A study from practices in child protection will help erosexual men from the priesthood if the the John Jay keep children safe. majority of clergy abuse victims were College of Inappropriately blaming or victimiz- young girls. That would seem absurd. Criminal Jus- ing homosexual men, within or outside of This is because many see heterosexuality tice in 2011 informs us that most of the with priests. But most of the clergy sex the church, does not keep children safe or as normal and controllable while believ- clergy sexual offenders were “situational offenders during the last half of the 20th solve clergy sexual abuse problems. Re- ing that homosexuality is abnormal, dys- generalists” or men who simply abused century, according to the John Jay Re- gardless of sexual orientation or the vows functional and a psychiatric illness. As victims to whom they had access and port, viewed themselves as more likely to of priestly celibacy or even marital vows, such, it is often falsely believed that men with whom they had the opportunity to be heterosexual than as homosexual. only a small percentage of people seek with homosexual orientations cannot be develop trust. In the Catholic Church, The psychopathology of pedophiles sexual activity with children and teens, trusted around male children and that suggests that the risk factors for this psy- and the vast majority of them are hetero- chiatric illness include impulse control sexual, married and noncelibate layper- problems, brain injury, poor peer rela- sons who tend to exploit members of Quote to Note tionships, antisocial personality, a lack of their own family. The false and distract- nonsexual intimate connections with oth- ing focus on homosexuality is not rele- The following is an excerpt from a National Catholic Reporter essay by Father ers, alcohol and substance abuse, and a vant to keeping children safe within the Peter Daly, entitled “Clerical cronyism and secrecy shielded McCarrick and oth- history of sexual victimization. Sexual Catholic Church. ers,” dated October 22, 018 orientation is not a risk factor at all. Fur- thermore, there are many different kinds Thomas G. Plante is the Augustin “Some archconservative Catholics in the U.S. are saying that [Cardinal Theodore] of sex offenders who often have multiple Cardinal Bea, S.J., University Professor McCarrick was protected by some sort of ‘gay clique’ in the hierarchy. This is utter non- pathways to victimization and different and professor of psychology at Santa sense. If there is anything that is not talked about honestly by clerics, it is their sex lives. targets of their predatory desires. For Clara University and an adjunct clinical Clerics hide behind the mask of presumed celibacy. I doubt that McCarrick or example, some prefer to target young professor of psychiatry at Stanford Uni- [Scotland’s Cardinal Keith] O’Brien even admitted to themselves that they were gay. children while others target teens. Some versity School of Medicine. He has “Both McCarrick and O’Brien hid behind public homophobia. In their public lives, ideally prefer to have adult peer sexual worked clinically and academically in they were vocal opponents of gay rights and gay marriage. McCarrick opposed gay mar- partners, but due to their inability to ne- the area of clerical sexual abuse for 30 riage in Maryland and the District of Columbia. He also opposed giving health insur- gotiate mature adult intimate relation- years. ance to gay couples employed by the archdiocese. Like O’Brien, he may have felt that ships, select minors as a substitute, espe- his anti-gay public positions insulated him from rumors about his private life.” cially when under significant stress. And Believe It Or Not, I Became A Catholic Because Of Gay Pride By Caitlin Weaver ed church smack in the middle of the lit a fire in you with his words. I told my He was silent as we rounded the The Huffington Post Broadway theater district in New York husband all about it one day as we corner. August 29, 2018 City. Listening to the choir was like hav- walked through the Gay Pride Festival in “Heyyyy girl!” ing a free ticket to a professional concert, the park near our house. Then I spotted a And there they were. Decked out in I became Catholic because of gay but beyond that, I found Mass to be clini- booth with a banner for that very church. rainbow T-shirts, the members of Shrine pride. cal and impersonal. “There it is!” I said excitedly. “And of the Immaculate Conception, a down- My husband and I were recently I was also uneasy about the town Atlanta Catholic church, waved and married, and we were building a life to- lack of diversity I saw around me smiled at us. We had a warm power chat, gether in a new city after his company ― a stark contrast to the throngs and they sent us off with bedazzled moved us from New York City to Geor- of New Yorkers with whom I fridge magnets, T-shirts and our promise gia. I was not looking for church to be a rode the subway each morning. to check out Mass the next day. The part of that new life. He was raised Cath- Nothing about the experience church was only 2 miles from our house. olic, and while not particularly devout, moved me, and if I was going to The next morning, we parked on an was clear that if we had children they go to church, it was because I empty street in the hollowed out down- would be raised Catholic. I was less than wanted to fill up on grace, not town neighborhood known mostly for its excited about this. I associated the Cath- simply to check a box on God’s homeless shelters and decrepit govern- olic Church with droning, dull services report card. ment buildings. The church soared and the general oppression of women When we moved to a new proudly upward in the midst of the de- and other marginalized groups. High on city in the South the problem cay. Inside, we encountered a packed the list of things I can’t stand are bore- temporarily solved itself. We house and a dull roar of pleasantries as dom and patriarchy. were churchless. On weekends, people hugged and greeted each other in I was not godless by any means. there were so many other im- the pews. Nearly half the congregation While not raised in a particular denomi- portant things to do to get settled wore rainbow T-shirts emblazoned with nation, I got to know God later in life in into our new life — farmers mar- the name of the church. In the still- church basements through a 12-step pro- kets, shopping for furniture, fig- informally segregated South, it was the gram after my first marriage fell prey to uring out which brunch spot made Caitlin Weaver in front of Shrine of the Im- most mixed group I had seen — people my ex-husband’s drug and alcohol abuse. the best Bloody Mary. No time to maculate Conception in Atlanta, Georgia. of every race, young and old, gay and I even began attending Sunday services look for a church! straight. Our pew alone felt like a New in the East Village with a sober friend of Plus, I had a nagging feeling that if they’re handing out organic popsicles!” York City subway car (minus the smell). mine and her wife. It was a progressive, we hadn’t found a Catholic church in We talked for a few minutes with The priest, a genial Santa Claus non-denominational church with a con- New York City that felt inclusive enough the people at the booth and left with a type, spoke passionately about Jesus’ gregation that ranged from aging, re- for me, there was no way that was hap- glossy folder of information and some love for all people.