Does Celibacy Contribute to Clerical Sex Abuse?

Catholic Culture ^ | 5/19/2010 | Richard Cross

[markomalley]

The John Jay Report indicated that 4.0% of all priests in the US between 1950 and 2002 had been accused of sexual abuse of a minor. This datum, and the numerous commentaries surrounding the horrific news of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, have been cited as evidence against the discipline of celibacy in the Roman Catholic clergy. Prominent psychotherapists, such as Richard Sipe, have argued that celibacy has been a factor contributing to criminal sexual conduct by clerics over the last half-century. Even Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna recently suggested that the issue of priestly celibacy should not be ignored in discussions of the sex-abuse scandals in Europe.

The argument against priestly celibacy-- the argument that celibacy is a contributing factor in sexual abuse-- has never been examined in the context of statistics showing abuse rates in other clerical populations that do not require celibacy. Such a comparison between clergy populations is critical, because if celibacy were a major factor in the abuse over the last half-century, then one would expect to see much lower abuse rates in the clergy of other communions. If on the contrary celibacy were unrelated (or even a safeguard against abuse) then the other clergy groups would likely show comparable or even higher levels of abuse.

Suppose a population of non-celibate male clergy, say Australian Anglican clergy, over an 18-year period displayed an abuse rate of 3.8%: just 0.2% lower than the 4% rate found among American Catholic priests. What would such a finding tell us about celibacy as a causal factor in clerical sex abuse? Not much, unless you’re willing to stake your argument against celibacy on 2/10s of 1%.

Consider that the most rigorous scientific test on whether celibacy contributes to sex abuse of minors can never be performed. Such a test would require random assignment of men to religious communions for the purposes of training and ministry—obviously, an impossible test to undertake. Absent such an experiment, we are left to examine statistical reports of abuse rates between different communions. A good comparison might be between Roman Catholic clergy who are celibate, and the Eastern Catholic clergy in the same countries, many of whom are not celibate. Unfortunately, such a report does not exist. Our next best comparison might be found with the Anglican clergy. Here too, no report provides the exact abuse rate comparisons between Roman and Anglican clergy. However, one report does provide the number of abusive Anglican clergy over an 18-year period. Here’s how this writer used that report to reach the 3.8% figure noted above:

In May 2009, a little-publicized report was issued by the Australian Anglican Church, entitled Child Sexual Abuse in the Anglican Church, by Parkinson, Oates & Jayakody. The report obtained information on abuse charges from 17 of the 23 Australian Anglican dioceses between 1990 and 2008. According to its authors, the report analyzed a survey of:

…all concluded cases of reported child sexual abuse since 1990 within the church by clergy and church workers. The study did not include reported cases from Anglican schools or Anglican children homes. Accused persons were categorised in the survey as either clergy, candidates for clergy, pastoral employees or volunteers... A complainant was defined as less than 18 years of age at the time of the alleged sexual abuse. [p. 13]

The Anglican report gives considerable attention to the question of patterns of abuse between Anglican and Catholic clergy:

A key finding of this study is the similarities in pattern of abuse found between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches. Similarities were found in patterns of male victim characteristics, location and types of abuse, accused person characteristics, and delayed reporting and disclosure of abuse.

This similarity is despite significant differences in the nature of clergy vocations (the Anglican Church does not require singleness or celibacy). The similarity between the Anglican and Catholic churches is also despite significant differences in ministry involving children. [p. 39—parentheses in the original]

Curiously, the Anglican report does not address any direct comparison between the levels or rates of abuse in the Australian church and other churches, and it does not provide statistical data for the percentages of abusive clergy compared to the population of all Australian Anglican clergy. However, this writer was able to estimate a range of rates of clergy abuse based on several authoritative sources, including the Australian government census data on the number of male Anglican clergy, as well as reports by the Church of England on the rates of attrition and ordination of male clergy between 1990 and 2007.

Here are the basic data: the 1991 Australian government census of Anglican clergy counted 2,029 male clergy. We do not have the rates of ordination and attrition for the Australian Anglican clergy but we do have the Church of England statistics between 1991 and 2007, which show an average male ordination rate of 2.3% per year, and male attrition rate of 3.8% per year (overall, the male clergy in England declined by 1/3 from 1990 to 2007.) If the ordination rate can be used as a surrogate for all newly installed clergy, then this rate when applied to the church in Australia would yield an estimate of 720 additional clergy over the 18 years. This nets an estimate of 119.5 male clergy per diocese for the reporting period. Parkinson et al. data suggest that there were 4.6 male clergy abusers per diocese between 1990 and 2008, which yields an estimated clergy abuser rate of 3.8% (4.6 / 119.5). The ordination and attrition rates come from all British Isles dioceses, and these may not yield the best estimates for Australia. For estimating the abuser rate, the more important of the two is the ordination rate. Hence it would be useful to create a range of ordination estimates; cutting the rate in half, yields an abuser rate estimate of 4.4%, whereas doubling the ordination rate yields an abuser rate estimate of 3.0%. The range in values contains the Roman Catholic rate of 4.0%, and in either extreme is not far distant from it.

If we use the Catholic – Anglican comparison of clergy abuse rates as one instance in the surrogate for the Celibate – Not Celibate comparison, the difference in the abuser rates is very small indeed. If we further take into account the decades over which the abuse is occurring, the abuser rate for Celibates may be somewhat lower than that of the non-Celibates, but this analysis has yet to be made.

[Richard W. Cross is a psychologist and an educational researcher.]

[Eepsy]

The argument from the other side has never been that celibacy makes priests vulnerable to urges with no outlet, but that it relieves predators of the need to camouflage themselves with a healthy male/female relationship. This is the argument we need to rebut.

[Persevero]

“If priests were fooling around with other women, I’d say there was logic to your argument, but how does getting married stop homosexual priests from fooling around with young boys?”

Refreshing logic!

[VidMihi]

Let’s all learn a new word - ephebophilia — sex with post-pubescent young people, almost always males — priests are rarely guilty of pedophilia except in the subset - ephebophilia - Which may point to a dominant “gay subculture“ in the celibate Catholic Priesthood, which just might be a good argument for the return to active ministry of heterosexual married priests.

Celibacy, in itself, when practiced, does not lead to any type of abuse. However, lets be honest- studies have shown the gay priests (and bishops) have their boyfriends, and the heterosexual priests frequently have girl friends, many of whom eventually in honesty, resign and get married. Not all - there are truly celibate priests but not as many as people would like to believe. There is no reason for the gay priests to leave, they can have their boyfriends in the rectory - so they stay, the heterosexuals leave to get married and we end up with a majority gay clergy.

The true celibates would like the help of a married clergy - the homosexuals would not be comfortable with more heterosexuals around. When priests began to leave to get married most of those who remained would have liked to have them back in some position. As the clergy became more gay the desire to have the married priests back diminished significantly.

[Salvation]

NO!

[MIlle]

Does a bear crap in the woods?

Of course it contributes. It contributes as much as sexual frustration contributes to the brutality of Muslim extremists. Bound-up testosterone is highly combustible.

[markomalley]

From another article:

Just a hint, anything published in the National Cafeteria Catholic Fishwrap

is to be held as HIGHLY suspect (the only credible reporter on their entire staff is John Allen and he would be considered marginally accurate if he reported for any other paper).

Look at the article you cited,

[Richard Sipe is a mental health counselor and author who earlier spent 18 years as a Benedictine monk and priest.]

Now how much credibility are you going to give somebody who threw in the towel as a religious after 18 years? Do you think that maybe, just maybe he might have just a slight axe to grind? Just maybe even a wee tiny, infinitesimal chance of having a little heartburn??? Hmmm??

[MIlle]

“I think the disconnect is that the vast majority of abuse victims are teenage boys ... not girls.”

Please cite your source. That is incorrect, unless, maybe, you are referrring specifically to abuse within the Catholic Church. The vast majority of sexual abuse is of underage girls by “straight” males.

[RobRoy]

>>The root problem is homosexuality ... and the better question is, at least in my mind, whether celibacy leads men who are otherwise Christian, and attempting to resist homosexual urges, to seek refuge in the priesthood.<<

That is along the lines of how I see it too. A guy that is no interested in sex with FEMALES may go for the priesthood only to “discover” he really does have a sex drive, only not the one he thought - with interesting results.

Your results may vary.

[SnakeDoctor]

The 9/11 hijackers spent the previous evening at a strip club. I don’t get the feeling that their extremism had anything to do with “sexual frustration”. The piety of terrorists has been somewhat overstated.

“Sexual frustration” also won’t drive a heterosexual man to have sex with a boy.

SnakeDoc

[SnakeDoctor]

We were talking about priests ... that I was speaking of the abuse victims in the church should’ve been obvious.

SnakeDoc

[JRandomFreeper]

. It contributes as much as sexual frustration contributes to the brutality of Muslim extremists. Bound-up testosterone is highly combustible.

What about those of us that are not clergy and choose to live celibate lives?

Celibacy is no more the cause of abuse than spoons cause people to be overweight.

/johnny

[SnakeDoctor]

>> Please cite your source. That is incorrect, unless, maybe, you are referrring specifically to abuse within the Catholic Church. The vast majority of sexual abuse is of underage girls by “straight” males.

Abusers outside of the church are, presumably, not entertaining the ruse of celibacy ... which would render the whole conversation nonsensical (does celibacy cause abuse by the non-celibate?).

SnakeDoc

[Antoninus]

The problem is homosexuality, not celibacy.

Bingo.

[epluribus_2]

The Church itself admits this. I have no idea about other denominations.

[ChurtleDawg]

No.

people who aren’t prone to child molesting in the first place aren’t gonna start just because they are celibate.

the problem is that people who like molesting children often find jobs that put them around kids and also often in positions of authority. They become scout leaders, teachers, little league coaches, pediatricians...etc.

[MEGoody]

Does Celibacy Contribute to Clerical Sex Abuse?

Heavens no. if celibacy were the issue, then you'd be seeing vast numbers of priests just leaving the priesthood to marry or having consensual affairs with grown women.

I would say the problem is men who would be perps on the outside of the church are perps on the inside. Get rid of them and the problem goes away.

And yes, I believe in mercy and blah, blah, blah. But someone who has committed such a sin should not just be moved to a different job. He should lose his status as a priest. If he can prove "good behavior" for a period of time (say, 5 years) then maybe he can be reconsidered for priesthood.

[NTHockey]

It’s not celibacy that is the cause but the liberalization of the Catholic Church IS. Situation ethics and liberation theology has caused theis neb to violate their oaths.

Before the reform; there were undoubtedly abuses - but not to the extent there is today.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Celibacy was voluntary until the 1100s.

An urban legend perpetuated by the ignorant.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Thanks for displaying your ignorance of Scripture, yet again.

[A.A. Cunningham]

What's your explanation for the behavior of these deviants?