Authors:
- Julia Feder: -

- Heather Fryer: -

- Rebecca K. Murray, Department of Cultural and Social Studies, Creighton University - Google Scholar, ResearchGate

Abstract: »The Catholic Church’s handling of clergy sexual abuse has resulted in scandal across the globe. However, the scandal has not impacted all areas of the Church similarly. The handling of some abuse cases shows serious organizational gaps where dioceses and religious orders overlap – including schools and missions that exist geographically in dioceses but are authorized and facilitated by orders. These gaps allowed cases of abuse and close calls to be obscured, minimizing incentive to address these fissures. What’s more, some of these same mechanisms provide cover to prevent public scandal from damaging institutions’ organizational reputation. Using a case-study of a Jesuit theology teacher in the USA, we apply two theories to elucidate bureaucratic gaps that allowed this Jesuit to abuse students throughout the two dozen years he remained at the school, and to maintain his and the school’s large public influence well after his abuse was discovered. We apply elements of Normal Accident Theory to demonstrate how these institutions maintained safe harbors for predators. We also apply elements of Sykes and Matza’s (1957) Neutralization theory to show how these same mechanisms were used to protect the perpetrator, school, Jesuit Order, and the archdiocese from public knowledge and scandal – that might result in harm to the institutions. Our analysis also shows that continued sequestration of information threatens to undermine previous work done to help elucidate and appropriately address cases of clergy sexual abuse. It also provides a preliminary blueprint for the institutional alignments necessary for sound accountability and safeguarding protocols.« (Source: Annual Review of the Sociology of Religion)

Wikipedia: History of the Americas: History of the United States | Catholic Church: Catholic Church in United States / Jesuits in the United States | Sex and the law: Sexual violence / Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States, Sexual abuse scandal in the Society of Jesus