In Their Own Voices: A Qualitative Study of Men Abused as Children by Catholic Clergy

Abstract

This study examines the impact of child sexual molestation on men assaulted as children by Catholic clergy. In-depth interviews were used to conduct a qualitative analysis of how clergy-perpetrated childhood sexual abuse affected the adult psychological and/or psychosocial functioning of nine men. Subjects were selected in coordination with a nationally recognized advocacy group established for victims of clergy abuse, The Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests. The study found that the sexual abuse acted as a developmental insult and resulted in systemic influences throughout the victims' lives. The article concludes with considerations for treatment.