The prevalence of child sexual abuse perpetrated by leaders or other adults in religious organizations in Australia.

Autor: Hunt GR; Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Australia., Mathews B; School of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, United States of America. Electronic address: b.mathews@qut.edu.au., Higgins DJ; Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Australia., Finkelhor D; Crimes against Children Research Centre, United States of America; Family Research Laboratory, United States of America; Sociology at the University of New Hampshire, United States of America., Willis ML; Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Australia., Haslam DM; School of Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia; Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, Australia., Lawrence D; School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia., Meinck F; School of Social & Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa; School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa., Thomas HJ; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, Australia; School of Public Heath, The University of Queensland, Australia; QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia., Malacova E; QIMR Berghofer, Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia., Pacella RE; Institute for Lifecourse Development, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom., Scott JG; Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Children's Health Qld, South Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Child abuse & neglect [Child Abuse Negl] 2024 Sep; Vol. 155, pp. 106946. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 04.
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106946
Abstrakt: Background: Numerous national public inquiries have highlighted the problem of child sexual abuse in religious organizations. Despite this, evidence of population-wide prevalence is scarce.
Objective: To provide the first nationally representative prevalence estimates of child sexual abuse perpetrated by adults in religious organizations in Australia.
Methods: The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) surveyed 8503 people aged 16 and over about their experiences of child maltreatment. Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated based on responses to the child sexual abuse questions from the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2: Adapted Version (ACMS).
Results: One in 250 people reported being sexually abused as a child by an adult in a religious organization (0.4 %, 95 % CI, 0.3-0.6 %). Men reported significantly higher rates of child sexual abuse by these perpetrators (0.8 %, 95 % CI, 0.5-1.2 %), compared to women (0.1 %, 95 % CI, 0-0.3 %). This type of sexual abuse was overwhelmingly perpetrated by men (0.4 %, 95 % CI, 0.3-0.6 %), compared to women (0 %, 95 % CI, 0-0.1 %), and was substantially more often experienced in Catholic organizations (71.9 %) than other Christian denominations or other religions. Prevalence of child sexual abuse in religious organizations has declined over time (2.2 % of men 65 years and older, compared with 0.2 % of 16-24-year-old men).
Conclusions: Child sexual abuse has been widespread in religious organizations in Australia. A decline over time indicates progress has been made in preventing sexual abuse of children. Religious organizations must take all reasonable measures to prevent child sexual abuse, with a particular need for interventions targeting male leaders, and organizational cultures.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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