{"id":131442,"date":"2021-09-03T13:03:35","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T13:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icrowdnewswire.com\/?p=2908637"},"modified":"2021-09-03T13:03:35","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03T13:03:35","slug":"how-do-we-stop-clergy-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipsnews.net\/business\/2021\/09\/03\/how-do-we-stop-clergy-abuse\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do We Stop Clergy Abuse?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When people go to church, they have an expectation that they\u2019ll be loved, cared for, and spiritually nourished. Unfortunately, the very people who accept the responsibility of shepherding their \u201cflock\u201d occasionally end up inflicting the most harm.<\/p>\n

Clergy Abuse: A Nationwide Problem<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the years, thousands of cases of sexual abuse have surfaced within the Catholic Church. Far too many lawsuits, scandals, and criminal prosecutions have occurred. Yet even today, they continue.<\/p>\n

The issue of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church was first brought to the general public\u2019s attention in 1985, when a Louisiana priest pleaded guilty to 11 counts of molestation of young persons.<\/p>\n

In the 1990s, dozens of books and feature news stories brought further national attention to the problem. By the early 2000s, it had become clear that thousands of additional cases had been covered up by the church. A massive crisis ensued \u2026 and continues to exist today.<\/p>\n

After one of the big waves of clergy abuse in the early 2000s, U.S. bishops launched the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002. More commonly known as the Dallas Charter, this reporting, training, and prevention framework became the standard for the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, the Catholic Church has left the development and implementation of policies to the discretion of each local diocese and archdiocese,\u201d nonprofit organization CHILD USA reports<\/a>. \u201cAs a result, there is now a hodgepodge of relatively new child protection practices across the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Catholic Church claims it has made significant progress over the past couple of decades, but it\u2019s tough to tell what\u2019s happening from the outside. More than anything, the church seems to have gone silent. And as we know from previous incidents, silence shouldn\u2019t be confused with the absence of abuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have a long way to go,\u201d CHILD USA founder and CEO Marci Hamilton says. \u201cWhatever the numbers of cases are, the policies are still not adequate.\u201d<\/p>\n

How We Stop Clergy Abuse From Happening<\/strong><\/p>\n

The good news is that many of the priests and other members of the clergy who have sexually abused young children are being brought to justice. Thanks to experienced clergy sexual abuse lawyers<\/a>, families are getting some compensation to pave the way for therapy and healing.<\/p>\n

However, the real work needs to be on the front end. In other words, prevention<\/em> is the key: The real challenge is to stop clergy abuse from happening in the first place.<\/p>\n

And though there\u2019s no perfect plan, here are a few suggestions that could pave the way for a brighter and safer tomorrow.<\/p>\n