National sex abuse study holds insights on causes, prevention

Published: 2004-02-23

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Statistics tied to a national study of child sex abuse by Catholic clergy focus on peak periods of abuse from the late 1960s through the 1980s, an abundance of single-incidence abusers, and an overwhelming majority of teenage victims. Such data covering the 1950-2002 period provides information about the nature and scope of the situation. It also gives church leaders and child-care specialists key insights in understanding causes of abuse and in judging methods of prevention. Preliminary figures showed that more than 4,400 clergymen were accused of child sex abuse. "The large number is sobering" but in keeping with "ballpark figures" developed by specialists, said David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. More important than the numbers is what measures are needed to prevent child sex abuse, he told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview. "When you have an organization that has the trust of families and children, you need to get the number as close to zero as possible," he said.

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