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Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 35, No. 5, 629-642 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0093854808314389
© 2008 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

Persistent Sexual Abusers in the Catholic Church

An Examination of Characteristics and Offense Patterns

Cynthia Calkins Mercado

John Jay College of Criminal Justice, cmercado{at}jjay.cuny.edu

Jennifer A. Tallon

The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Karen J. Terry

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

This study aims to enhance understanding of clergy offending patterns through a comparison of low-rate and high-rate clergy offenders. Data for these re-analyses are derived from 3,674 cases from the Nature and Scope of Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church. This article compares those clerics who had just one allegation with those who had a moderate (2 to 3), high (4 to 9), or exceptionally high (10-plus) number of allegations of sexual abuse. Findings reveal that the 3.7% ( n =137) who had 10 or more victims accounted for a disproportionate 24.8% of the abuse. Priests with the most victims began perpetrating offenses at an earlier age and were more likely to have male victims than those who abused fewer victims. The importance of research addressing the causes and situational correlates of sexual offending by priests, as well as the need for more refined management strategies, are discussed.

Key Words: sex offenders • priests • offending patterns • recidivism


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M. L. Smith, A. F. Rengifo, and B. K. Vollman
Trajectories of Abuse and Disclosure: Child Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests
Criminal Justice and Behavior, May 1, 2008; 35(5): 570 - 582.
[Abstract] [PDF]