title: Problem and solution: the spiritual dimension of clergy sexual abuse and its impact on survivors.
abstract: In this paper, we offer a way to understand the spiritual dimension of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse. Spirituality is defined as a search for the sacred--a process of discovery, conservation, and transformation that evolves over the lifespan. We describe the ways in which clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse impacts negatively on the individual's search for the sacred and the ways in which spirituality can serve as a valuable resource for survivors. We then consider how clinicians can draw on the client's spirituality as a source of solutions to problems and how clinicians can address the spiritual problems raised by clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse. Perhaps the greatest challenge for mental health professionals is to become better acquainted with the multifaceted nature of spiritual life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA. kpargam@bgnet.bgsu.edu
authors.forename: Kenneth I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Pargament
authors.forename: Nichole A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Murray-Swank
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahoney
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002835:Christianity / Q000523:psychology*; D002977:Clergy; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012107:Research Design; D029181:Spirituality; D014481:United States