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Catholic priests who sexually abuse minors: Why do we hear so much yet know so little?

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Abstract

A tremendous amount of media attention has been directed towards sexual abuse perpetrated by Roman Catholic priests in recent years. While there are countless research studies on both sexual abuse victims and perpetrators in the professional literature, there are very few comprehensive research studies specifically investigating Roman Catholic priests who sexually abuse minors or studies concerning the victims of priests themselves. While the scientific professional community could offer a great deal to this problem, their voice appears silent. The purpose of this article is to examine what is known about sexual abuse among the Catholic clergy and briefly suggest directions for future research and intervention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University School of Medicine, USA

    Thomas G. Plante

  2. Psychology Department, Santa Clara University, 95053, Santa Clara, CA

    Thomas G. Plante

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  1. Thomas G. Plante
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Correspondence to Thomas G. Plante.

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Plante, T.G. Catholic priests who sexually abuse minors: Why do we hear so much yet know so little?. Pastoral Psychol 44, 305–310 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02262821

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