Article perpetrates myth of sex abuse

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A recent article on the Indian residential schools issue ("Who's really to blame?"-Windspeaker, April 2001) creates several inaccurate impressions about Catholic clergy and lay church workers.

Dr. William Marshall, whom I know to be a prominent figure in the field of psychology, has expressed a couple of rather alarming opinions without presenting a shred of evidence. Unfortunately, and with respect, he appears to be expressing a personal point of view rather than a professional and researched one.

Dr. Marshall states that there are "more incidents of criminal sexual activity among church workers," which he defines as "clergy, brothers and lay people working within the church," "than in the general population." On the contrary, I am aware of the exhaustive analysis done by Philip Jenkins, a professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University, which suggests something very different.

In his highly regarded book, Pedophiles and Priests (Oxford University Press, 1996), Professor Jenkins argues convincingly not only that clergy abuse is far less widespread than the headlines suggest, but that there is nothing at all particularly Roman Catholic about the problem.

To say the incidence is higher "than you would expect," or higher than the Catholic church "would like it to be," states the obvious, but does not mean that the incidence is higher than in the general population. Obviously the church would hold the view that one incident is one too many. Dr. Marshall's comments are a gross generalization and offensive to everyone working in the church.

Dr. Marshall says that it's only an excuse to say that pedophilia was less well understood 50 years ago than it is today and that when church authorities found out about a problem they shifted the offender to another assignment. In saying this he simplifies a couple of very complex issues. It is a fact that we know far more today about pedophilia, ephebophilia and child abuse generally and the difference between the clinical and the legal considerations of the problem than we did a generation or two ago. We are more aware of the issues, more knowledgeable about the various psychological conditions and have incorporated this knowledge into screening, policy and treatment programs.

In Les Agresseurs Sexuels (1993) by Jocelyn Aubut and collaborators, 23 specialists discuss issues related to the problem of sexual aggression. In the conclusion of the book, Aubut says that it is only in the past 25 years that attempts have been made to study the problem, that the data are recent and the problem is complex. In overviewing the chapters of this book he also says that the theories and specific applications of them to specific individuals or sub-groups of aggressors are far from being satisfactory.

While Catholic authorities may have on occasion acted with incredible naivete, in most cases their approach was consistent with the prevailing opinion and knowledge of the time. Jenkins summarizes this as follows: sexual activity with minors was believed to be based on an inadequacy or confusion by the perpetrator best dealt with by therapy rather than punishment; it was also believed improbable that the behaviour would cause any long-term harm to the child provided the case was not 'made an issue of' by police or courts.

I must also take issue with the overall tone of the article. It perpetrates the myth that child sexual abuse by clergy is a huge problem, perhaps of epidemic proportions. In the case of Native residential schools, very few clergy have been convicted of criminal acts against children, although thousands of accusations have been made. Allegations remain to be validated in some way. Moreover, there is no evidence of a widespread pedophile network. And, there has never been a credible study that links celibacy with child abuse.

I want to be very clear. My intention is not to minimize criminal behavior or the trauma that abused people may have exerienced. Clearly it is a very serious breach of the trust people place in their clergy. Whenever this happens I feel deeply sad for the victims and I am also appalled for such a desecration of church ministry.

It is grossly unfair to characterize the motivations of those who work tirelessly today in the light of those who made mistakes in the past. Similarly it is very unreasonable to judge situations of a generation or two ago through today's standards. We cannot accept inaccurate generalizations that discredit the good names and good works of dedicated people.

As the Law Commission of Canada said in a significant report on institutionalized child abuse last year, Restoring Dignity, at page three: "The Commission ... acknowledges that most of the people who worked in these institutions did their very best to fulfill their roles as educators, caregivers and guardians, often with inadequate resources and support."

Fr. Jacques Gagne, O.M.I., Ph.D., is coordinator of the Oblates Native Residential Schools Working Group. He is also a retired professor of pastoral counselling at Saint Paul University in Ottawa. From 1990 to 1992 he chaired one of the research groups for the ad hoc committee on child sexual abuse for the Canadian conference of Catholic bishops.