New Study Finds that 1 in Every 33 Women is the Target of Sexual Advances by a Religious Leader
The Washington Post reports that a new study by researchers at Baylor University finds that “one in every 33 women who attend worship services regularly has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader.” The Post continues:
The study, by Baylor University researchers, found that the problem is so pervasive that it almost certainly involves a wide range of denominations, religious traditions and leaders.
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It found that more than two-thirds of the offenders were married to someone else at the time of the advance.
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For its study, Baylor used the 2008 General Social Survey, a nationally representative sample of 3,559 respondents, to estimate the prevalence of clergy sexual misconduct. Women older than 18 who attended worship services at least once a month were asked in the survey whether they had received “sexual advances or propositions” from a religious leader.
The study found that close to one in 10 respondents — male and female — reported having known about clergy sexual misconduct occurring in a congregation they had attended.
