Home      Login

Abstract: 

On May 18, 2011, a research team from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, led by SLR editorial board member Karen Terry, presented its report, entitled “ Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950–2010,” to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The report was the culmination of a multiyear investigation undertaken at USCCB’s initiative to comprehend and address the problem of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church across the nation. This brief article presents the context and key findings of this landmark report.

Keywords: pedophilia; homosexuality; celibacy; seminary training; organizational failure; societal conditions

Affiliations:  1: University of Washington, Tacoma.