The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010

by Us Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Causes and Context study (1950-2010) integrates research from sociocultural, psychological, situational, and organizational perspectives, and provides information on why the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the United States occurred as it did. The Causes and Context study is an extension of the previous study, Nature and Scope, which addressed the problem from 1950 to 2002 and was published in February 2004. The Nature and Scope study provided information about what happened, including the number of abuse incidents, the distribution of offenses geographically and over time, the characteristics of the priests against whom allegations were made and the minors they abused, the Catholic Church's response to the allegations, and the financial impact of the abuse incidents.

152 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2011