Incidents of clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have declined sharply since their peak in the 1970s and 1980s, according to two national studies.
A total of 22 allegations of clergy abuse throughout the United States were reported in 2015 through 2017, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University.
CARA, which conducts social scientific studies of the Catholic Church nationwide, reports that the high-point for abuse allegations in the United States was the 1970s, with 2,710 cases. There were sharp declines over the following decades. (See accompanying chart and click on it to enlarge it.)
A second, well-known study of clergy sexual abuse was conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York. Completed in 2004, the study was commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002.
The John Jay Report showed that both the number of annual incidents nationwide and the number of accused priests each year declined sharply and steadily from their peak in 1980s. (See accompanying chart and click on it to enlarge it.)
The Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report on clergy sexual abuse also shows that most allegations are from the past. Most of the incidents in the report, including those related to the Diocese of Allentown, date back decades, and the offending priests are either no longer in active ministry or are deceased.
The Diocese has taken strong and decisive action to prevent abuse, including increased screening for seminary candidates, strict background checks for anyone involved in ministries for children, training requirements for preventing and recognizing abuse, and other policies and procedures. The Grand Jury acknowledged that much has changed in the past 15 years.
The Diocese of Allentown also has a strict Zero-Tolerance Policy. In the event of any new allegations, Bishop Alfred Schlert immediately removes the priest from ministry pending an investigation.
Also, the Diocese immediately notifies law enforcement and addresses the issue transparently, in cooperation with law enforcement.
While any number of abuse cases is too many, both nationwide studies and the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report provide evidence that the Church is making progress in preventing abuse and in keeping children safe.
