Tommy Tainant
Diamond Member
Forgotten Study: Abuse in School 100 Times Worse than by Priests
There has been some discussion on another thread following a recent scandal in the Catholic Church.
A claim was made that schools are much worse than churches when it comes to child abuse and this article is being cited as proof of this.
I have my doubts about this. The article itself is quite thin on facts to back up the claims.
In fact the headline claim is actually a straight out lie.Here it is -
According to the 2004 study “the most accurate data available at this time” indicates that “nearly 9.6 percent of students are targets of educator sexual misconduct sometime during their school career.”
This is what the kids were asked -
During your whole school life, how often, if at all, has anyone (this includes students, teachers, other school employees, or anyone else) done the following things to you when you did not want them to?
Made sexual comments, jokes, gestures, or looks.
Showed, gave or left you sexual pictures, photographs, illustrations, messages, or notes.
Wrote sexual messages/graffiti about you on bathroom walls, in locker rooms, etc.
Spread sexual rumors about you.
Said you were gay or a lesbian.
Spied on you as you dressed or showered at school.
Flashed or “mooned” you. Touched, grabbed, or pinched you in a sexual way.
Intentionally brushed up against you in a sexual way.
Pulled at your clothing in a sexual way.
Pulled off or down your clothing.
Blocked your way or cornered you in a sexual way.
Forced you to kiss him/her.
Forced you to do something sexual, other than kissing.
By claiming the 9.6% figure was all down to teachers the article airbrushes all other perps out of the situation and ,in my opinion, creates a gross slander on the teaching profession.(this includes students, teachers, other school employees, or anyone else)
There is also a world of difference between -
Said you were gay or a lesbian.
And the actual rape of a choir boy.
The report raises important points about the way offenders, and victims, are treated by the system and the obvious need for change. But solutions are not given and in any case the report is 14 years old so most likely out of date.
Finally there is no mention of paedo activity in the Catholic church or any attempt to form a comparison. No studies seem to have been undertaken on this and,quite frankly, why would there be. Its a question that nobody would ever ask.
I conclude that the comparison has only come from this Christian news site and that it has been made in order to deflect from the very real problems faced by the Church.
In any case it isnt a numbers game. There are problems in schools and there are problems in all organised religions. I just think it is morally wrong to portray the teaching profession as a group of evil paedos.
Here is the link to the actual report. Perhaps I have missed something.
https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/misconductreview/report.pdf
There has been some discussion on another thread following a recent scandal in the Catholic Church.
A claim was made that schools are much worse than churches when it comes to child abuse and this article is being cited as proof of this.
I have my doubts about this. The article itself is quite thin on facts to back up the claims.
In fact the headline claim is actually a straight out lie.Here it is -
According to the 2004 study “the most accurate data available at this time” indicates that “nearly 9.6 percent of students are targets of educator sexual misconduct sometime during their school career.”
This is what the kids were asked -
During your whole school life, how often, if at all, has anyone (this includes students, teachers, other school employees, or anyone else) done the following things to you when you did not want them to?
Made sexual comments, jokes, gestures, or looks.
Showed, gave or left you sexual pictures, photographs, illustrations, messages, or notes.
Wrote sexual messages/graffiti about you on bathroom walls, in locker rooms, etc.
Spread sexual rumors about you.
Said you were gay or a lesbian.
Spied on you as you dressed or showered at school.
Flashed or “mooned” you. Touched, grabbed, or pinched you in a sexual way.
Intentionally brushed up against you in a sexual way.
Pulled at your clothing in a sexual way.
Pulled off or down your clothing.
Blocked your way or cornered you in a sexual way.
Forced you to kiss him/her.
Forced you to do something sexual, other than kissing.
By claiming the 9.6% figure was all down to teachers the article airbrushes all other perps out of the situation and ,in my opinion, creates a gross slander on the teaching profession.(this includes students, teachers, other school employees, or anyone else)
There is also a world of difference between -
Said you were gay or a lesbian.
And the actual rape of a choir boy.
The report raises important points about the way offenders, and victims, are treated by the system and the obvious need for change. But solutions are not given and in any case the report is 14 years old so most likely out of date.
Finally there is no mention of paedo activity in the Catholic church or any attempt to form a comparison. No studies seem to have been undertaken on this and,quite frankly, why would there be. Its a question that nobody would ever ask.
I conclude that the comparison has only come from this Christian news site and that it has been made in order to deflect from the very real problems faced by the Church.
In any case it isnt a numbers game. There are problems in schools and there are problems in all organised religions. I just think it is morally wrong to portray the teaching profession as a group of evil paedos.
Here is the link to the actual report. Perhaps I have missed something.
https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/misconductreview/report.pdf