August 1 has been designated as Clergy Sexual Abuse Awareness & Prevention DayTM, an event to be celebrated with various activities throughout the month of August. Clergy sexual abuse (also known as misconduct and exploitation) is a prevalent problem in every denomination around the globe. Our goal is to raise awareness of the issue of clergy sexual abuse and its devastating and destructive effects on individual lives, congregations and religion as a whole.
This campaign is necessary because the issue of clergy sexual abuse is little understood by most people. Education and awareness are essential in both prevention and healing.
News reports abound about spiritual leaders having an “affair” with a teen or adult, male or female. The term “abuse” is rarely used in the media, though it needs to be understood and labeled as such.
