Clergy sexual misconduct: Frequency and causation

This article reports on a project whose purpose was to explore the cause of clergy sexual misconduct. It was confined to the behaviour of men with adult women. The data show that causation is attributable to six major factors: the human condition, the personal problems of the clergyman, the role of clergyman, the ecclesiastical organization, societal factors and outside factors. The results primarily locate the problem in neediness of the cleric, in ambiguity of boundary that comes with the role, and in the inattentiveness of the organizational structure. The article provides information on frequency of misconduct and there are recommendations for the minimization of such misconduct.