Shattering the Illusion is the first book to gather and comparatively analyze policies addressing child sexual abuse complaints in a selection of religious institutions in Canada. Although there is a substantial body of literature regarding Christianity and sexual abuse, very little of it focuses on religious institutions in Canada and their respective policies.
In the foreword, Tracey J. Trothen summarizes the Cornwall Inquiry, out of which this book arose. She then examines the Roman Catholic Church, The United Church of Canada, the Anglican Church, the Mennonite Church, Islam, and the Canadian Unitarian Council/Unitarian Universalist Association, describing in detail the evolution and particular content of policies and procedures that address child sexual abuse complaints directed at paid and volunteer faith community representatives and/ or leaders. She identifies differences and common themes among the approaches taken by the institutions and provides a summary table for an accessible comparative overview.
Child sexual abuse is not new, but the emergence of policies to address abuse complaints within religious institutions is. This book identifies significant and shared causal factors behind the emergence of policy and reviews their content carefully. This review will serve as a significant tool for furthering the development of such policies.
| Acknowledgements | p. vii |
| Introduction | p. ix |
| Child Sexual Abuse in Religious Institutions | p. 1 |
| Research Method | p. 2 |
| Overview of the Chapters | p. 4 |
| The Roman Catholic Church in Canada | p. 11 |
| Church Structure and Description of the Context | p. 11 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1960-80 | p. 14 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1981-91 | p. 17 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1992-2009 | p. 25 |
| Chapter Summary | p. 40 |
| The United Church of Canada | p. 43 |
| Church Structure and Description of the Context | p. 43 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1960-80 | p. 45 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1981-91 | p. 46 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1992-2009 | p. 51 |
| Chapter Summary | p. 71 |
| The Anglican Church in Canada | p. 73 |
| Church Structure and Description of the Context | p. 73 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1960-80 | p. 76 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1981-91 | p. 78 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1992-2009 | p. 82 |
| Complaints of Child Sexual Abuse and Complaints by Adults of Historical Childhood Sexual Abuse | p. 85 |
| Chapter Summary | p. 98 |
| The Mennonite Church in Canada | p. 101 |
| Church Structure and Description of the Context | p. 101 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1960-80 | p. 105 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1981-91 | p. 106 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1992-2009 | p. 108 |
| Chapter Summary | p. 119 |
| Islam in Canada | p. 121 |
| Institutional Structure and Description of the Context | p. 121 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1960-2009 | p. 122 |
| Educational Work | p. 126 |
| Chapter Summary | p. 128 |
| The Canadian Unitarian Council/The Unitarian Universalist Association | p. 129 |
| Church Structure and Description of the Context | p. 129 |
| Approach to Child Sexual Abuse, Including Relevant Statements, Policies, and Practices: 1960-2009 | p. 132 |
| Complaints of Child Sexual Abuse and Complaints by Adults of Historical Childhood Sexual Abuse | p. 132 |
| Chapter Summary | p. 139 |
| Gathering the Pieces | p. 141 |
| Themes and Historical Shifts | p. 141 |
| Relevant Differences between the Identified Religious Institutions | p. 145 |
| Future Directions | p. 148 |
| Summary Table | p. 150 |
| Notes | p. 155 |
| Index | p. 187 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9781554583560
ISBN-10: 155458356X
Series: Editions Sr
Audience:
Professional
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 218
Published: 1st August 2012
Dimensions (cm): 15.5 x 23.0
x 1.5
Weight (kg): 0.388