Catholic Priests and Sex: The Research

To listen to the first part of the show with the Karen Terry interview as recorded, click on: .

To listen to the second part of the show with the Bill Andriette interview, click on: . NEW 6/23/11: Transcript of that interview here: Transcript.

The issue of sex with altar boy (and girls) by Catholic priests has saturated the media, but what does the research tell us? On the next edition of KUCI's Subversity program, airing this evening at 5 p.m., we talk with UCI alumna and criminologist Karen Terry about the 143-page report that her research team at John Jay College just submitted to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Her key finding in The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors
by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010: Only 5% of the priests were "pedophiles" (sex with pre-pubescents), with the majority of the cases relating to sex with pubescent or adolescent boys.

We also discuss the report with former Guide features editor Bill Andriette, who has written on sex panics. [ADDED: He critiques the report for its ignoring research on youths who did not regard sexual relationships with priests as "abuse."]

Andriette has been a frequent guest on Subversity.

The show airs today 23 May 2011 from 5-6 p.m. on KUCI, 88.9 FM in Orange County California, and is simulcast via kuci.org. A podcast will be posted later here.