Clergy perceptions of sexual assault victimization.

dc.contributor.advisorStanford, Matthew S.
dc.contributor.authorYuvarajan, Elil.
dc.contributor.departmentPsychology and Neuroscience.en_US
dc.contributor.schoolsBaylor University. Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-09-05T14:31:16Z
dc.date.available2014-09-05T14:31:16Z
dc.date.copyright2014-08
dc.date.issued2014-09-05
dc.description.abstractAlthough congregants often turn to clergy for help in dealing with personal difficulties, including marital problems, substance abuse issues, and mental illness, survivors of sexual assault do not commonly turn to clergy for support or guidance. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach, including an online survey and semi-structured interviews, to look at how clergy perceive sexual assault victimization to discover how those attitudes influence relationships with survivors of sexual assault. The results of the study showed that more blame was assigned to the victim as the relationship with the perpetrator became closer, with the exception of marital rape. The study also found that hostile sexism was a predictor of negative attitudes toward rape victims. Also, religious fundamentalism was not a predictor of negative attitudes toward rape victims. The results of the semi-structured interviews were used to inform the interpretation of the survey results. Clergy reported four main themes that drove their perceptions of sexual assault: the taboo nature of sexual assault, benevolent sexism as a part of church culture, differences in the power hierarchy between clergy and congregants, and the lack of and need for training on working with survivors.en_US
dc.description.degreePsy.D.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2104/9201
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisheren
dc.rightsBaylor University theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact librarywebmaster@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.accessrightsWorldwide access.en_US
dc.rights.accessrightsAccess changed 1/27/17.
dc.subjectSexual assault.en_US
dc.subjectClergy.en_US
dc.subjectChurch.en_US
dc.subjectRape.en_US
dc.subjectSexual assault victim.en_US
dc.titleClergy perceptions of sexual assault victimization.en_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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