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	There Are No Simple Answers to Why It Happened By Patricia Casey Irish Independent November 28, 2009 http://www.independent.ie/national-news/there-are-no-simple-answers-to-why-it-happened-1957005.html The theories that explain paedophilia do not provide any optimism that it can be prevented The unfolding of the terrible horror of child sexual abuse by clerics in Ireland that has emerged over the past decade raises huge questions. Since the publication of the Murphy report on Thursday, the focus has been on the collusion by Church and State to conceal this truth and protect the guilty. However, a fundamental questions that begs for an answer is why did priests behave as they did? The answer is essential if such scandals are to be avoided in the future and if children are to be truly protected. The obvious angle for many commentators has been to focus on celibacy. Yet the belief that marriage is a cure for paedophilia is flawed and is without foundation. Catholic priests in other countries have not been linked to child abuse to the extent that they have been in the English-speaking Church. Indeed, Spanish, Italian and German Catholics describe bewilderment on hearing of the molestation of children in Ireland, the US and Australia. Indeed, if child abusers were largely celibate then the frequency of child molestation generally should plummet since the setting in which it is currently reported is within the family usually, and those most at risk are children whose mothers are living with partners rather than with the biological father -- in other words, the child is living with a man who has no emotional tie to the child. A recurring theme in much of the scientific literature, as well as from clinical reporting on child abuse, is that there is a cycle of abuse from one generation to the next. Not all studies support this thesis, but many do. A possible explanation is that the rationalisations of the abuser, such as claims that the behaviour is an expression of love are incorporated into the thinking of the victim. The understandable shame of what has happened becomes transmuted in a belief that the actions are an expression of care. Furthermore, many children will never have known true parental love and the only "love" they will have experienced is the sexualised form -- hence their early sexualisation. A further Fiach Kelly of abuse rests with the misuse of alcohol that many abused adolescents resort to in order to deaden the pain and block the memories of the abuse they suffered. Over time, whatever sexual inhibitions they possess are dissolved by alcohol and the brake pads of guilt, shame and restraint are no longer operational. But it is vulnerable children who are usually targeted by abusers. Abusers do not relate easily in mature adult relationships and they feel more comfortable in those that do not make demands for reciprocity, trust, responsibility. Instead, they crave power and control and seek out those who are unable to defend themselves against sexual pressures. In this respect, personality, immaturity and flawed sexual development are found in all child abusers, clerical or lay. However, priests were in a unique position of trust within society and so had ready access to children. Whether they were attracted to the priesthood for that reason is unknown but, in my opinion, this is unlikely. After all, there were other methods by which they could gain access to children without having to survive the rigours of seminary life, the years of study and the loneliness of the priest's life. It is possible that some entered the priesthood not because they wanted to, but because society and their parents expected them to. Their religious vocation was externally rather than internally driven and they lacked the personal maturity to make independent choices. Coupled with inadequate preparation for a life in the priesthood that involved loneliness and, among other things, celibacy, they decompensated into the sexual abuse of children. In their personalities they were weak but the abuse of children conferred a vicarious sense of power. There is no single, magic bullet to explain the cause of paedophilia and seeking such will only yield fool's gold. And the theories that explain it do not provide any optimism that it can be prevented. Above all, we must not accept claims it can be cured -- only tragedy will follow as the Murphy report shows.
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