One in every 33 women who attend worship services regularly has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader, a Baylor University survey has found. The study, by researchers at Baylor University, found that the problem is so pervasive that it almost certainly involves a wide range of denominations and religious traditions and a wide range of spiritual leaders, The Washington Post reports.
"It certainly is prevalent, and clearly the problem is more than simply a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers," said Diana Garland, dean of the School of Social Work at Baylor, who co-authored the study.
The study also found that more than two-thirds of the offenders were married to someone else at the time of the advance.
Baylor used the 2008 General Social Survey, a nationally representative sample of 3,559 respondents, to estimate the prevalence of clergy sexual misconduct. Women over the age of 18 who attended worship services at least once a month were asked whether they had ever received "sexual advances or propositions" from a religious leader.
The study also found that close to one in 10 respondents reported having known about clergy sexual misconduct occurring in a congregation they have attended.
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