Clergy Sexual Abuse in Arizona

So many individuals depend on their religious leaders for guidance and comfort. The trust between you and a member of the clergy is considered sacred, and once they betray that trust with unwanted sexual advances it is difficult to recover. There have been many cases in Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale and Phoenix where a member of the clergy has taken advantage of a member of their church. You do not want to be stuck with the emotional damage an incident like this can do to you. An Arizona personal injury attorney can help you receive compensation from the member of clergy who committed this unthinkable crime.

Most victims are not aware of the warning signs that a pastor may commit sexual abuse on them. According to www.thehopeofsurvivors.com, there are many ways you can be more aware that a member of the clergy is a sexual abuser. Some examples of the types of warning signs include:

Warning Signs

• Pastor may be overly friendly with women in his congregation. He might touch them inappropriately.
• Pastor may be controlling and manipulative.
• Pastor may be making inappropriate sexual comments during bible study, or private counseling meetings, even during the sermon.
• Be aware of the pastor's behavior towards women in the church and how women are behaving towards him. If he is flirtatious, or exhibiting questioning gestures, then you may get a sense of how he might not be exhibiting the godly behavior that is expected of him.
• If the pastor is exhibiting behavior such as smoking or drinking, or exhibiting any other questionable behaviors, then you want to consider keeping your distance.

While these warning signs are important to keep in consideration, they by no means can predict with complete certainty when a clergy member is going to sexually assault you. An Arizona personal injury attorney can always handle these types of cases with sensitivity and with knowledge on the subject.
A pastor should never be in a physical or intimate relationship with one of his followers. The physical and emotional consequences that you or a loved one could face can take a lot of time and sometimes be lifelong problems. Some examples include:

Physical and Emotional Damages

• Fear
• Low-self esteem
• Anxiety
• Shame/guilt
• Eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia)
• Bruising/Scarring
• Detachment/Anti-Social
• PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)
• Damaged spiritual relationship


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