More than a quarter of Christian women have experienced sexual harassment and of those, one fourth said it happened in a church or ministry setting, a new study shows.
Self-described "active Christian women" who were surveyed last fall reported personally encountering sexually inappropriate behavior mainly in a non-ministry setting, but up to 25 percent of the employed women said they experienced such behavior in a ministry setting.
NationalChristianPoll.com surveyed the women on such inappropriate behavior as sexual advances, touching or sexual contact, suggestive jokes, glances with sexual overtones and demeaning comments.
The survey noted that under the technical, legal definition of sexual harassment, these behaviors need to occur in an employment setting and they must create either a hostile work environment for the individual enduring the behavior or a situation where a person feels their job is contingent upon continuing to endure the mistreatment. Outside the work environment, inappropriate behavior is referred to as sexual misconduct.
In a ministry setting, 25 percent of the surveyed women said they personally experienced gender discrimination; 19 percent reported demeaning comments; 18 percent reported suggestive jokes; 16 percent said they experienced glances with sexual overtones; 15 percent reported touching or sexual contact; and 14 percent said they experienced a hostile environment.
Such behaviors as suggestive jokes should not be taken lightly, one minister says.
"There is a lot of inappropriate 'conversation' being tolerated by women so as not to antagonize men in their workplaces," said Joy Thornburg Melton, an ordained minister and attorney who currently serves in the United Methodist Church as chief resource officer for PACT (United Methodist Property and Casualty Trust), according to Christianity Today magazine.
Of those who have personally experienced sexual harassment, 50 percent said they avoided the perpetrator, 45 percent ignored it, 38 percent shrugged it off, and 31 percent prayed.
Nearly half said they didn't report it because they didn't want to cause controversy. Others didn't report the inappropriate behavior because of embarrassment (39 percent), they were not sure of the consequences (34 percent), they were not sure they'd be believed (26 percent), and of fear of being told they can't take a joke or to loosen up (25 percent).
Still, many did take action. Survey results showed that 30 percent confronted the perpetrator, 28 percent reported it to their supervisor, and 21 percent quit their job or position.
Only 1 percent took legal action.
Churches and ministries are advised to adopt a written policy regarding sexual harassment or misconduct.
"We train our bishops and district superintendents and local pastors in what to do when somebody brings a complaint of this nature - how it is to be processed and handled. We want to be able to deal with it openly, honestly, and expeditiously," Melton said, as reported by Christianity Today.
However, only half of survey respondents said their employers, either in churches or in the secular world, have established policies and 34 percent said they aren't sure what their employers are doing to reduce the occurrence of harassment or sexual misconduct.
"The church needs to realize that it is composed of imperfect individuals," said Frank Sommerville, an attorney, according to the magazine. "As a result, it needs to be proactive in preventing harassment by training its leaders on the subject. It also needs to train its employees and volunteers to treat each person with dignity and respect."
Of the 669 survey respondents, 172 women worked outside the home at the time of the survey or worked outside the home in the last three years and responded that they were harassed by a co-worker or peer, boss or supervisor, customer/client/supplier, or a superior.
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This is not surprising news. The world is full of imperfect people. The church has it's fair share. Everyone struggles with sin. Maybe there needs to be more more programs that involve accountability partners. Just because a person is saved doesn't mean they never sin or mess up.
This is no surprise! The love of money and shallow Leaders who hide behind politics today are not the spiritual leaders the Church once knew!
This is nothing new. Just more of it is being exposed. You can't always hide sin under the rug. It will eventually sneak out.
Believer,
I read it to say that 25% of women are sexually harassed at work. Of those, 25% are harasses in a ministry setting. So, 1/4 of all women who suffer sexual harassment do so in a ministry setting.
blacksho, agreed and in fact one is way too many!
"More than a quarter of Christian women have experienced sexual harassment and of those, one fourth said it happened in a church or ministry setting, a new study shows. "
Looks like 1/4 have been harassed, and 1/4 of THOSE were harassed in a ministry setting, so 1/16 have been harassed IN A MINISTRY SETTING!
Way too many.
The Kentucky Baptist Convention along with many if not all state conventions are beginning to challeng churches and ministries to take a serious look at this issue as well as any other types of abuse that could occur in a church or ministry environment. But like wb, I believe that accountability is the key factor in resolving these problems. In the Air Force one of my responsiblities both as a Social Actions Officer and Section Commander was to create work environments that were free of this type of behavior and creat a system that would allow anyone who felt they were being harassed in any way a means to have these allegations addressed without fear of reprisal to them. It's a shame to think we may seriously need to consider doing the same in our churches and ministry centers as well.
Please tell me if I'm reading this right, 25% of Christian women who are sexually harassed are harassed in a church or ministry setting, 75% of Christian women who are sexually harassed are harassed in a place other than a church or ministry setting. Is that correct?
The issue with sexual impropriety in the church is much larger than what people suspect. I believe that if we more openly addressed these issues instead of burying/ignoring them, we could see some massive healing. Only when we can be open and honest with each other can we really address the issues that affect our lives.
wow. This is what happens when people in the church do not love God first and are not well discipled and not kept accountable.
That is unbelievable news. Wow, what is happening out there? And to think that some of this is going on in ministry settings. If church can't be a place of holiness and refuge from worldly behaviors, then where ought we to go? I'm saddened.
The problem with some people that when they have authority over other people, they misuse it and they
keep their Christian life for Sunday service. While I
was attending a seminary 38 years back, I felt terrible
by the unchristian attitude of some people in authority;
both in their statements and actions. It is very sad
to say, but very common that many people in authority
take advantage of their positions to exert their power
and authority on their sub-ordinates, especially on
women, and they must be punished without any leniency.
A friend of mine worked for a Christian company (not sure if it was a ministry or not). Her 'Christian' boss threatened to fire her if she did not sleep with him. When she did not she lost her job. She did not sue using the verse that says that why can't we settle trivial matters amongst ourselves. I humbly feel she used that inappropriately. Sexual harassment is not a trivial matter. However even with that I would not sue because who would hire her when they find out that she sued her employer????