ForuM Research Network presents Research Findings on Sexualised Violence in Protestant Churches and Social Welfare Organisations in Germany

• Sexualised violence in the Protestant church
• Reappraisal
• ForuM study

The research network "Research on the reappraisal of sexualised violence and other forms of abuse in the Protestant Church and Diaconia in Germany (ForuM)" is presenting the results of its three-year research activities in Hanover today. Since the end of 2020, the interdisciplinary research network ForuM has been investigating structures and conditions that facilitate sexualised violence and abuse of power in the Protestant church and diaconia. Six sub-projects have analysed the experiences of those affected, the institutional conditions of Protestant constellations of violence, the political and cultural context as well as the extent of the assaults and how they have been dealt with to date. "The Protestant church and social welfare organisations are only just beginning to come to terms with sexualised violence," says Prof. Dr. Martin Wazlawik from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover, coordinator of the research network.

Extent of sexualised violence higher than previously known to the public
The study provides clear evidence of a high level of sexualised violence in Protestant churches and diaconal organisations. Based on a structured recording of cases known to the regional churches and diaconal organisations, as well as a review of pastors' disciplinary files, 1,259 accused persons and 2,225 affected persons were identified. The average age of those affected at the time of the first offence was around 11 years. There is knowledge of other cases that could not be recorded in a structured manner due to a lack of information. As an example, the ForuM study also shows that the figures quoted underestimate the extent of sexualised violence in the Protestant church. These figures are therefore only the "tip of the iceberg" and do not represent the full extent of sexualised violence in the Protestant church and diaconia.

The ForuM study clearly shows that sexualised violence in Protestant contexts cannot be reduced to certain local or temporal circumstances, such as former institutional education, the liberal sexuality discourse of the 1970s or the different political frameworks in the Federal Republic and the GDR. Rather, a large number of cases could be proven in almost all programmes and areas of the Protestant church at different times. Assaults, abuse and sexual violence therefore represent a problem and a challenge for the entire Protestant church and diaconal organisation in Germany. They can be found in day care centres, parishes, Protestant youth work, parsonages and parish families, in homes and in colleges.

Far-reaching consequences for those affected and the process of coming to terms with the past
"People who experience sexualised violence in the Protestant church or diaconia report that they are generally left alone by the Protestant church and that their experiences were ignored for a long time or suppressed from social contexts," explains Martin Wazlawik. "Experiencing sexualised violence often has serious health, psychological and social consequences."

The results of the study reveal a number of specific Protestant characteristics that can enable and facilitate sexualised violence and make it more difficult to come to terms with. A diffusion of responsibility in Protestant structures, an excessive desire for harmony, a lack of a culture of conflict and the self-proclamation of progressiveness in the Protestant church have blocked attempts to come to terms with sexualised violence to date. Dealing with sexualised violence in the Protestant church as a problem that affects the church itself is historically delayed, often unsystematic and opaque.

In addition, unclear responsibilities, a frequent lack of boundaries and distance in dealing with each other and an excessive desire for togetherness can be observed. The federal structure of the Protestant church poses a challenge for dealing with sexualised violence. The results of the analysis of previous processes for dealing with sexualised violence make it clear how inadequate the steps taken so far by the Protestant church and diaconia are. Clear rules for dealing with known cases and systematic documentation are still lacking. As a result, the processes of coming to terms with cases appear to lack transparency and procedures for dealing with them are not yet well established.

Prospects for the next steps for Protestant churches and social welfare organisations
The study also provides extensive recommendations for further steps in the area of prevention, intervention and reappraisal in the Protestant Church and Diaconia. Among other things, it recommends the development and binding implementation of professional standards for the entire Protestant church and diaconia, the establishment of an independent ombudsman's office and the anchoring of the topic in the training of all professional groups. Furthermore, reference is made to open questions and the need for further research.

The University of Applied Sciences Potsdam (FHP ) was involved in sub-project B "Organisation and person: systemic conditions and the practice of dealing with (sexualised) violence" under the direction of Prof. Dr. Friederike Lorenz-Sinai (FHP) and Prof. Dr. Fabian Kessl (University of Wuppertal).

You can download the final report and the summary of the results at www.forum-studie.de.

If you have any questions, please contact:
ForuM Research Network(www.forum-studie.de)
c/o Prof. Dr Martin Wazlawik, Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts
presse@hs-hannover.de
0151 12788763

Background information
The research network "ForuM – Research on the processing of sexualised violence and other forms of abuse in the Protestant Church and Diaconia in Germany" offers with its results a first broader approach to researching and analysing aspects of sexualised violence in the Protestant Church and Diaconia in Germany. These can be used as an empirical basis for further steps in the Protestant Church and Diaconia to come to terms with sexualised violence. Research in the context of reappraisal processes can provide knowledge and foundations, but cannot replace further independent steps in the institutional reappraisal, recognition and remembrance of the Protestant Church and Diaconia. The ForuM research network includes researchers from various academic disciplines (social work, history, education, psychology, sociology, forensic psychiatry, sexology, criminology). The research network is coordinated by Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The sub-projects involve people who have experienced sexualised violence in various forms within the Protestant Church and Diaconia. The research network was financially supported by the EKD. The independence of the research was contractually guaranteed.