This article focuses on sex abuse and abuse of power in Catholic schools in the Philippines.

I used a theological approach in my analysis of sex abuse cases in Catholic schools. A critique from an internal perspective seems apt. Here is one theological point: the notoriously unhelpful and inaccurate “few bad apples” explanation for abuse feeds into an unfortunate tendency to trade on cheap grace. One practical recommendation that is not necessarily tied to any theological view is to have structures and policies in place to protect the vulnerable. Structures and policies should be combined with an openness to counter-storytelling by victim-survivors and survivor advocates. Their counter-narratives are necessary for the reform and renewal of the patriarchal culture that perpetuates abuse. This culture is insidious in its tendency to “get ahead” of stories told by critical voices. Reliance on the putative virtue of persons in authority is not enough. Their virtue is beside the point, and should not be used to draw attention away from survivors’ stories. Furthermore, character or virtue is not a sufficient bulwark against misdeeds or catastrophic omissions.

The research described in my paper provides an incisive analysis of what went wrong in schools’ response to sex abuse cases that happened under their watch. The compilation of victim-survivor narratives and documentation on schools’ missteps also contributes to the effort to break the silence about such cases. Most important of all, I provide some suggestions on how schools and communities around them can do better. My suggestions are as follows:

1. Schools must recognize that the twin evils of sex abuse and abuse of power are associated with social structures and organizational culture. Schools need to implement policies that incorporate lessons on grooming, sex in the forbidden zone, and other hard-won lessons from the church’s experience with abuse.

2. Instead of using reputation or track record as a protection against further scrutiny, persons in authority must take on a humble stance. This means allowing their decisions to be regularly examined by a critical audience that enjoys a measure of independence.

3. Community leaders must allow for and engage with counter-narratives, especially from individuals or groups that advocate for victim-survivors and speak about problematic patriarchal tendencies in Filipino Catholic communities.

Author: Jacklyn A. Cleofas (Department of Humanities, University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Read the full paper: https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/6179?fbclid=IwAR3bH6QVtW45ZiHOp9XmwhzZiiszgCN7PypsflLjA58tQpGvyRXoVOruQMY