els, 2002).
Loftus (1990) pointed out that sexual abuse among the clergy must be viewed within the context of the society. Hypocrisy in sexual matters is found in many areas and it is unclear what the causes are. It is not clear whether sexual abuse is due to loneliness, celibacy, an absence of women in authority, sexual repression, isolation, or increased numbers of homosexuals in the ministry. In any case "the church does not exist in a vacuum" (p. 427) and sexual misconduct in society is increased in awareness at all levels. The empirical study of sexual dysfunctions has not reached adequate conclusions regarding etiology and treatment and the distinction between normal and pathological behavior is not always clear. However it is clear that sexual behavior that harms the victim is abnormal and illegal. Thus the problem is that research has reported the existence of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and a study was needed to analyze issue
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