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Sexual Misconduct in Churches
“Whether true or not, the allegations themselves will polarize.” –David Brubaker
When an accusation of sexual misconduct surfaces, major conflict for a church, school, organization or family is inherently part of the picture. David Brubaker, a professor of organizational studies and a consultant who specializes in organizational conflict, along with his father, Merle, speak about their personal experiences with this issue on this week’s Shaping Families program.
The critical question in situations of sexual misconduct or abuse is frequently power struggles in a relationship or institution: who wields it, and who is being coerced by it.
David says, “Those in positions of power in the church have a particular responsibility to exercise that responsibility carefully and wisely. And what I’ve found is that we sometimes downplay and deny that power is a currency in congregations, that power even exists. We might like to believe that we’re all equal but in terms of power within the system we’re not.”
David also speaks briefly to how parents can work to safeguard their children. Listen to the complete program or read the transcript.
Listen - Transcript - Study Guide
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