This book is a guide for parents, mental health professionals, and community leaders on how to deal with prevention and intervention of sexual abuse in the Jewish community. This work is practical and pragmatic above all else, and deals with the cultural sensitivities and needs of Orthodox communities in dealing with teachers, parents, children, and community leaders to effectively implement prevention efforts in homes, schools, and communities. The book also contains sections describing the impact of abuse in the voices of survivors, a summary of how traditional Jewish law views the responsibility of the community in dealing with sexual abuse, and a section for mental health professionals that details psychotherapeutic approaches in work with victims and perpetrators.

In this book, Anson Shupe investigates clergy misconduct as it has unfolded across five faith-based groups. Looking at episodes of abuse in the Roman Catholic, Mormon, African American Protestant, white Evangelical Protestant, and First Nations communities, Shupe tackles hard questions not only about the sexual abuse of women and children, but also about economic frauds perpetrated by church leaders (including embezzlement, misrepresented missions, and outright theft) and cases of excessively authoritarian control of members’ health, lifestyles, employment, and politics. Drawing on case evidence, Shupe employs classical and modern social exchange theories to explain the institutional dynamics of clergy misconduct, arguing that there is a sort of contract of reciprocity and compliance between congregants and religious leaders, that, when amplified by charismatic awe of religious authorities, can lead to misconduct.