Part of the problem (regarding the high rate of child sex abuse in religious ministries) is the fundamental notion of youth pastors and youth ministries, in which a given church seeks out adults who are down with the teens but are also willing to engage them with the ulterior motive of selling them faith in the ministry and in their denominational brand of religion.
So there’s already an intrinsic manipulative element to the relationship between a youth pastor and their flock, It becomes really easy for a given relationship that involves emotional intimacy (say engaging with a teen going through common teenage angst and drama) transitioning unintentionally romantic and sexual intimacy. (And then there’s those YPs for whom the intent to smash was there all along.)
Psychologists, Teachers and counselors go though training to recognize the dysfunction of banging their students and clients,¹ how there’s a heirarchical relationship that is nearly impossible to navigate and so it invariably leads to harm. Its why all these fields are held to ethical standards. Youth pastors are held to no standards, and typically are appointed from volunteers. (Note also it’s a standard that is routinely broken by professionals despite their training. News about teachers getting caught doing their students is not uncommon, and one study showed a third of psychotheraposts have affairs with clients. Humans are a pervy, randy species. )
So the whole idea of adults hanging with, befriending and counseling teens in order to steer them to Jesus creates an intrinsically high risk social situation in which youth pastors will prey on their marks. Even if that wasn’t the original intent, of the youth pastor, a small amount of connection and horniness goes a long way. And teens, 20-somethings and young Christians are renowned for the horny.
1 ETA: The high risk of dysfunction and social disaster exists even when all parties are adult and consenting, let alone when one is a teen going through adolescent development. So a youth pastor sexually engaging a teen is crossing two hard ethical lines.
Part of the problem (regarding the high rate of child sex abuse in religious ministries) is the fundamental notion of youth pastors and youth ministries, in which a given church seeks out adults who are down with the teens but are also willing to engage them with the ulterior motive of selling them faith in the ministry and in their denominational brand of religion.
So there’s already an intrinsic manipulative element to the relationship between a youth pastor and their flock, It becomes really easy for a given relationship that involves emotional intimacy (say engaging with a teen going through common teenage angst and drama) transitioning unintentionally romantic and sexual intimacy. (And then there’s those YPs for whom the intent to smash was there all along.)
Psychologists, Teachers and counselors go though training to recognize the dysfunction of banging their students and clients,¹ how there’s a heirarchical relationship that is nearly impossible to navigate and so it invariably leads to harm. Its why all these fields are held to ethical standards. Youth pastors are held to no standards, and typically are appointed from volunteers. (Note also it’s a standard that is routinely broken by professionals despite their training. News about teachers getting caught doing their students is not uncommon, and one study showed a third of psychotheraposts have affairs with clients. Humans are a pervy, randy species. )
So the whole idea of adults hanging with, befriending and counseling teens in order to steer them to Jesus creates an intrinsically high risk social situation in which youth pastors will prey on their marks. Even if that wasn’t the original intent, of the youth pastor, a small amount of connection and horniness goes a long way. And teens, 20-somethings and young Christians are renowned for the horny.
1 ETA: The high risk of dysfunction and social disaster exists even when all parties are adult and consenting, let alone when one is a teen going through adolescent development. So a youth pastor sexually engaging a teen is crossing two hard ethical lines.