“Sexual Misconduct in The United Methodist Church: US Update” has been published by the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and is available for review. This United States based study was an update to previous studies published in 1990 and in 2005.
With regard to reporting instances of sexual harassment:
- People from the two Southern Jurisdictions are least likely to report (South Central, 43.3%; Southeast, 48.8%)
- Clergy, laity and employees experienced less sexual harassment since 2005
- Seminary students experienced an increase (from 51.3% to 68.4%)
- Most experiences are in public settings (41.9%)
The summary article offers further information on perpetrators, responses to misconduct, and the impact of a supervisor’s response to sexual misconduct complaints. The entire article is available here.