Should Bishops have private interviews with young people?

The catch-all forum for general topics and debates. Minimal moderation. Rated PG to PG-13.
_Xenophon
_Emeritus
Posts: 1823
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2016 7:50 pm

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _Xenophon »

I have a question wrote:
DoubtingThomas wrote:In the US there are about 14,225 Bishops and branch presidents currently serving. I am not sure if 6 cases are enough to convince the church, the members, or the courts.


Regardless of how many cases there have been, how many settled out of court and are unknown, etc. We can safely say it hasn't been enough to convince the church to change. But it should have been.

The good news is you are closer to knowing the line of acceptability. >6 :rolleyes:
"If you consider what are called the virtues in mankind, you will find their growth is assisted by education and cultivation." -Xenophon of Athens
_DoubtingThomas
_Emeritus
Posts: 4551
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:04 am

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _DoubtingThomas »

Xenophon wrote:The good news is you are closer to knowing the line of acceptability. >6 :rolleyes:


Let me highlight so I won't get misrepresented. I wrote

I am not saying Bishop interviews are not a problem, all I am saying is that you need the evidence to convince the church, devout members, or the courts for change.


You don't need to convince me, I agree with the opinion of the experts about the precautions. However, I can't do anything about it. You need to convince the church or the courts with data.


I have a question wrote:This^ would be very simple to implement. So why hasn't the Church done so to prevent against even one more incident?
It's inexplicable.


Present that in court. Write a letter to the First Presidency with that information. Share with your Mormon friends.
Last edited by Guest on Thu Jul 13, 2017 10:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
_I have a question
_Emeritus
Posts: 9749
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 8:01 am

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _I have a question »

DoubtingThomas wrote:Present that in court, perhaps they'll listen. Write a letter to the First Presidency with that information. So far that is the best you have to make a case.


I'm not trying to make a court case, and I won't be writing to any old money grubber in Salt Lake City.
I'm simply drawing people's attention to the fact that the Church is wilfully negligent, and that makes it one of the more attractive institions for pedophile predators.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
_DoubtingThomas
_Emeritus
Posts: 4551
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2016 7:04 am

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _DoubtingThomas »

I have a question wrote:I'm simply drawing people's attention


Sure! also point to the evidence that shows porn reduces rape.
Utah's war on porn is not wise.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/al ... -revisited

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/al ... al-assault
_cinepro
_Emeritus
Posts: 4502
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 10:15 pm

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _cinepro »

I have a question wrote:I'm not trying to make a court case, and I won't be writing to any old money grubber in Salt Lake City.
I'm simply drawing people's attention to the fact that the Church is wilfully negligent, and that makes it one of the more attractive institions for pedophile predators.


I suspect the Church isn't going to change on this because they see the risk a bit differently than you do.

And as a parent, I agree. Obviously, if our Bishop asked if he could take someone else's child on a week-long trip to Disney World, just the two of them, that might raise my eyebrows. But in the normal course of being a Bishop, including interviews, I put the risk to my children close enough to 0 that I'm not spending my time worrying about it.
_I have a question
_Emeritus
Posts: 9749
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 8:01 am

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _I have a question »

cinepro wrote:I suspect the Church isn't going to change on this because they see the risk a bit differently than you do.

That much is obvious. And it will result in further cases of pedophile Bishops grooming vulnerable children.

And as a parent, I agree. Obviously, if our Bishop asked if he could take someone else's child on a week-long trip to Disney World, just the two of them, that might raise my eyebrows. But in the normal course of being a Bishop, including interviews, I put the risk to my children close enough to 0 that I'm not spending my time worrying about it.

Of course you're not, because your children probably aren't "at risk".
What a shame you aren't worried for those kids who are at risk, who are vulnerable.
Last edited by Guest on Fri Jul 14, 2017 1:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
_Ceeboo
_Emeritus
Posts: 7625
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:58 am

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _Ceeboo »

cinepro wrote:
But in the normal course of being a Bishop, including interviews, I put the risk to my children close enough to 0 that I'm not spending my time worrying about it.




Image
_sock puppet
_Emeritus
Posts: 17063
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:52 pm

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _sock puppet »

cinepro wrote:
But in the normal course of being a Bishop, including interviews, I put the risk to my children close enough to 0 that I'm not spending my time worrying about it.

Even if the bishop in a specific instance is not a perv (many are not), the process of subjecting pubescents to probing questions by a middle-aged man into their budding sexuality can only distort normal development and screw them up. But, hey, if that's how your roll..."god" help your children in their efforts to be normal and healthy sexually.
_I have a question
_Emeritus
Posts: 9749
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 8:01 am

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _I have a question »

sock puppet wrote:
cinepro wrote:
But in the normal course of being a Bishop, including interviews, I put the risk to my children close enough to 0 that I'm not spending my time worrying about it.

Even if the bishop in a specific instance is not a perv (many are not), the process of subjecting pubescents to probing questions by a middle-aged man into their budding sexuality can only distort normal development and screw them up. But, hey, if that's how your roll..."god" help your children in their efforts to be normal and healthy sexually.


You're spot on sock.

Even if the Bishop isn't the predator, the one to one interview conditions minors to think that an unrelated adult asking them sexually intrusive questions is acceptable, leaving them more vulnerable to predators. It's wrong on every level and there's no reason for this practice to continue. None.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
_I have a question
_Emeritus
Posts: 9749
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 8:01 am

Re: Should Bishops have private interviews with young people

Post by _I have a question »

An interesting addition to the thread.
The LDS Church has long prided itself on its “Gold Standard” of protecting abuse victims, including a hotline for bishops to call if they find out about abuse. But there is no such system in place for ward members when the bishops themselves are the problem.

Some years ago, the Mormon church began to implement a policy of two-deep leadership (two men in all situations for safety). I’ve also seen peek windows added in Primary rooms. This was good, but not enough. Some parents I know insist that they be on hand for any of the yearly youth bishop interviews (in which young men and women are asked in private about their sexual activities and other things) or that such interviews not happen at all, but I don’t know if this is the best solution.

Can we not make sure that the leadership is two-deep for these interviews also? And that vulnerable young women speak to the Relief Society President instead of the bishop, especially when they are being asked about their sexual behavior?

In my opinion, there should also be limits about what is asked in such interviews. Too many bishops feel it is appropriate to ask detailed questions about sexual practices, not just basic outlines of what sins have occurred. This has to stop. There must be boundaries for the protection of our youth, and these boundaries need to be explicit and understandable for both sides.

http://religionnews.com/2017/07/20/morm ... ual-abuse/

And, shockingly, here is an insight into how local leadership initially dealt with the situation.
A friend who was a member of Hughes’ ward spoke to me about her frustrations when their stake president came to speak about the issue. She had to ask multiple times for a concrete solution to the problem and was only told that the church would “look into it.” She and others in the ward were also instructed that they needed to forgive and simply move on.

This is unacceptable.

And the Church calls this - Gold Standard...

FTR, I have yet to see any evidence that a 'two-deep' policy is in place for any interview.
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
Post Reply