So, is this really the reason why home Cong. Book Studies ended?
by Gayle 11 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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OnTheWayOut
They had so many reasons for ending the home book studies, but money is at the head of the list of any reasons for any decisions.
Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if this case and others like it made WTS lawyers feel that the organization would have to shell out millions for creating the situation that led to such incidents.
Good catch.
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blondie
But then we are assuming that children are not molested at the KH or that sex offenders don't make contact with children at the KH and then groom them for later molesting.
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quietlyleaving
elders simply don't believe that children are molested at the KH (at least round here they don't). They are adamant about this. But they do admit the possibiltiy of children being molested at book studies. I wonder if this is because more brazen and more frequent molestation has taken place at bookstudies?
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blondie
I guess I wasn't clear, the sex offender can still make contact with children at the KH but not molest them at the KH but make them receptive to being molested elsewhere, at their home when he and his wife have the family over for dinner, or perhaps the family has the sex offender and this wife to their house for dinner, perhaps in the car when others are on return visits and they are alone with the child, etc.
The other point is that 60% of children are molested by family members...ending the book studies at home would not help that.
My husband (an elder and book study conductor and substituted for conductors) said that it was getting harder and harder to find enough elders to conduct and homes to have them in. Now only one conductor is needed each week and they can rotate them.
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quietlyleaving
yes blondie I understand. I certainly do not want to give the impression that child molestation happens a lot amongst Jehovahs witnesses. Regarding your point that family members are ususally the perpertrators. I most definitely agree.
But on the other hand what is it about the family situation that gives rise to this? Aren't aspects of it to do with the fact of closeness, accessibility and power. Could the familylike closeness, accessibilty and power structure that Jehovahs witesses aspire to and achieve contribute to the development of of child abuse amongst them in the same that it does in a literal family?
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snowbird
{Could the familylike closeness, accessibilty and power structure that Jehovahs witesses aspire to and achieve contribute to the development of of child abuse amongst them in the same that it does in a literal family?}
I would say most definitely.
Down here, that is the greatest lament heard against JW's - they are trying to take our children away from us!
Sylvia
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blondie
It starts with the sex offender internally...nothing really external causes it; accessibility does not create a sex offender just gives them an easier target, makes sense that your own children are most accessible. jws are not more likely to be a sex offender; but the climate of secrecy in the WTS organization makes it more likely that little will be done by those in the organization. There are sex offenders in many organizations with a reputation to protect.
It might be good to read up on sex offenders in general and the organizations they seek out. If you never stepped into a KH or a jw home or any other jw venue, your child would not be safe. There are many, many more offenders outside the WTS and it is not the WTS religous teaching that creates a sex offender. Child abuse is a wide ranging situation in which the WTS plays a small part because it is a small group.
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minimus
ANY setting will be used by a sexual predator. I doubt molestations were the major factor in making the switch.
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The Almighty Homer
I with Minimus , I doubt that was the reason since its highly unlikely that a sexual predator would do anything
at a book study with people around, likewise at a kingdom hall .
Most of these sexual attacks occur away from these places, this is where predators cover themselves with a
white sheet of righteousness and smile. Maybe the thought was for this reason as one and perhaps they
wanted to closely scrutinize people and hear what their talking about and what they are doing, they seem to be much more
concerned about closely watching the flock these days and it might be a case of looking out for apostates.