The Silence - Abusers in Organizational Settings (Clip 1)

Overarching Question: How does someone who’s committed crimes of a sexual nature ensure the silence of both their community and organization in order to maintain their position of authority?

Summary: For Canadians, the importance placed on religion is constantly shifting. While in 2000, some 70% of Canadians felt religious affiliation and beliefs to be important to their lives, just 49% reported feeling this way in 2017 (CROP, 2020; Statistics Canada, 2020). Historically, religious orders have played a key role in social institutions like education and health care. In some Canadian communities, religious leaders (priests, pastors, etc.) wielded a great deal of influence over the choices, decisions and behaviour of their parishioners. Over the years, though, their influence on day-to-day life has dwindled, as the above statistics suggest. Today, the decisions we make each day are apt to be influenced by non-religious entities—teachers, schools, coaches, sports clubs, influencers, even brands.