Grooming Environment
Grooming Environment – Next: Independence
Not only do predators institute the process of grooming, the entire culture and policies of Jehovah’s Witnesses creates an environment of child grooming.[1]
Throughout their lives, Jehovah’s Witnesses are infantilized. Critical life skills are rejected. Independent thinking and critical thinking are considered to be repugnant – instead, one should rely upon “Mother,” (the Watch Tower Society). (See Independent Thinking and Education)
As seen in A Parallel Society, ALL non-Jehovah’s Witnesses are to be avoided and distrusted. To shelter their children from “worldly” persons, a number of Jehovah’s Witnesses home-school their children. Those attending school need to pray each day to “pass the test” of not fitting in with children from school.
Source: www.jw.org/en/library/music-songs/original-songs/glad-i-passed-the-test/
The self-esteem of members, especially children, is attacked, making such children special targets of predators (See Self-Esteem).
Gaining initial contact with children is easy. Jehovah’s Witness children are often placed into the care of other church members, at the encouragement of the Governing Body. The congregation is to be viewed as a “large family.” [2]
As the membership of Jehovah’s Witnesses is primarily female (approximately two-thirds [3] ), there is not an insignificant number of single mothers. Other church members are encouraged to “take an interest” in such children. [4] Where the mother is a Jehovah’s Witness, and the father is not, their children are considered to be “fatherless boys,” or “spiritual orphans.” Other church members should be alert to pay special interest in such “orphans.” [5] (See Children – Never Without Parents)
The Watch Tower Society states that children are never without their parents. The reality is far different. (See Children – Never Without Parents)
“Many schools now have student counselors who encourage one to pursue higher education after high school, to pursue a career with a future in this system of things. Do not be influenced by them. Do not let them “brainwash” you with the Devil’s propaganda to get ahead, to make something of yourself in this world. This world has very little time left! Any “future” this world offers is no future!”
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1969202?q=Many+schools+now+have+student+counselors&p=par
Consequently, if a Jehovah’s Witness child is abused by another church member, it would be the rare exception that the first contact would be the proper authorities, or any secular authority, or even a student or adult at school. This applies as much to the victim, as it does to any Jehovah’s Witness who has knowledge of the abuse, including the parents of the victim.
Instead, the first contact is to church elders.
Church members, especially children, are conditioned to be obedient and compliant and to completely trust the religion, its elders and other leaders. (See Obedience, see Trust, and see Elders)
The church policy of ostracizing increases risky sexual behaviour. [11]
Once an accusation of abuse has been made to an elder(s), the process as described in Ecclesiastical Court is started. The predator is termed “the accused.” The accused is told of the accusation. If he denies the accusation, then the victim must present a second witness to the attack – needless to say, an extremely remote likelihood.
Source: CBC’s The Fifth Estate
Source:www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/StudioMonthlyPrograms/pub-jwb_201711_1_VIDEO
Until the Governing Body very recently changed this policy, the victim was forced to state their version of the attack in front of the attacker, and the victim was forced to respond to questioning by the attacker. (Cases)
In addition to such additional trauma, victims have had to apologize to the attacker for having made an unprovable accusation. (Cases)
Other victims have themselves been “disfellowshipped” for having been participants in sexual activity.
(The official policy on rape has never been “updated.” See: Being Raped )
“When Petitioner Ria Williams was 15 years old, four adult male Elders in
her Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation—each a Respondent here—played an audio
recording of Ria being raped in an effort to extract from her a confession that she
had sex outside of marriage. Upon hearing the recording, Ria cried, physically
trembled, and pleaded with the Elders to stop forcing her to relive the scarring
experience. They did not stop. Instead, they continued to play the recording, on
and off, for hours. Predictably, Ria suffered humiliation, anxiety, nightmares, loss
of appetite, and poor performance in school.”
( Dismissal of suit – http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2019/03/court-dismisses-suit-challenging.html )
Even if the attacker confesses, the attacker can plead that he is repentant, and receive a “reproof” from the elders. (Link)
Even if the attacker is disfellowshipped, he can be quickly reinstated. (Cases)
In any event, the authorities are seldom contacted, and elders staunchly refuse to cooperate with any investigation by the authorities. (Cases)
Some victim survivors have gone public, or have filed compensatory lawsuits against the Watch Tower Society. This has resulted in what has become known as ‘victim-shaming.’
Other techniques are used to silence whistleblowers. (See Silencing)
Such potential consequences for victims, the lack of consequences for the predator, and the environment for grooming, have led many to describe the Jehovah’s Witness culture as a “pedophile paradise.”
As a result, the per capita ratio of CSA among Jehovah’s Witnesses is not insignificant. (See The Numbers).
Next: Independence
See: https://victimsofcrime.org/media/reporting-on-child-sexual-abuse/grooming-dynamic-of-csa ↑
Kingdom Ministry, April 1975, page 3 – “God’s people are like a large family. We all take an interest in others, including young ones. Parents may appreciate help in caring for children during the meetings and assistance in the field service.” ↑
https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-tradition/jehovahs-witness/gender-composition/ ↑
The Watchtower magazine, June 15, 2003, page 21 – “Older brothers and sisters should take an interest in the young ones in the congregation.” ↑
Kingdom Ministry, April 1975, page 3 – “Especially when the father is not in the truth should we be alert to help young ones.” ↑
The Watchtower magazine, June 15, 2014, page 3 – “When a young Witness does well in school, a guidance counselor, a teacher, or a fellow student may pressure the Witness to pursue higher education as a step toward success in this system of things. Or a young brother or sister who has athletic ability may find that recruiters try to entice him or her into a sports career.” ↑
The Watchtower magazine, June 15, 2012, page 23 – “No doubt, school counselors sincerely believe that it is in your best interests to pursue higher education and to plan for a secular career. Yet, their confidence lies in a social and financial system that has no lasting future. On the other hand, by pursuing a theocratic career, you will be pursuing truly worthwhile and lasting goals.” ↑
The Watchtower magazine, April 15, 2008, page 14 – “Young ones receive advice from all kinds of people—including school guidance counselors, who usually think purely in terms of success in the secular world. Please weigh all such advice prayerfully in the light of God’s Word and the spiritual food provided by the faithful and discreet slave class. From your study of the Bible, you know that the young and inexperienced are a prime target of Satan.” ↑
The Watchtower magazine, August 15, 1986, page 30 – “Why is it unwise for a child to set his own goals in life?
Children’s experience is too limited for them to set their own goals in life. If parents do not help them to set such goals, someone else will—perhaps children at school or the school counselor.” ↑
The Watchtower magazine, March 15, 1969, page 171 – “The influence and spirit of this world is to get ahead, to make a name for oneself. Many schools now have student counselors who encourage one to pursue higher education after high school, to pursue a career with a future in this system of things. Do not be influenced by them. Do not let them “brainwash” you with the Devil’s propaganda to get ahead, to make something of yourself in this world. This world has very little time left! Any “future” this world offers is no future! ↑
“For example, ostracized individuals are attracted to extreme groups (Hales & Williams, 2014), and at-risk adolescents exposed to a brief episode of ostracism indicate a greater preference for socially risky drug and sexual behavior (Stock, Gibbons, Walsh, & Gerrard, 2011).” Ostracism and Public Policy – Kipling D. Williams and Steve A. Nida (2014) ↑