Researching the lives of Irish Roman Catholic clergy who have sexually abused minors: Collaborative inquiry

Child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has become an international problem of truly global proportions and while much has been written on this topic much remains to be understood. This article describes and discusses the orientation and methodology adopted in undertaking a study of Irish Catholic clergy who had sexually abused minors. Whilst much of the literature on sexually offending clergy comes through third party analysis and interpretations, the study discussed in this article is based on first-person narratives and a collaborative approach to the research process. The study is taken as a point of departure for discussion of a number of ethical considerations when undertaking research with participants who are clients of a therapy service and who are therefore seen as members of a vulnerable group. Some of the complexities involved in conceptualizing men who have abused minors as a vulnerable group are considered. © The Author(s) 2011 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.