Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Spiritual or Religious Neglect

 

Spiritual or religious neglect occurs when spiritual or religious leaders fail to meet the spiritual needs of those in their care resulting in spiritual harm or linked to other types of harm.

Neglect can also occur when a spiritual or religious leader fails to take reasonable action to protect those in their care from harassment and abuse.

Spiritual and religious leaders may actively cause harm when they engage in spiritual or other forms of harassment or abuse. Neglect is a passive stance that may be seen in two ways when there is an established relationship between a spiritual or religious leader and someone who is considered a member, employee, or congregant.

The first type of spiritual neglect occurs when the member experiences spiritual struggles or other concerns that comes to the awareness of the spiritual or religious leader who may then be expected to provide support to the person in need. A responsible leader may offer spiritual services or simply make a referral.

The second type of spiritual neglect occurs when the member experiences harassment or abuse from another person within the spiritual group or religious organization and the leader fails to take action to protect the person who has been harassed or abused. Leaders are generally responsible to investigate allegations of harassment and abuse and ensure that their sacred space is safe for all who attend and work in that space.

Spiritual or religious leaders may include board members of religious organizations, clergy, administrators of religious schools, and so forth. Spiritual leaders may function as spiritual advisors or directors. In some cases, the leaders are in roles providing pastoral care and counseling.

Examples of spiritual neglect include failure to meet reasonable expectations to:

Identify and respond to people experiencing distress related to their spirituality

Identify and respond to people requesting support in dealing with a variety of stressful life events such as financial struggles, mental health concerns, and the loss of a loved one.

Take action to protect a person from harassment or abuse occurring within their organization

Take action to report abuse to appropriate authorities

Screen volunteers and employees for a history of behavior indicating a risk of harm


Reasonable Actions

I realize that the term “reasonable actions” is vague; however, each organization ought to clarify the responsibilities of each person in a leadership position. In some cases, laws may dictate what a professional is supposed to do such as reporting child abuse or neglect or calling 911 when someone is at risk to harm someone else or themselves.

What is “reasonable” also depends on the skills of the particular leader. Some clergy have counseling skills and counseling congregants is a part of their responsibility. Surely most clergy are responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of their congregants. Other leaders may be expected to make a call or ask a supervisor for assistance in meeting someone’s needs.

A key word in neglect is failure—the failure to take responsible action.

 

Related concepts

Spiritual or religious harassment

Spiritual and religious abuse

Microaggressions- Definitions, Examples

Microaggressions- Dynamics, Dilemmas

 

Cite this post

Sutton, G. W. (2021, September 22). Spiritual or Religious Neglect. Psychology Concepts and Theories. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2021/09/spiritual-or-religious-neglect.html

Author: Geoffrey W. Sutton is a psychologist who conducts research and writes about topics in the Psychology of Religion.

See his books on AMAZON and Google and other stores.

 

 

 

 

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