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Psychology of Restoration Following an Offense
Restoration in this context refers to the process of restoring people who have lost their status or position because of an egregious offense such as sexual harassment, physical or sexual abuse, theft, or some other serious violation of trust.
Following an interpersonal offense, the offended person or group may engage in the process of forgiveness and consider reconciliation; however, in some cases, other parties are involved before offenders are partially or fully restored to their previous status (Sutton & Thomas, 2005).
Depending on the offense and the offender's compliance with a specified restoration plan, the offender may be partially or fully restored to their previous status.
For example, a licensure board may suspend a professional license for a type of offense and require offenders to undergo rehabilitation before their professional status is restored. Concomitantly, the offended persons may or may not forgive the offender and if they had a pre-offense relationship, they may or may not wish to reconcile with the offender. The decision-makers (e.g., board members) may still decide to restore the person who has completed the specified restoration plan regardless of the actions of the persons who were offended.
Research
In research with various colleagues, we examined factors related to the restoration of clergy following a moral failure. We considered factors such as the type of offense, sex, and age of the offender. We also considered the role of an apology. Following are a few key findings regarding restoration.
Experienced clergy were more likely to restore a younger clergyman following an affair than a middle-aged pastor (Sutton & Thomas, 2005).
Study participants rated restoration higher for offending pastors of the opposite sex (Sutton et al., 2007).
Following a pastor's sexual offense, men were more restoring than were women (Thomas et al., 2008).
Following a pastor's affair, restoration was highest during a group discussion and the presence of a self-interest factor (Pop et al., 2009).
Two measures of restoration yielded adequate reliability and validity values (Sutton & Jordan, 2013).
For good reason, ethics and professional boards remove those leaders who have committed a serious offense such as the sexual abuse of those under their supervision or care or, in the case of clergy, the abuse of a congregant. Too many stories reveal the harm done when a predator, despite repentance, has gone on to abuse others when forgiven and relocated to a similar position. Hence, the importance of a careful evaluation of the offender and the development of a restoration plan grounded in accountability with opportunities to rebuild trust.
In the studies referenced below, we also considered the related concept of forgiveness.
Restoration References and Resources
Pop, J. L., Sutton, G.W., & Jones, E.G. (2009). Restoring pastors following a moral failure: The effects of self-interest and group influence, Pastoral Psychology, 57, 275-284.
Sutton, G. W. (2010). The Psychology of Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Restoration: Integrating Traditional and Pentecostal Theological Perspectives with Psychology. In M. Mittelstadt & G. W. Sutton (eds). Forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration: Multidisciplinary studies from a Pentecostal perspective. Pickwick Publications.
Sutton, G. W. & Jordan, K. (2013). Evaluating attitudes toward clergy restoration: The psychometric properties of two scales. Pastoral Psychology. doi 10.1007/s11089-013-0527-7 Published online 16 March 2013.
Sutton, G. W., McLeland, K. C., Weaks, K. Cogswell, P. E., & Miphouvieng, R. N. (2007). Does gender matter? An exploration of gender, spirituality, forgiveness and restoration following pastor transgressions. Pastoral Psychology. 55, 645-663. doi 10.1007/s11089-007-0072-3
Sutton, G.W., & Thomas, E. K. (2005). Can derailed pastors be restored? Effects of offense and age on restoration. Pastoral Psychology, 53, 583-599.
Sutton, G. W., & Thomas, E. K. (2009). Following derailed clergy: A message of healing for a shocked congregation. Enrichment Journal
Sutton, G. W., & Thomas, E. K. (2005). Restoring Christian leaders: How conceptualizations of forgiveness and restoration can influence practice and research. American Journal of Pastoral Counseling, 8, 29-44.
Thomas, E. K., & Sutton, G.W. (2008). Religious leadership failure: Forgiveness, apology, and restitution. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 10, 308-327.
Thomas, E. K., White, K., & Sutton, G.W. (2008). Religious leadership failure: Apology, responsibility-taking, gender, forgiveness, and restoration. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 27, 16-29.
Post Author
Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. His website is https://suttong.com
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