Survey Says Pastors' Sexual Misconduct 'Prevalent'

Approximately one in 10 people have attended a church in which a congregational leader was involved in sexual misconduct. That's the latest finding from a Baylor University study that includes more than 3,500 survey respondents from multiple denominations and faiths across the US.

Equally as disconcerting is what researchers discovered regarding victims of such misconduct: one in 33 women has been the target of sexual advances from a pastor, priest or rabbi.

"It certainly is prevalent, and clearly the problem is more than simply a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers," said the study's co-author Diana Garland, who serves as dean of Baylor's School of Social Work.

"When you put it with a spiritual leader or moral leader, you've really added a power that we typically don't think about in secular society — which is that this person speaks for God and interprets God for people. And that really adds a power."