Preregistration Scoping Review: Prevention of Clerical Abuse: The current status and implications for a specialist prevention unit within the Christian faith

The prevalence of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse within the Catholic Church and other religious institutions has been investigated more extensively in the last two decades. Large-scale reports, such as the John Jay College reports (USA) and the MHG study (Germany), have shown that clerical abuse is not an isolated phenomenon, but rooted in systemic vulnerabilities, including power asymmetries, organizational secrecy, and insufficient safeguarding structures. While the extent of the problem is increasingly well understood, significantly less is known about intervention programs aimed at prevention, support, and treatment in this context.The purpose of this scoping literature review is to identify and synthesize existing research on intervention programs targeting abuse (sexual, physical, emotional, child) within clerical and religious contexts. We will include prevention and treatment interventions, considering programs directed at victims, perpetrators, and institutions. The review will follow PRISMA-ScR guidelines, ensuring transparency and methodological validity. Our primary outcome is: To identify, describe, and categorize international prevention and intervention programs addressing clerical (religious) abuse — including sexual, physical, and emotional abuse — within the Christian faith, and to synthesize evidence regarding their effectiveness. The primary outcome will therefore be a comprehensive overview of existing program types, their objectives, theoretical frameworks, and documented outcomes related to preventing, identifying, or responding to abuse in clerical settings.Secondary outcomes will be: - Participant characteristics: Information on the individuals or groups involved (e.g., clergy, religious staff, seminarians, victims/survivors), including demographic, psychosocial, or clinical profiles.- Intervention and feasibility: Theoretical background; setting, resources, duration, adherence, and institutional support- Effectiveness and limitations: statements on effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability in prevention; methodological or contextual shortcomingsWe will conducted a systematic literature search across major academic databases. The search strategy and the protocol are to be found in the appendix.