Be Part of the Solution!
The DRI Study of Accused Priests
If an accusation of sexual misconduct has led to your removal from active ministry as a priest in the Catholic Church, then we’re interested in hearing from you! Dr. Lisa Sample and Sarah Steele, from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, are conducting a series of interviews with Catholic priests removed from ministry whose ecclesiastical and/or legal sanctions happened at least one year ago.
Unlike prior studies investigating sexual malfeasance in the priesthood, which have typically relied on existing documents or interviews with church officials, we want to speak to the priests themselves in order to understand their life stories.
People who participate in interviews like this often view their interview experiences as liberating. We ask that you strongly consider participating in this research because you can be part of the solution to this harmful and perplexing crisis in the Catholic Church.
If you decide to participate in this study, your participation is completely confidential and voluntary. As the study is being conducted by independent researchers who are not affiliated with any religious groups, your participation in this study will not affect your standing in the Catholic Church or any other group.
Need more information before you decide?
Perhaps you have some questions or would like more information before you decide to participate in the study. Please feel free to contact the researchers directly:
By email: DullesInstituteSampleStudy@gmail.com. In order to protect your privacy, you may wish to use an email address that does not disclose any identifying information (such as your name or birth date).
OR
By Phone: (402) 619-3777 In order to protect your privacy, please dial *67 before dialing the rest of the number. This will block caller ID from identifying your telephone number.
NOTE: For the sake of your privacy, please do not use your real name in communicating with the researchers. They will expect that you have chosen a pseudonym for the purpose of this research project.
Let’s get started . . .
Enrolling in the study is easy, and you can change your mind at any time. CHOOSE ONE of these four easy ways to enroll in the study:
Use our convenient scheduling program.
Scheduling an interview in advance has the advantage of guaranteeing that you’ll get the time slot you want.
NOTE that our scheduling program requires you to enter an email address so that you can get an appointment confirmation. If you’d prefer not to disclose your usual email address, you may want to create a new email address for this purpose. When asked for your name, please enter a pseudonym—we don’t need to know who you are!
OR
Go directly to our online Interview Room.
The DRI’s online Interview Room allows you to conduct your interview with the level of privacy demanded by HIPAA standards. Whether you choose to interview by video call or just by audio, your session will be encrypted, NO personally identifiable information will be collected, your IP address will not be recorded, and the system will not retain any session details. NOTE that sessions are conducted only during the times listed, and it is possible to communicate with the interviewer via instant messaging once you enter the Interview Room.
OR
Send us an email.
You can write to our research team to let them know you’re interested in participating in the study, and they’ll get back to you to schedule an appointment. If you’ve got some questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Of course, emailing our researchers will require you to use an email address. If you don’t want to disclose your usual email address, or if the address includes identifying information (such as your name and/or birth date), consider creating a new email address just for this purpose. And as always, feel free to use a pseudonym—we don’t need to know who you are!
OR
Give us a call at (402) 619-3777.
If you prefer to reach out by phone, dial *67 before you dial the study’s number. This will block caller ID from identifying your phone number, ensuring your privacy. The researchers will be happy to answer any questions you may have before enrolling you in the study and setting up an interview. If the researcher is occupied with another interview when you call, you’ll hear a detailed message telling you how and when to call back.
Interview online or by phone. You choose!
Prefer to interview by phone?
Interviews are typically done by video conference, since this provides a more personal, comfortable setting and allows both you and the interviewer to read each other’s nonverbal cues. However, if you cannot or prefer not to be interviewed by video conference, you are certainly free to interview by phone.
TO INTERVIEW BY PHONE, start by dialing *67 to block your number, and then call (402) 619-3777. Just tell the researcher who answers that you’re interested in participating in the study. This phone line has been dedicated exclusively for the study, so you won’t need to explain anything further. If you have questions, though, feel free to ask them when you get a researcher on the phone. If you happen to call when the researcher is occupied talking to someone else, there will be a detailed message telling you how and when to call back. To protect your confidentiality, the research team will never have your phone number, so they will never call you; all phone contact will originate on your end.