CCHR Calls for Action After Rise in Therapist Sexual Abuse Cases

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) International is urgently calling on survivors of sexual abuse by mental health professionals to come forward and report their experiences confidentially via an online reporting form. This plea comes amid a disturbing rise in media reports and convictions involving patients sexually abused by psychiatrists, psychologists, and other therapists. CCHR International is also advocating for uniform state laws that impose stronger criminal penalties, mandatory reporting requirements, and full accountability for offenders. The organization, established in 1969, has already helped secure some of the first state laws in California and Colorado criminalizing therapist-patient sexual contact, and today 33 U.S. states and D.C. have similar statutes, with analogous laws in Australia, Germany, Israel, and Sweden.

A study on U.S. laws reveals that only five states have addressed reporting sexual relationships between physicians and patients, with Texas being the only state mandating reporting without patient consent. Another 18 states permit reporting under broader laws, but standards vary widely. A survey of psychiatrists found that over one-third knew of a colleague who had been sexually involved with patients, yet only 8% reported it, despite 56% favoring mandatory reporting. CCHR's public database of criminal and disciplinary actions shows that nearly a third of convictions against mental health personnel involve sexual abuse. Victims are often drugged by the abuser, a factor CCHR says statutes must address. A 2020 report noted that most states do not mandate reporting of sexually exploitative colleagues, and a 2026 BMJ Open review found that 3%–21% of psychiatric inpatients reported abuse by healthcare professionals.

The harm from physician sexual misconduct has been recognized for decades, yet it persists. Surveys from the 1970s and 1980s found about 7% of psychiatrists admitted to misconduct, with many repeat offenders. A 2001 survey found that one in 20 abused clients was a minor. CCHR criticizes the use of soft language like "boundary violation" to describe such abuse, arguing it downplays the crime. The organization documents systemic abuse in for-profit psychiatric hospitals, including 21 incidents in one chain, with two staff convicted to 35 years in prison and two facilities closed. Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, emphasizes that sexual assault by therapists is sexual battery, not a mere boundary violation. CCHR calls for immediate reforms, including felony classification for therapist-patient sexual contact, revocation of licenses for facilities where abuse occurs, and mandatory criminal accountability. The organization urges victims and witnesses to come forward via its CCHR website.