Your church needs a child protection policy

The state of society is a frightening one. Child abuse is a daily occurrence viewed on the evening news. We sympathize with the victims and we pray for their healing. But do we consider the fact that the place where we worship is an at-risk environment for children? As statistics are presented the hard facts are clear. It is necessary in this day and age to develop and follow through on child protection policies in churches.

The initial response to this kind of rhetoric might be,“It could not happen to us.” According to the book, When Child Abuse Comes to Church, by Bill Anderson, one in three girls and one in five boys will experience some form of sexual abuse by the age of eighteen. It could happen in your church. It happens everywhere.

The process is a complicated one. Smaller congregations or older congregations may harbor some resentment. Often people will feel that they are not trusted, and the church has become paranoid. Parishioners may feel they have been a part of the church for many years, and shouldn't be forced to comply with this invasive policy. Individuals may even leave the church when this change is being implemented. It is important to remember that people are resistant to change. The frustration and resentment are part of the process of acceptance. The one point that needs to be stressed is the youth of the church are worth the upheaval and hurt egos that accompany this important transition.

To some extent, a congregation can be eased into this shift. Educating the congregation through videos, discussions, and bulletin inserts is a good way to start. The church insurance provider may be able to provide groups with a video that will explore the importance of a policy. These videos show victims, parents, pastors, and parishioners that have been touched by abuse in the church setting. They send a powerful message to individuals who are opposed to the child protection policy. It is hard to imagine an individual with a heart committed to building a caring, loving church watching one of these films and still feeling opposed to adopting a protection policy. The statistics and emotions surrounding these interviews have incredible impact.

It is important to allow some lead time for the policy. A committee should be formed to explore child protection policies of comparable churches. This committee may choose only other churches of the same denomination, or possibly varied denominations with similar demographics. If the committee can gather copies of working policies it can begin to develop one that will fit their church’s unique needs. As the committee works on this task, it is necessary to keep the congregation informed. Some aspects of the policy may be initiated immediately in anticipation of the new policy. Some examples of policy rules might be:

· There needs to be at least 2 child care workers in the room when children are present.

· Only female child care workers will toilet or change the diapers of an infant or toddler.

(although this sounds sexist, according to statistics this is a necessary rule).

· There will be windows in all youth rooms that will allow people to view the classroom.

· An individual must be with the church for 6 months before they will be allowed to work with children.

· A married couple will not be allowed to be the only child care workers in a room.

· The ratio of children to adults will not exceed 12 to 1.

· Only the known parent or guardian of a child will be able to retrieve the child from a class.

These types of rules will make it difficult for an offender to get a child alone. If a few of these can be put into use at once the church will be a safer place for children, and child care workers will get used to the kind of rules that will be strictly enforced once the policy is in place.

Once the committee has met, deliberated, and developed a policy that will meet the needs of the congregation it is necessary to get support. The administrative board, deacons of the church, pastors, education committee, and any other committee that is willing to offer assistance should be approached. This policy will not likely be met with cheers of approval. The greater the backing, the greater the success of implementing it.

Reports should be given regularly to the membership, so they will be informed and prepared for the change.

No matter how well prepared a church may be for getting the plan into motion, expect glitches and uncomfortable moments for everyone. Protecting children in the church will require background checks. Some churches will ask for finger prints and will run full scale criminal checks, other churches will simply run a driver’s license for current offenses. Whatever the church decides on, this must be done for everyone working with children, no matter how long they have been with the church. If one person is excluded from this process, then the precedent will be set, and others will try to evade this intrusive procedure. It is helpful to remind parishioners that no one wants a child protection policy or the strict guidelines, but unfortunately this is the only way to protect the children, and children are worth it.

As the policy is put to use, make sure an implementation committee is created. It will be this committee’s job to make sure the congregation is informed about the policy. This will include scheduling orientations, conducting interviews, policing the various programs, and reviewing suggested changes in the policy. It may be necessary to amend the document if the congregation feels strongly about specific issues. When the rules are initially put into effect, the policy will be in its experimental stage. The policy makers should be flexible and respond to the request of the congregation. Sometimes a church can become so zealous about protecting children, it can discourage new people from attending altogether. If the committee responds to the concerns of the congregation and prayerfully considers changes, the policy can work.

The importance of this implementation committee cannot be overlooked. If a church has a policy, yet no one polices whether it is being followed, problems will occur. It is known that many sexual predators will patiently wait to have access to children. They may attend a church for a time to determine if there will be opportunities to get a child alone. Policies without people behind them could lure a church into a false sense of safety, and open the door to abuse.

The child protection policy of a church should also include procedures for dealing with abuse should it happen. There are laws that govern reporting child abuse. A doctor, teacher, nurse, counselor, and other professionals that work with children are required to report substantiated accounts of abuse within a specific time period. Your church may choose to have the child protection committee meet and discuss the complaint before reporting to authorities, or they may educate and advise child care workers on the process of reporting to government agencies. A false report could have monumental damaging effects on the body of the church. On the other hand, a church leader that feels that an image of success is more important than the safety of the children could give a perpetrator free license by covering up a scandal. This matter needs to be carefully discussed when setting up the perimeters for reporting and dealing with the aftermath. When Child Abuse Comes to Church is a book that explores how one church deals with this issue and the healing that is necessary in these situations.

It is sad that in a house of faith there are so many safeguards necessary, but as with all human institutions there is corruption and imperfect motives in our places of worship. It is important to preserve the innocence of the children, and respond to problems that may occur. Churches must be aware of societial trends if they are to make a safe, positive, and enduring impression on the people who attend.