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Sexual abuse prevention and intervention services.

No where on earth should a child be safer than the place where God's people come together to worship Him and be taught by His shepherd.  No church leadership  should shrink from the responsibility of protecting the children God has placed in their flock.

At the same time leadership has a duty to those who work with children and youth to establish polices and procedures which will help prevent unfounded accusations from being brought against the workers.

Church leadership also has the responsibility of overseeing church finances; of assuring that the money God's people give to His work is used for that work.  Money spent on fighting or settling an accusation or an actual perpetration of sexual abuse or harassment is money diverted from the work of God.

The increase in the reported incidence of child sexual abuse (see Statistics) over the past several decades has caused an awareness of the need for more protection for children.  The legislature has responded to that need with new and tougher child abuse laws.  Both the church and individual workers within the church are, of course, responsible to comply with those laws.  However, today it is not enough to simply adhere to the letter of the law.  An institution such as the church must initiate preemptive measures to protect itself from both the criminal and civil ramifications of abuse perpetrated by church staff or volunteer workers.

Even if there were no legal pressures, God's mandate to church leadership obligates them to acquire an understanding of this device of the enemy and to make provision for protection for both the people and the institution of the church.

While it is impossible to ensure that abuse will never occur within a church or church program, there are precautions which can be exercised to limit access and opportunity for the abuser while at the same time protecting workers from  unfounded accusations and the church from legal liability. Toward that end, the church/coalition leadership will be assisted in developing a written policy statement calling for specific procedures for handling abuse reported to or about someone in the congregation as well as prevention and intervention policies to be implemented within the church.

First, to ensure that the church is prepared to deal with the situation in a healing and restorative fashion for all parties involved. Second to equip the church to execute its legal responsibility of adhering to the laws surrounding child sexual abuse. Though they vary from state to state, the laws are very explicit; and noncompliance is illegal. It is also important for the church to recognize that in the event abuse should be perpetrated by a staff or lay person, having a policy statement and a program in place to implement those policies will enhance the Church's status in the eyes of the criminal system as well as help protect the Church from civil liability.

In addition to the written policy statement, the program provides for:

• Implementing screening to help bar perpetrators from infiltrating infant, children and teen programs

• Educating staff and volunteers to alert workers to behavior that could be misinterpreted 

• Educating leadership to recognize techniques and tactics utilized by perpetrators

• Securing programs sponsored by the church, whether or not they take place on church property, with strictly enforced policies

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