Family & Children
April is Child Abuse Prevention month in the United
States
Is your church a safe place for children?
Click here to learn how to
make your nursery a safer place for children.
About child abuse
There are both short and long term effects of child
abuse. A child or youth who is abused will experience
problems that can last a life time. Abuse can damage a
child spiritually, emotionally, and socially as well as
physically. Children and youth who are abused are often
depressed and feel fearful and guilty. They have difficulty
trusting and suffer from low self-esteem. They have difficulty
sleeping, experience eating disorders and often complain
of abdominal pain. If they are sexually abused there can
be genital injury, STDs, and urinary infections. Many
abused children find it hard to get along with others.
They can be excessively aggressive or withdrawn. They
have difficulty concentrating, are anxious and often irritable.
The facts about abusers:
- 80 percent of the time, abusers are people known to
victims.
- Offenders are usually between the ages of 20-30 years.
- 20 percent of sex offenders begin their activity before
the age of 18.
- Abusers are often married and have children of their
own.
- Abusers look for situations that allow them to be
in pivotal positions that give them easy access to children
and youth.
Is your church an ideal setting for child abuse to take
place?
Does your church want to be a trusting and unsuspecting
institution so that you tend not to notice or ask questions
about suspect behaviors?
Does your church have a pressing need for staff and volunteers
to work with programs for children and youth?
Does your church not screen the people who are recruited
to work with the children and youth?
Does your church have a Abuse Prevention Policy that is
not followed?
Or do you not have a policy at all? Read on to find out
what your church can do to prevent abuse ...
The Church takes steps to prevent abuse!
Abuse Prevention Information
Below is an outline to get your church started on developing
a Child Protection Policy. If you need hard copies of
downloadable materials, contact Connie
Metts at (888) 346-2631. A donation of $5 is requested
to cover cost of copying and mailing.
These materials provide comprehensive information about
abuse prevention education and protection policy development.
However, your church’s policy needs to be tailored
to the programs and needs of your congregation. If you
have questions or need additional information, contact
Kaye Edwards,
(434) 832-1119.
Policy Development
Form a Task Force.
A lawyer, social worker and/or school administrator, someone
with firsthand information about your state or province's
child protection laws and recommendations, should be invited
to be part of your task force. Also consider including
a church elder, a youth, a parent, and a child or youth
worker.
This task force will not only spearhead many of the activities
outlined below but could serve as an ongoing advocacy
group for the prevention of abuse in your church.
Research your state’s requirements related to child
abuse prevention and check with your church’s insurance
agent.
Evaluate your building.
How "child friendly" is your church? Is your
church building a warm welcoming place where children
feel safe? Are children respected and valued by your church
community and does your building reflect that respect
and value? Are there restrooms in or near the nursery
and close to classrooms for the youngest children? Are
closets and storage rooms locked? Do all classroom doors
have windows with unobstructed views of the classrooms?
Raise awareness and educate your congregation.
- Ask your minister to make the effects of abuse, and
the church's role in protecting children and other vulnerable
persons, a topic for sermons.
- Do a series of articles on abuse awareness, prevention
and reporting for your church newsletter.
- Devote a bulletin board to issues related to the church's
role in protecting children, youth, the elderly, and
other vulnerable persons.
- Host a community seminar.
- Hold parent education programs.
- Purchase books and videos about abuse prevention for
your church library.
- Produce or purchase flyers and brochures about local
resources and have them available in high traffic areas
of your church.
- Double your efforts during April which is Child Abuse
Prevention Month in the United States and during October
which is Promote Violence Abuse Prevention Month.
- Do a written "Proclamation of Child Abuse Prevention
Month".
- Teach prevention skills to people of all ages. Make
especially sure that children and youth know how to
avoid potentially abusive situations and how to recognize
and report abuse.
Develop and implement policies and
procedures to protect children and youth and other vulnerable
persons.
Policies and procedures need to cover all programs that
serve minors in your church building and through the programs
of your church. This includes nurseries, church school
classes, children's church, youth group meetings, outings
and trips, choirs, daycare centers, tutoring programs,
after school and parents' time-out programs, counseling
sessions, etc.
Policies and procedures need to include:
- A statement about the importance of and need for the
policy;
- Permission forms;
- Information about abuse, including word definitions
and how to report incidents of abuse;
- Job descriptions for children and youth program workers;
- Guidelines for those working with children and youth;
- A process for screening all workers (paid and volunteer)
which includes:
- Written application;
- Interview;
- Reference check;
- Criminal record check on any persons having unsupervised
access to children & youth.
(It will be very important to decide who will be responsible
for the screening process and how confidentiality will
be maintained.)
Training programs which include:
- How to recognize symptoms and signs of abuse;
- Effects of abuse;
- How to report abuse;
- How to respond to the victim and the perpetrators
of abuse.
Policies need to be adopted and enforced by the official
governing body of the church.
Official policies, if adopted and carefully followed
will, first and foremost, reduce the possibility of a
child being abused in your church. They will serve to
help protect your church staff and volunteers against
being falsely accused of abuse. They will demonstrate
your church's commitment to protecting the children and
youth entrusted to your care. It should also be noted
that a comprehensive child abuse prevention program, that
is actively followed at all times, can also reduce your
church's liability in the event that an allegation of
abuse is made. Please note that having an adopted policy
and failing to follow it may actually increase your church's
liability.
EXAMPLES of Protection Policies, developed by Disciples
Churches, can be E-mailed to you. Send your request to
Kaye Edwards. These policies are not recommended. They
are provided as examples only.
For additional information, contact: Kaye
Edwards, Director of Family and Children's Ministries;
Disciples Home Missions; 130 East Washington St.; Indianapolis,
Ind. 46204; (888) 346-2631, extension 2641 or (434) 832-1119.
Download materials
A single-page downloadable file declaring your community's
support of Child
Abuse Prevention Month has been created as a PDF
file. An Adobe Acrobat Reader is required. Go to the Adobe
Acrobat Reader download site if you don't have an
Acrobat Reader.
Need the free Acrobat reader? Visit the 
