Sexual Abuses Issues in the Church; Raising the Bar
by Gregory Love and Kimberlee Norris
posted 4/04/2008
 2 of 6
"Peer-to-peer" abuse, children abusing other children, has risen dramatically within the past decade. Criminal prosecutors report nearly 300 percent increase in reports of peer-to-peer abuse in the past five years. Children often repeat behavior they have experienced or see, so that even very young children may participate in sexual activity without understanding it. In one large metropolitan congregation, a young boy who had been abused by a family member fondled a young girl on the church playground, while children's ministry staff members sat nearby.
The church needs protection, but few churches are effectively addressing this risk.
Solutions Start with Awareness
Because the problem of sexual abuse is growing, legislative bodies are raising the bar. In Texas, for example, the "Youth Camp Act" became effective June 1, 2006. This Act requires "sexual abuse awareness training" from an approved provider for all camp staff and volunteers, covering specific topics, with an examination over the material. The Act's definition of "youth camp" includes any day camp, defined broadly so as to arguably include every VBS in the state of Texas. Whether or not a church or ministry has a camp licensed by the state of Texas, the requirements laid out in this piece of legislation represent a yardstick measuring "reasonable behavior" for entities participating in activities described by the Act.
Many who survey legislation related to child sexual abuse believe this to be the first wave of a legislative trend, with other states following suit with similar legislation. Because of proactive victim's groups who lobby lawmakers (such as SNAP), state laws will continue to be fluid in creating specific requirements for organizational policies, training, and record keeping. From a legal standpoint, this Act shapes the standard of care for children's activities throughout the state of Texas, and these standards will inevitably influence legislation in other states.
Unlike other personal injury law shaped by tort reform, legal requirements in sexual abuse cases are enlarging legal rights, rather than shrinking them. In most states, lawmakers are increasing statutes of limitation, (the legal time limits within which suit must be filed in civil suits), and many include language allowing lawsuits against organizations for sexual abuse when a victim understands that the damage he or she has suffered is related to the sexual abuse experienced. In other words, suit may be filed a very long time later, with no specific age limit or time cut-off.
What is the church to do?
The single most important step a church can take? Train your people to understand the problem. The creation of safe environments for children's programming requires training. When staff members and volunteers have an awareness of the basic characteristics of a sexual abuser, the process by which an abuser picks and prepares a child for abuse, and key indicators of child sexual abuse, they are better equipped to recognize and prevent abuse in church programs.
| |
|
share this page
