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New Document Addresses Sexual Abuse Concerns
CHICAGO, IL (June 6, 2002) - News headlines regarding abuse involving clergy and
youth have become all too commonplace these days, it seems, but the problem
of sexual abuse unfortunately is not new.
The Evangelical Covenant Church and its Department of Christian Formation
has been in the process of creating a document to help congregations deal
with the subject. A free document entitled Making Churches Safer has
been sent to each Covenant congregation in North America. It includes
information about sexual abuse and materials to aid in the process of
screening and training potential volunteer childcare workers. Work on th
is document has been going on for three years, said Steve Burger, Director
of Children and Family Ministries.
"We want to give guidance to churches so that they can provide as safe a
ministry environment as possible for people of all ages," said Doreen L.
Olson, executive minister of the Department of Christian Formation. "By
creating and following careful policies and procedures, the vital
kingdom-building work we're engaged in will be carried out most effectively
and faithfully."
Child abuse is a legal classification for the maltreatment of children,
according to the Making Churches Safer document. Some variations
exist within individual state/provincial laws, but basic definitions
include:
- Physical Abuse - Violent non-accidental contact that results in injury.
- Sexual Abuse - Any form of sexual activity with a child, whether in the
home or any other setting by an adult, adolescent or any minor who is at
least four years older than the victim.
- Emotional Abuse - A pattern of crushing a child's spirit and attacking
his/her self-worth through rejection, threats, terrorizing, isolating or
belittling.
- Neglect - Includes failure by a caregiver to provide for a child's
emotional needs such as love and attention; physical needs such as food,
clothing, shelter and health care; and failing to offer supervision when it
is within his/her power to do so.
Sexual abuse in the religious environment is a longtime problem, although
documentation of sexual abuse has been limited to the past few decades.
However, since the first case of sexual abuse was filed against a church in
1984, hundreds more have been filed, according to recent studies reported
by Church Law and Tax Report. National studies show that 27 percent
of women and 16 percent of men report having been sexually victimized as
children. On average, molesters have more than 60 victims.
A needs assessment checklist and sample policies and forms are part of the
materials sent by the Department of Christian Formation. Information on
recruiting and training volunteers, setting pre-school bathroom policies
and drafting parental consent forms is also included. The Department of
Christian Formation hopes that the materials will provide needed facts to
solidify procedures for childcare care of all types within the church.
This document cannot fully serve each individual congregation due to the
differences in state and provincial laws, Burger noted. He suggests that an
attorney be used to tackle some of the details of individual child abuse
policies. Local law enforcement agencies and insurance agents are also good
sources of information, he said.
"Making Churches Safer is a statement that we value children and
youth and are willing to undergo some extra work and inconvenience to help
ensure their safety," stated Burger, the primary author of the document.
"We've been pushing for this for probably 10 years at the local level. We
want to help local churches develop their own policies and procedures. And
it seems that churches are more receptive to putting policies in place to
protect children and youth.
"This is one of the additional tools that the denomination's Committee on
Sexual Misconduct asked for," Burger continued. "We've already distributed
a pamphlet on this topic a few months ago and we are in the process of
revising a document called Responding to Sexual Misconduct in the
Church that was finished in 1996 and is part of the current Making
Churches Safer packet. I wish none of us had to do this, but this is
the reality of the world and it is advisable to do this to protect the
smallest of God's children."
Those interested in more information or desiring to address specific
questions should contact Burger by telephone at 773-583-0220 or by email at
steve.burger@covchurch.org. Additional
copies of the document are $8.00 each and can be ordered through Covenant
Resource Center by calling 800-338-4332.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
