Felony charges In most states , failure to report is deemed a misdemeanor offense , while other legislatures have elevated criminal penalties to felony status ( Florida ). In Texas , as an example , Failure to Report with Intent to Conceal Abuse or Neglect is a felony charge ; not covered by insurance . Other states have modified reporting laws to elevate criminal penalties for failure to report — particularly when the failure has occurred repeatedly .
Failure to notify insurance carrier Most insurance policies require the insured to notify the insurance carrier when a circumstance arises that could give rise to a claim . This requirement is often overlooked by ministries , thereby jeopardizing insurance coverage . Insurance carriers expect to be notified before a fully formed crisis develops , in order to have an opportunity to mitigate damages , if possible . In many cases , insurance companies provide funds for counseling care , initial ministry response , and access to public relations services , before any claim is filed . In the Christian school scenarios referenced above , poor decisions made by school leaders quickly escalated into a fullblown crisis — creating the very circumstance an insurance carrier would want to avoid . Contractually , the insurance carriers in the scenarios described above may move to void coverage , given the school ' s contractual breach through the failures to timely notify the carrier .
END RESULT : CRISIS Where child sexual abuse is concerned , an organization-centric approach yields explosive failures and might result in criminal penalties . Rather than protecting the reputation , brand or public image of the ministry , an organization-centric approach nearly guarantees an opposite outcome .
CALL TO ACTION Reporting to authorities — ALONE — is not the answer . Ministries must understand the difference between an organization-centric response and a victim-centric response . Mission statements in thousands of child-serving ministries reference a firm commitment to the enrichment and well-being of children and youth . A key ministry purpose is to serve children . In actual practice , an organization-centric response puts brand over people , and can significantly re-victimize an abuse survivor .
Where to start ? We can ’ t reduce a risk we don ’ t understand . The single most important step a ministry can take to reduce the risk of sexual abuse is training staff members and volunteers to understand the problem . When staff members have an awareness of the basic characteristics of a sexual abuser , the process by which an abuser picks and prepares a child for abuse ( grooming ), and key indicators of child sexual abuse , they are better equipped to recognize and prevent abuse in ministry programs . ( Learn more about MinistrySafe training at www . MinistrySafe . com .) Before a crisis occurs , ministries must create a victim-centric response plan that prioritizes people over brand or reputation . By doing so , the health and well-being of children is prioritized , consistent with every ministry ’ s mission .
Kimberlee Norris and Gregory Love are partners in the Fort Worth , Texas law firm of Love & Norris [ www . lovenorris . com ] and founders of MinistrySafe [ www . ministrysafe . com ], providing child sexual abuse expertise to ministries worldwide . After representing victims of child sexual abuse for more than two decades , Love and Norris saw recurring , predictable patterns in predatory behavior . MinistrySafe grew out of their desire to place proactive tools into the hands of ministry professionals . Love and Norris teach the only graduate-level course on Preventing Sexual Abuse in Ministry Contexts as Visiting Faculty at Dallas Theological Seminary .
L E S S O N S F R O M T H E D I T C H
How does YOUR ministry protect children from sexual abuse ?
L E A R N F R O M T H E M I S T A K E S O F O T H E R S
To access resources and learn more , visit MinistrySafe . com / Lessons
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