SEXUAL ABUSE
PREVENTING
CHILD
SEXUAL ABUSE
An Effective Safety System
By Gregory Love & Kimberlee
The “ Stop Sexual Abuse ” series is designed to provide ministry leaders with information to better understand the risk of child sexual abuse and take necessary steps to protect children in ministry programs .
The first article in the series [ churchexecutive . com / archives / stop-sexual-abuse ] provided analysis concerning sexual abuse risk using the metaphor of building the right fence . In this article — the second in the series — we will further develop that metaphor .
A SYSTEM BASED ON GROOMING
When a ministry gathers children or youth , it becomes an attractive target for the sexual offender . Preferential offenders — abusers who prefer a child as a sexual partner — generally target a child within an age range and gender of preference .
In developing an effective safety system , churches or ministries are building a “ fence ”: a protective device meant to keep out an unwanted intruder . Building the right type of fence requires us to understand how an offender will pursue and harm children . Understanding the grooming process of the preferential offender is the key . When we understand the behavior of the offender , we can design and construct effective barriers .
At the core of an effective safety system is this reality : what we believe shapes what we DO . Sexual Abuse Awareness Training changes what we believe . Prevention starts with awareness .”
The Grooming Process
Validated by decades of academic studies , the grooming process of the abuser is known and recognizable . The grooming process includes the following steps , with some variation depending on the age of child , gender of child and particular program :
• Gaining access to children within an age and gender of preference ;
• Selecting a specific child ( or children );
• Introducing nudity and sexual touch ; and
• Keeping the child quiet and the abuse secret .
AN EFFECTIVE SAFETY SYSTEM
The purpose of this article is not to simply list elements of an appropriate safety system ; rather , it aims to provide analysis of the risk and how the risk relates to specific safety system elements . An understanding of the risk drives preventative efforts .
The Elements of a Safety System An Effective Safety System must employ the following elements :
• Sexual Abuse Awareness Training
• Skillful Screening ( and training )
• Appropriate Criminal Background Check
• Tailored Policies & Procedures
• Systems for Monitoring and Oversight
Each of these elements play a role in a system ; no one element solves the problem .
The preferential offender is a “ wolf ” who will deceive and manipulate to gain access to the “ sheep pen ” with the intention of doing great harm . In every church , there should be a gate through which anyone desiring access to children must pass , as well as controls in place to identify those with wolf-like qualities .
Within the sheep pen , there must be preventative protocols in place to ensure that grooming behaviors are clearly identified , addressed in policies , recognized by workers and reported to ministry leaders .
To better understand the elements of an effective safety system , the following diagram is helpful :
Critical Concepts
Because the preferential offender often looks like you and me , we cannot recognize him or her visually ; we must recognize the risk behaviorally — that is , we must recognize the grooming process .
The grooming process of the preferential offender involves two significant efforts : grooming the child and grooming the gatekeepers .
The targeted child is groomed for inappropriate sexual interaction , while gatekeepers ( parents , ministry leaders , co-workers ) are groomed into a belief that the offender is a helpful , responsible and trustworthy individual . The effort aimed at gatekeepers is necessary , as all abusers are working to facilitate trusted time alone with a targeted child .
6 CHURCH EXECUTIVE • STOP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE churchexecutive . com