Tailored Policies & Procedures
A Policies and Procedures document is the written expression of what is and is not permissible behavior in the sheep pen . Effective policies are shaped around an understanding of the abuser ’ s grooming process , abuser characteristics and common grooming behaviors .
Ministry policies should be tailored to the particular program and population served .
While common grooming behaviors exist universally , the grooming process will vary depending on the age and gender of child , and the type of program . Because grooming will unfold differently in a Student Ministry than in a Mom ’ s Day Out , policy provisions will vary .
Through Awareness Training , staff members and volunteers can be trained to better understand the purpose of policies , therefore serving more effectively within policy boundaries , and recognizing problematic behaviors before inappropriate sexual interaction occurs . As well , when policy ‘ bright lines ’ are clearly communicated — communicating , ‘ This is appropriate ; this is NOT ’ — staff members and volunteers are more likely to notice and communicate when someone steps over the bright line . Written policies should present clear guidelines concerning appropriate touch , talk , boundaries , social media interaction , bathroom use , one-to-one interaction , overnight stays and reporting requirements .
Systems for Monitoring and Oversight Child sexual abuse is an enormous issue causing incredible harm to children .
For any safety system to remain effective , every ministry must incorporate systems for monitoring and oversight to ensure that you DO what you SAY you do in an ongoing manner . To this end , a periodic review of safety system elements is necessary :
• Does the system still fit the ministry ?
• Are adequate methods of accountability in place ?
• Is the ministry able to archive evidence of safety system compliance ?
Leaders must evaluate new programs for child protection issues , monitor changes in reporting requirements , address ongoing need for policy updates , and include child protection compliance in employee performance evaluations . Periodic review ensures that child protection is not jeopardized by the departure of one or two key staff members or volunteers .
A system for monitoring and oversight provides the framework for the existence of an effective safety system and ensures the system ’ s sustainability .
At MinistrySafe , a safety system is made sustainable through the use of an online Control Panel . To learn more , visit MinistrySafe . com .
Sexual abusers go to where the barriers are lowest or do not exist . Too often , the Church is where the barriers are lowest .
Designing an effective system starts with ministry leaders understanding the behavior of the sexual abuser so that an effective safety system — one with appropriate efforts guarding the sheep pen , and also within it — can be put in place .
Kimberlee Norris and Gregory Love are partners in the Fort Worth , Texas law firm of Love & Norris [ https :// www . lovenorris . com ] and founders of MinistrySafe [ https :// 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 as Visiting Faculty at Dallas Theological Seminary .
SEXUAL ABUSE AWARENESS TRAINING
Sexual Abuse Awareness Training is the foundation of any effort to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse . At the core of this training is a description of the molester ’ s grooming process : the process used by an abuser to gain access to a child , prepare the child for inappropriate sexual interaction , and then keep the child silent . This training provides these elements of instruction :
• Facts versus Misconceptions
• Abuser Characteristics
• Grooming Process
• Common Grooming Behaviors
• Peer-to-Peer Sexual Abuse
• Impact of Abuse
• Reporting Requirements
Recognizing the abuser ’ s grooming process is the focus — allowing child-serving workers to see risky behavior before an abuser has harmed a child .
Training Staff Members and Volunteers We can ’ t address a risk we don ’ t understand . Sexual offenders have no visual profile ; they look like everyone else . Instead , abusers are characterized by their behavior .
Sexual Abuse Awareness Training equips staff members and volunteers with a better understanding of abuser characteristics , the abuser ’ s grooming process and common grooming behaviors .
Critical for Policy Implementation Nobody likes change if the need for change isn ’ t understood . Without effective training , staff members and volunteers rarely embrace change , even in the form of well-crafted policies . Policies work best when ministry workers are trained to understand the WHY , particularly if a policy is new .
Opt-out Opportunity Sexual Abuse Awareness Training should be completed during the onboarding of any child-serving applicant . When a ministry requires training before the applicant has access to children , an applicant with wrong motives recognizes that all his or her future co-workers understand the grooming process , common grooming behaviors and the importance of reporting . All workers — paid or unpaid — are equipped to recognize the abuser ’ s attempts to groom children for abuse , with eyes that see , ears that hear and mouths that speak .
Sexual Abuse Awareness Training provides offenders with an opportunity to self-select OUT .
MinistrySafe Training
Sexual Abuse Awareness Training is the cornerstone element of the wide-ranging resources available at MinistrySafe . com . At present , MinistrySafe ’ s online Awareness Training is being used by more than 25,000 churches , 20 denominations , 400 schools and 10 seminaries — and growing daily .
In 2019 , MinistrySafe issued its one-millionth certificate of completion and continues to train more than 35,000 people per month online .
8 CHURCH EXECUTIVE • STOP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE churchexecutive . com