History of CRC “Safe Church”

1989 Synod appointed a committee to research the subject of abuse and to provide recommendations.

1992 Committee Report was received and Synod adopted its recommendations. New committee formed to implement Synod's decisions.

1993 Synod mandated the development of a statement of professional conduct for ministerial personnel & guidelines for church's response to ministerial misconduct and abuse of office.

1994 Synod authorized the appointment of a staff person for Abuse Prevention.

1995 Synod received Guidelines for Handling Abuse Allegations Against a Church Leader.

1997 These guidelines were reviewed & revised & adopted by Synod 1997.

MANDATE OF THE“SAFE CHURCH” TEAMS

Create awareness of theeffect & damage of abuse

(educate the people regarding abuse)

Make the church a safer place(decrease the possibility of abuse &

of false allegations)

Create pathways to healing(assist the victims of abuse)

WHERE DOES ABUSE OCCUR? WHEN IS IT A CHURCH’S CONCERN?

T F Abuse cannot occur within our congregation.

T F Abuse that occurs outside of the church or church activities should not be a primary concern of a Church Council.

WHAT IS "ABUSE"?

T F Abuse only consists of intended sexual physical contact with a person of the other gender.

T F Flirting is never abuse.

T F Genuine displays of affection are never abuse.

T F Anyone who has ever been a parent knows the proper method of discipline.

T F How parents choose to discipline their own children is a matter of personal choice.

DOES THE CHURCH REALLY NEED TO

ADOPT SECULAR PROCEDURES? T F It is not necessary to screen volunteers or

council members by insisting on a "Criminal Record Check", especially when a fellow church member finds it to be insulting or feels that it denotes a lack of trust.

T F The information received by conducting a Security Clearance is detailed and available for all council members' review.

T F Security Clearances should only be required of "new" members.

T F If a Security Clearance comes back as "Unable to Clear,” it means the volunteer has committed a crime

WE ARE AWARE OF WHAT TO DO IN INSTANCES OF SUSPECTED ABUSE.

T F Written guidelines are not necessary; common sense will prevail.

T F We are capable of providing the best response to allegations of abuse by dealing with them on an "in-house" basis.

T F We are not required to contact government authorities in cases of suspected abuse since forwarding potentially false accusations may result in more harm than good.

T F We have done everything reasonably possible to prevent instances of abuse and to set up the proper reporting/resolution procedures.

T F We have educated our leaders and members about the various forms of abuse and how to become aware of their possible occurrence.

WE ARE A “CHARITY”! COURTS TREAT US DIFFERENTLY THAN CORPORATIONS.

T F We are aware of our legal responsibilities in preventing abuse and dealing with any possible complaints.

T F As a charity, we are treated differently by the courts than corporations and since Council members are volunteers, they will not be treated by the courts in the same fashion as directors or officers of “for profit” companies.

T F If an elder or deacon is found liable for damages, he or she is always covered by the congregation's liability insurance.

T F We have recently reviewed our insurance requirements regarding elders/deacons/church teachers/volunteers and have confirmed the extent of coverage for abuse claims.

Christian Ministries Make“Easy Targets”

Community of Trust

Ignorance of the Facts

Lack Of Screening / Safeguards

Opportunity and Access

Desperate Need for Workers

CORE COMPONENTS OF A “SAFE CHURCH” POLICY

Screening – of ALL volunteers and staff

Compliance - those who refuse to follow policy, or who violate policy, will be required to quit.

Training - supervisors/leaders of any program serving minors will attend annual training programs

Internal Policies - Adopt policies that are designed to reduce/prevent abuse within church programs:

Off-Site Activity Policy

Discipline Policy

Code of Ethics

Nursery/Sunday School Policy

CORE COMPONENTS OF A “SAFE CHURCH” POLICY

Internal Reporting - volunteers and/or staff who become aware of possible child abuse in a church program OR by a church volunteer/staff will know that they must immediately report the matter and will know how to report it

External Reporting - in Canada, reporting to the policy any circumstances of possible child abuse is MANDATORY

Modifying the Church Facility – enhance the safety

Discipline Policy - for those who work with youth.

Reducing Risks of One-to-One Contact - reduces risk of abuse and/or false allegations of abuse.

Safe Church Policy summaryA. DefinitionsB. Screening ProcessC. Compliance RequirementsD. Training & Continuing Education E. Affiliated Policies F. Review/Revision/Maintenance of Church FacilitiesG. Procedures/Guidelines for Minimizing Risk of Abuse

Applicable to:G.1 All Child/Youth ProgramsG.2 Nursery ProgramG.3 Sunday SchoolG.4 Cadets/GEMSG.5 Youth ProgramsG.6 Pastoral Ministry

Safe Church Policy summaryRequirements & Procedures in Suspected Cases of Abuse regarding:

H.1 Suspected Abuse of a Child

H.2 Suspected Abuse of an Adult by a Church Leader

H.3 Suspected Abuse of an Adult by a non-Church Leader

Schedule "A" Volunteer Profile Form

Schedule "B" Code of Ethics

Schedule "C" Discipline Policy

Schedule "D" Off-Site Activity Policy

Schedule "E" Signs & Symptoms of Possible Abuse

Schedule "F" Responding to a Child's Report of Abuse

Schedule "G" Privacy Policy