Churches must have guidelines for staff and volunteers in order to prevent child abuse. Cases of child abuse in churches have received national news coverage in the past few years, accounts often made worse by leaders who refused to report the alleged abuse to authorities. Churches that once enjoyed a degree of immunity from litigation have found themselves at risk. As churches grow in size, the question on many leaders’ minds: How can we best protect children in the place where they should be the safest? Church policies must be examined in order to keep children safe. Thorough background checks are essential prior to volunteers working with children in church settings. All church staff and volunteers need training. Many pastors fear volunteer child workers quitting because they are required to do training and background checks. A responsible volunteer will understand the necessity of protecting children, and this will not be a problem. Churches must develop guidelines and a child abuse prevention system prior to a crisis, not following one. They must be proactive in this area, placing strong safeguards to protect children. All workers should be aware of state reporting laws and report to law enforcement and child welfare services any suspicion that a child is being abused. Read article at worldmag/2014/08/protecting_children_in_the_place_they_should_be_safest
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 03:33:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015