By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris Our church just completed a Registered Sex Offender (RSO) Policy. Will you review it and tell us if it’s adequate? We frequently encounter this (seemingly simple) question in our law practice. In reality, the issue is multi-faceted and complex, and tends to kick off a broader discussion. In the […]
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How to assess your church’s child sexual abuse risk points — and how to do (much) better In many churches, leaders think child sexual abuse “can’t happen here.” What’s the reality? Guy A. Russ: Any organization that serves children must understand the statistics: one in four girls and one in 13 boys are likely to […]
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Answer: Sexual abuse with a minor A single lawsuit can derail a thriving, growing church and cost millions of dollars, as well as the loss of members and their faith in the safety of the church. Such a catastrophe can happen to any church without proper risk management strategies in place. Being prepared for the […]
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Sexual misconduct can have psychological, emotional and physical effects on victims and their families. However, the damage doesn’t stop there. Just one incident of sexual misconduct can destroy the trust, credibility and reputation of an organization and the organization’s leaders for years. Adding further pain to an incident of sexual misconduct are the legal costs […]
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The mission of any religious organization is to minister to its congregation in a safe and nurturing environment. One of the most important aspects of this mission should be protecting the most vulnerable of their flock. Unfortunately, child sexual abuse within religious organizations is still a grim reality, yet many ministries fall short of the […]
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Take these 5 steps — today — to prevent abuse or molestation at your church Many pastors believe sexual abuse is beyond the realm of possibility in their churches. In reality, it happens all too often … and many times, those same pastors aren’t aware until it’s too late to respond responsibly. The results can […]
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This year has been a season of disruption. And in a time of disruption, it’s more important than ever to ensure your ministry is following its policies and procedures — especially when it comes to staff who work with children. A key aspect of risk management is safeguarding the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the […]
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By Guy Russ Over the past few months, organizations have scrambled to reinvent their programs and activities for a virtual world in the face of COVID-19. With summer now upon us, and COVID-19 still with us, it’s time to take a hard look at the summer programs your organization offers for children. The Centers for […]
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CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN MINISTRY CONTEXTS By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris When in doubt, REPORT. If every allegation of child sexual abuse was simply reported by church leaders to appropriate authorities, the resulting positive impact would be immeasurable. Survivors of abuse would feel validated — by itself a significant positive outcome — pathways to […]
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By Gregory Love & Kimberlee Norris Given the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements and the ongoing media headlines, many church leaders have awakened to the risk of child sexual abuse and are seeking guidance about what to do. Others are taking this opportunity to evaluate existing safety efforts to measure preparedness. Typically, the criminal background check […]
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