CHURCH BOARD GUIDE TO A CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION POLICY


service and good reputation. Other times they are new attendees or loners who have few friends. One thing is clear—to protect children, churches must also screen volunteers.


Roadblocks to screening While most churches can implement a screening program for paid employees without a great deal of difficulty, the same is not true for the screening of volunteers. This is true for a number of reasons. Some church leaders do not believe anyone in their church would


harm a child. This is especially true among smaller congregations where members are more likely to know one another. A passive accep- tance may exist concerning the problem of child sexual abuse, but church leaders feel no need to address it at the congregational level. Our research indicates that smaller churches, especially those located in rural settings and small towns, are the least likely to screen volun- teers. Leadership training is needed to address this concern. Some church leaders feel that screening is an invasion of privacy


that alienates potential volunteers. Screening involves asking personal questions, and in some cases collecting fingerprints and doing criminal records checks. When such requirements are imposed on volunteers, who are serving out of goodwill to start with, they may respond negatively and decide not to serve. To a large degree, this problem solves itself when there is a clear focus and shared understanding of why the church screens— namely, to protect children. Parents want their children safe. Churches that promote a commitment to safety nurture support for screening. Rather than becoming an obstacle that alienates volunteers, screening becomes an asset that attracts members who want to be part of a caring church that safeguards their children. This is especially true in light of all the media coverage churches have received regarding this problem. Some church leaders view screening as being unmanageable since they


use so many volunteers for varied purposes, occasions, and frequencies of service. The problem becomes an administrative one that leads to paral- ysis and inaction regarding any form of screening. This obstacle has been solved in many churches and other organizations that work with children. Plenty of models of how to do screening exist, and with a little research and investigation, any church can organize an effective screening plan. Some churches start a program, but cannot sustain it. Often this hap-


pens when a church has one or two people who care deeply about the problem of child sexual abuse, and champion the cause of screening in the


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