CHURCH BOARD GUIDE TO A CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION POLICY
5. The social agencies or department to be contacted. In some states, reports can be made to law enforcement officers.
6. The criminal penalties for failing to report. Failure to report may be punishable by a fine or jail sentence.
7. Protection from legal and civil litigation if the report is made in good faith.
Mutual accountability—a church obligation A sound reporting procedure promotes accountability among church workers. Questionable or inappropriate behavior often precedes acts of child molestation. Church workers should be trained to identify inap- propriate behavior with children. Workers should be encouraged to warn each other when questionable behavior is displayed. Questionable behaviors should be reported to the proper individuals. Such a policy, if implemented with care and sensitivity, can help to avoid actual instances of abuse or molestation.
Personal responsibility—a moral obligation Workers may not report a suspected incidence of child sexual abuse for a variety of reasons. Some may want to avoid embarrassing situations. A fear of possible personal and legal recrimination may exist. Discrete and confidential reporting of suspected abuse is critical to abuse pre- vention. Church workers should understand that reporting reflects caring and is not an act of disloyalty.
Develop a church reporting procedure A reporting policy should provide clear instructions to church workers concerning when a report should occur and how it should be made. Your policy should include the following:
1. A clear rationale which explains the need for proper reporting and the obligation of workers to follow these procedures.
2. The basis for making a report. 3. A description of possible indicators and symptoms of child sexual abuse. (See Chapter 2.) Workers should report to their supervisor when a child displays these indicators. Although
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