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An expert roundtable. When Your = Church set=20 out to remake the training kit Reducing the Risk: Keeping Your = Ministry=20 Safe from Child Sexual Abuse, we gathered a group of experts = from a=20 variety of professions=E2=80=94counseling, risk management, = litigation, and=20 insurance claims. Our goal: glean the best advice on how to help = faith=20 communities protect children and their ministries from any = occurrences of=20 child sexual abuse. The experts we consulted are Dr. Ronald Ercoli, = staff=20 psychologist at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, = Illinois; Roger Duffield, manager of risk services for Christian = Brothers=20 Services, the administrator of a self-insured fund of 1,200 = Catholic=20 organizations including schools, colleges, daycare centers, = religious=20 orders and congregations; Peter Persuitti, managing director of = the=20 religious practice group for Arthur J. Gallagher, the leading risk = management broker for this sector; Steve Henne, the director of = claims=20 management for National Catholic Risk Retention Group; and Dr. = Michael=20 Bland, a private-practice professional counselor who specializes = in=20 helping victims of sexual abuse. ***
How can leaders identify sex offenders = before=20 inadvertently recruiting them to serve in their ministry? Ercoli: There is no particular profile we can = point to=20 and say this is what a sex offender looks like and as soon as they = walk=20 through a door, we'll know it. They come in every age, size, = background,=20 experience, and socio-economic status. Henne: One case I recently had involved a = gentleman who=20 worked as a daycare worker for about three years. The daycare had = done a=20 little bit of a background check but not a detailed check. About = five=20 years ago the daycare moved the room that the kids were in to a = back area=20 where they could not be observed. It was not convenient to walk by = or drop=20 in to make sure that nothing inappropriate was going on. That's = when the=20 abuse took place. From my experience, I still have a hard time = believing=20 this guy was a perpetrator or a pedophile, because he just didn't = show any=20 signs prior to that. But he pled guilty and he's sitting in jail = for life=20 because of that incident. Ercoli: We live in a broken and fallen world. = The reality=20 is anybody has the potential to move down a pathway that is not = healthy,=20 that does not respect the boundaries of other individuals. Why is the Church vulnerable to sex = offenders? Bland: Most offenders know their victims. It is = not=20 strangers abusing children. So if the offender is looking for an=20 easy-access, child-friendly, community environment where good = works are=20 rewarded and interaction with children is encouraged, we're = talking about=20 the church in any denomination. The offenders first "groom" the children. They=20 essentially want the children to trust them, saying, Maybe you = could bend=20 the rules with me a little bit, or, We could go off by ourselves, = or, I'll=20 give you rewards or gifts or presents without your parents = knowing. Henne: I have a friend who told me about a = leader in his=20 church who was being criminally prosecuted for child sexual abuse. = My=20 friend reflected on the situation, saying, "We loved this guy. He = was so=20 great we followed him from one church to the other church because = we=20 thought he gave such great sermons." His comment showed me how = these=20 individuals aren't wallflowers. They're people that ingratiate = themselves=20 to everybody within the community. It was all part of the grooming = process. Duffield: Church leaders need to know it can = happen in=20 their ministries. And what's important is that they can do = something about=20 it. We see fewer claims against clergy misconduct than we did in = the past,=20 and more now directed toward staff and volunteers. And these = claims=20 usually stem from somebody being allowed to serve in children's = ministry=20 without going through the normal screening process. How can you tell if a child is being = abused? Bland: The number one thing to look for within = children=20 and adolescents is behavior change. They may become withdrawn or=20 disruptive in the classroom or within a ministry activity. Ercoli: In our church, volunteers may voice = their concern=20 over a child who seems to always be coming in with bruises, or = used to be=20 very happy and outgoing and now they're quiet, and now they're = fearful of=20 certain people within the ministry: I don't want to be near = that=20 person. Can I go be a part of this group? You may see a host = of=20 different things=E2=80=94more acting out behavior, getting = promiscuous, or cutting=20 themselves. They're trying to say, Something's wrong=E2=80=94I = don't know how=20 to handle this. Help me. See my signs. What can churches do to ward off = predators? Bland: Predators need to know that child sexual = abuse=20 will not be tolerated in our faith communities. If we have that as = a=20 principle of our own faith, then we're able to be vigilant about=20 protecting children and youth. Persuitti: Many denominations have done great = work in=20 educating their faith communities on how to prevent child sexual = abuse.=20 One Catholic diocesan member-owned insurance company has invested=20 significantly in a comprehensive awareness and online training = program=20 called Virtus, and a training program called Protecting = God's=20 Children. An Episcopal church-owned insurance company has = developed=20 Safeguarding God's Children. And churches within the United = Methodist Church are promoting the child protection program, = Safe=20 Sanctuary. In fact, each of the denominations we work with = have=20 committed resources for training and creating awareness in their = faith=20 communities on the topic of preventing child sexual abuse. = Technology has=20 tremendous potential to bring these programs to every corner of = the=20 earth. Bland: Child sexual abuse is not = denominational=E2=80=94it is a=20 public health issue. It requires looking to leaders for a solution = for=20 keeping children safe, reaching out to victims and survivors, and=20 identifying offenders. And thanks be to the Church in taking a = leadership=20 role in this cry. Marian V. Liautaud is editor and Lindsey Reardon = is=20 editorial coordinator for Your Church Media Group. For more = information on=20 Reducing the Risk 3rd Edition: Keeping = Your=20 Ministry Safe from Child Sexual Abuse, visit reducingtherisk.com. Click=20 here for reprint information on Your Church. |
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