Last week I attended a church that had only a few children in a creche and a 'middle group'. Each room was supervised by only one adult. To my mind, this was far from adequate. Why? Researchers have found that the critical factor in churches that makes abuse possible is opportunity.

 

Law professor, Patrick Parkinson wrote*,

 
"The issue of opportunity is particularly important in understanding sex offending in Churches. Most sex offenders who abuse children and young people do so after forming relationships with them through natural points of contact. These relationships then provide the context within which a child or young person may be persuaded or coerced into letting sexual contact occur. In general terms, church life may lead to greater opportunities for abuse than in other parts of the community. Whereas in schools, most activities are very structured and involve large numbers of children and young people in classrooms or sporting events, church work provides more opportunities for adults to be alone with children without others being present.

In local churches, such opportunities may arise from activities such as taking children or young people home after an activity or youth group, giving individual attention to a child who has an interest in the Bible, conducting individual sessions to prepare a young person for confirmation or believer’s baptism, and being alone with children and young people in residential summer camps. Volunteer children’s and youth workers also have other points of contact with children and young people outside of structured activities. These social interactions may also offer opportunities to be alone with children or young people without other adults being suspicious or concerned."

 

Churches must confront long term habits and arrangements that create opportunity.
For example:

A creche in which children are supervised by only one adult. Transport arrangements when youth leaders drive young people home alone. One to one mentoring in private, unmonitored settings (such as homes without other adults present.)

 

Churches need to create policies and practices that minimise opportunities, such as ensuring that all transport takes place with two adult leaders, or parents take children to and from events. 

 

These changes may cause an outcry of 'We can't find enough leaders?' or 'That's over the top!"  However, these often stem from a desire for convenience rather than the safety of children. Other arrangements must be made and new habits need to be formed. If the abuse of one child is prevented, it will be a worth the effort. 

 

* Parkinson P. 2013. Suffer the Teenage Children: Child Sexual Abuse in Church Communities. Paper for the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University.

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Posted by: ray at 8:04 pm on July 1st, 2013