1. Safe Sanctuary Training
Rev. Paul D. Taylor, Facilitator
Bethel United Methodist Church
150 Alder Street
Lower Burrell, PA 15068
WELCOME

2. Safe Ministries with
Babies, Children, Youth
(and Adults, too!)
Our church is a community of faith and
must continue to be a safe and secure
place where babies, children, youth and
adults can come together to
learn, live, grow and be strengthened in
Christian faith and the way of Jesus Christ

3. Safe Sanctuaries
 Focus began at the 1996 General
Conference
 Resolution adopted to reduce risk of
child sexual abuse (162C)
 All UM churches are required to have
safe sanctuary guidelines and procedures
 Develop/implement safety procedures
for all church ministries and activities

4. Statistics
3 million incidents of physical abuse or
neglect reported in the US each year
1 out of 7 boys and 1 out of 3 girls will be
sexually assaulted/abused before age 18
1 child or youth abused every 10 seconds
OR 8, 219 children every day
Any organization where children, and
youth involved is where abuse can occur!

5. Psalm 27: 4 - 5
One thing I asked of the Lord that will I seek
after: to live in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life, to behold the beauty of the
Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For He will
hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He
will conceal me under the cover of his tent; He
will set me high on a rock.

6. Matthew 19: 13, 14
Then little children were being brought
to him in order that He might lay His
hands on them and pray. The Disciples
spoke sternly to those who brought
them; but Jesus said, “let the little
children come to me, and do not stop
them; for it is to such as these that the
kingdom of heaven belongs.”

7. Matthew 18: 5, 6
“Whoever welcomes one such child in
my name welcomes me. If any of you put
a stumbling block before one of these
little ones who believe in me, it would be
better for you if a millstone were
fastened around your neck and you were
drowned in the depth of the sea.”

8. Types of Child Abuse
Physical
Emotional
Neglect
Sexual
Ritual
It can happen anywhere!

9. ABUSERS
Not easily From every background
recognizable From every profession
Often familiar, Unmarried, married
trusted people with children
with greater From every race, social
power—men, & economic group &
women, older denomination
youth

10. Protection for Everyone
Protecting babies, Equips children &
children & youth youth with faith
also protects and hope
adults Reduces higher-
risk behaviors

11. Abusers
10% by strangers
34% by family members
58% by trusted individuals
Nearly 60% of abusers who are caught abuse
again!

12. Signs of Child Abuse
Physical: hostile/aggressive/destructive
behavior; fear of parents and/or adults;
unexplained bruises/injuries
Emotional: depression or withdrawal;
severe self-esteem; eating disorders,
extreme seeking of adult approval

13. Signs of Child Abuse
 Neglect: poor hygiene; inappropriate dress;
chronic hunger; untreated medical conditions;
lack of motivation/failure to strive
 Sexual: sexual knowledge, behavior for age;
depression; withdrawn; difficulty walking, sitting;
runs away; refusal to be alone with adults;
nightmares
 Ritual: unexplainable mistrust & mood swings,
fear of persons in authority; fear of darkness;
disruption or loss of memory, eating disorders

14. Our Volunteers, Staff & Leaders
Use established Don’t allow strangers
screening policies & or new people to
guidelines for have immediate
volunteers, paid staff, access to babies,
clergy & volunteers children & youth—6-
and apply equally to month hospitality
all rule to allow where
2 un-related adults in they choose to
classrooms become involved
Apply policies

15. Basic Procedures
Age
 2- adult rule
 5-year older rule
 18 years or older
 Facilities
 Windows in doors of all classroom,
pastor’s study, meeting rooms
 Appropriate settings
 Workable, safe safety equipment

16. Basic Procedures
Counseling
 Open door
 Advance notice to parents with follow-up
 Education parents, families, and staff
 Public space
 Appropriate supervision
 Time-bound, limited sessions
 Camping
 Appropriate registration, permission slips
 Parent & pastor conversations with camping staff

17. Basic Procedures
Education
Orientation for Volunteers, Staff & Clergy
Adequate insurance for all ministries
Comprehensive strategy for protecting
babies, children, youth . . . Adults

18. Basic Procedures
Relationships
 Establish relational & interpersonal
boundaries between children and
youth, themselves and adults
 Dating relationships between/among
paid staff & volunteers
 Expectations of staff and adult and
youth volunteers of importance of
modeling healthy relationships leaders

19. The New Frontier—Cyber Safety
 October 2007: General Board of
Discipleship conference recognized
increased use of info technology to
communicate/social networking—risks &
benefits
 Tweets
 Email
 Texting, Chat rooms
 FaceBook , MySpace

20. The New Frontier—Cyber Safety
Internet Pornography, Sexual Predators
 Every 39 minutes a new pornography video
is produced in US
 Every second, over $3 million spent on
online porn
 Every second, 28,000 Internet users view
porn
64% of youth between 12 – 17 are social
networking

21. The New Frontier—Cyber Safety
Education & Safety  Do not respond
tips to strangers
 Guard  Encourage
passwords youth to talk
 Never post easy about contacts
identifiable info via social
pics/location networking

22. The New Frontier—Cyber Safety
Monitor time & online sites visited
 Block pop-ups
 Cyber Bullying
 Cyber Stalking
 Report it!

23. Tips for Parents & Church Leaders
Learn about privacy filters, anti-spyware,
firewalls
Keep computers in common home
spaces
Talk to children & youth
Know their passwords

24. Other information
Megan’s Law
Amber alerts
Other state laws on reporting rules
School programs on bullying
Programs on Internet access
Programs on “Dating violence and teens”

25. Emerging Concern
Older, vulnerable adults
Graying of America and the Church
 By 203 than 20% of Americans will be
65 or older
 Similar procedures as with babies,
children & youth

26. Clearance Requirements
Who should complete forms
Where should they be kept
Background checks
What to do if form comes back with
history of abuse
Frequency of forms

27. Building Usage
Monitoring outside groups
Insurance coverage
Posting notices of safe sanctuary
posters/covenant
Designation of safe sanctuary
coordinator

28. If Abuse Happens, What Then?
Do the following
 Have policy, guidelines, reporting &
investigation procedures in place
 Notify parents of victim, stay with
victim until parents arrive
 Remove accused from children/youth
setting

29. If Abuse Happens
Any person, who in the course of their
employment, occupation or performing
their profession and volunteers coming
into contact with children and youth shall
report (or cause a report) to be made if
there is reasonable cause to suspect
abuse. NO EXCEPTIONS

30. If Abuse Happens
All UMC clergy are charged to maintain
all confidences inviolate, including
professional confidences, EXCEPT in
cases of suspected child abuse or neglect
or in cases where mandatory reporting is
required by law (Book of Discipline, para.
341.5

31. If Abuse Happens, Then What?
Use forms to report incident immediately
 Call Safe Sanctuary Coordinator, Pastor,
SPRC, Lay Leader
 If Pastor is accused, contact DS
 Designate one spokesperson for the
church to respond to media
 Contact insurance carrier

32. After Abuse, What Then?
Honest, Truth-telling
Informing congregation
Continued care and support for victim and
Family
The safety of our babies, children
youth, and older adults and maintaining
a safe environment is all of our primary
concern!

33. If Abuse Happens, What Then?
• Keep written record
• Notify law enforcement as appropriate
• Review procedures for glitches, revise as
appropriate