Current Status

Unfortunately, young people have experienced abuse in church and Christian camp environments. It is crucial, therefore, for Christians to take all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse. Children suffer lifelong emotional and spiritual harm from abuse.

There have been numerous court cases dealing with the responsibility of those with children’s programs to have policies in place to protect children from abuse. The basic principles are that these policies must be more stringent for those who deal directly with children.

Some basic principles of these policies include:

• Police checks for all who are responsible for children

• Ensuring that children are not left alone for a significant period of time with a single care-giver.

• Ensure that there are windows in Sunday school classrooms and that there are visual checks of the classrooms.

• Ensure there are at least two caregivers where children spend overnight in care.

If there is an allegation of abuse, it must be taken seriously and investigated and addressed immediately.

Under a legal principle called “vicarious liability,” organizations are often financially responsible if a child is abused while in a program of the organization. Increasingly, insurance companies are refusing to insure organizations that deal with children if they do not have policies in place.