Safeguards Against Child Abuse

Following are polices that provide strong safeguards as well as transparency and accountability.

We call on all churches, mosques, synagogues and other youth-serving institutions to adopt these minimum standards.

 

 

1. No one-on-one interaction between adults and children.  This includes ecclesiastical leaders.  Children should never be taken behind closed doors without at least 2 adults present, either a parent or other adult trusted by the child.

2. No one-on-one communication via technology between unrelated adults and children.

3. No private discussions initiated by adults relating to sex or sexual activity.

4. For all adults who work with children:

• Criminal background checks.
• Re-verify criminal background checks at least every 3 years.
• Professional training on youth protection.
• Renew youth protection training at least every 2 years.

5. Child protection policies are to be posted publicly and given to all parents.  Parents and leaders/volunteers working with children are to be trained annually on these policies.

6. Establish a complaint process for reporting policies not being observed or leaders acting in ways that are not consistent with child protection responsibilities.  This process should be independent of the organization’s leadership.

7. All institutions must act in accordance with government laws of reporting child abuse or suspicion of child abuse.

8. Institutions are to have an independent process to evaluate how well the institution is following the policies.