Threads Church 
Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to help prevent an incident of child, youth, or vulnerable-person sexual abuse from occurring on church-owned property or at an off-site activity sponsored by the church. This policy is intended to help us:

1. Safeguard children, youth, or vulnerable persons of our church from sexual abuse and 

2. Respond appropriately to any allegation of sexual abuse of children, youth, or vulnerable persons

3. Protect our church members and staff, both paid and volunteer
    

Definition of Sexual Abuse:

Any sexual activity with a child or youth is sexual abuse even if the activity is encouraged by or agreed to by the child or youth.

 

Types of sexual abuse that do not involve touching include but are not limited to:

• Inappropriate verbal comments of a sexual nature

• Showing inappropriate images of a sexual nature

• Obscene phone calls, text messages, email messages, online comments, etc.

• Exhibitionism/exposure
   

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Practices

Threads Church will help prevent an incident of  child or youth sexual abuse from occurring, and will help prevent a false accusation from being upheld, by attending to the following practices:

1. The board of Threads Church will establish a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Team and designate it to be the church’s screening agent.

2. The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Team will train relevant ministry leaders in Threads’ policies and procedures, and be alert for opportunities for additional training offered through outside organizations.

3. The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Team will keep a written record of its activity, which will be kept in a secure location. The record will be confidential. 

4. The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Team will work with all relevant ministry leaders to ensure that staff and volunteers have received proper training and are in compliance with the requirements of this policy.

5. The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Team will ensure that Threads will minimize opportunities for children or youth to be unsupervised.

   1. All classrooms or meeting rooms for children or youth will have an uncovered window or the door will be kept ajar.

   2.  If an event that only involves children, youth, or vulnerable persons and their leaders is the sole event at the church, the exterior doors of the building will be locked or monitored.

6. The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Team will ensure that Threads will protect children and youth, as well as employees and volunteers, by following a Multiple Person Rule. 

   1. The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention  Team will ensure that Threads leaders and volunteers will strongly avoid situations where a child or youth is alone with an adult (there may be situations in which this is inevitable - i.e. an emergency, or a child was accidentally left at church when only one leader was still present, etc.. We will do everything we reasonably can to avoid these situations). This includes transporting a child or youth in a vehicle.

   2. At least two adults will stay until the last child is picked up after an event. We will not let a child or youth stay in the building alone, even with a parent’s permission.

7. We will screen adults recruited to lead or volunteer in programs for children or youth. (It will not be our policy to screen youth who volunteer to help screened adult leaders lead a program for children - background checks are not available for individuals under eighteen years of age.)

8. We will screen all prospective employees of Threads Church.

9. We will ensure that all employees and adult leaders and/or volunteers recruited to work with children, youth, or vulnerable persons are trained in these policies
    

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention  Team Procedures

Procedures for Responding to  child or youth Sexual Abuse Reports

When a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Team member receives a report of alleged child or youth sexual abuse, that member will take the following immediate actions:

1. Determine if immediate assistance is needed to stop the abuse and render that assistance.

2. Consult with the Lead Pastor, Board President, and at least one other Child Sexual Abuse Prevention  Team member to determine if the alleged abuse warrants an immediate call to the authorities. Any member of the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention  team may act in the role of “representative” as outlined in the bylaws of Threads Church (Article III,A,4,f,iv,a). This action may be taken at any step in the process.

3. The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention team together with the Lead Pastor and Board President will decide what steps will be taken next. These steps may include the following, though not necessarily in the order listed: 

   1. Determine whether the report is a “serious complaint” as per the Bylaws of Threads Church (Article III, A, 4, f, iv).

   2. If the report is determined to constitute a “serious complaint,” the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention  Team will set in motion the requirements of the bylaws of Threads Church as outlined in Article III, A, 4 f, iv.