There have been many alarming stories in the media about sexual abuse of children in athletic organizations, religious organizations, and schools. Organizations have a responsibility to protect the children they support from a sexual perpetrator. Beyond the moral responsibility, some organizations, such as youth sports organizations, are required by law to take specific steps to prevent child sexual abuse. Given the trust-based nature of this crime, it can be very difficult to detect dangerous behavior(s) until it is too late. Among the cases of child sexual abuse reported to law enforcement, 93% involve a perpetrator that the child knows and trusts, such as a relative, care provider, family friend, coach, student leader, or ministry volunteer. Taking additional, cost-effective prevention measures that increase your organization’s barriers to this crime remains in the best interests of the children you support.
Creating a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program
It is important for child-serving organizations to have a comprehensive child abuse prevention program in place. Key elements of an effective child sexual abuse prevention program include:
1. Support from the organization’s senior leadership
2. Documented policies and procedures to include a prohibitive position statement and reporting procedures
3. Documented employee/volunteer training
4. Specific elements placed in the hiring process to include employment application question(s) and reference checks to elicit high-risk responses
5. Criminal background checks completed as required by state law
6. Specific training for hiring managers on points four and five
Abuse Prevention Systems offers a step-by-step guide and videos to assist organizations in building a child safety system. This is part of Abuse Prevention Systems’ 5-Part Safety System – a comprehensive program that utilizes overlapping layers of protection to ensure no situation is overlooked.
Abuse Prevention Systems’ 5-Part Safety System
1. Awareness Training
2. Skillful Screening Process
3. Policies and Procedures
4. Background Checks
5. Monitoring and Oversight
The Sexual Abuse Awareness Training was updated in early 2018 and is available in English and Spanish with the following subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Thai.
Consider getting $1,000,000 Sex Abuse and Molestation insurance policy. For qualified businesses, the premium starts from ~$1,000/yr and the coverage will also include general and professional liability. A standalone abuse and molestation coverage starts at around $2,500/yr plus applicable tax and fees. To get abuse and molestation insurance quote complete the Application for Small Business Insurance Coverage and mention “Include Abuse and Molestation” in the comments section.
IMPORTANT NOTICE – The information and suggestions presented in this article are for your consideration in your loss prevention efforts. They are not intended to be complete or definitive in identifying all hazards associated with your business, preventing workplace accidents, or complying with any safety-related, or other, laws or regulations. You are encouraged to alter them to fit the specific hazards of your business and to have your legal counsel review all of your plans and company policies.