Child abuse happens every minute of every day.  In fact, we know that it happens every ten seconds.  We have seen some very shocking reports in the past few weeks of child abuse and even children dying.  I’ve worked for the prevention of child abuse for many years and the fact that children are dying at the hands of those with responsibility for their care doesn’t surprise me anymore.  What still does surprise me, and appall me, is that witnesses who have reasonable cause to know that a child is being harmed, do nothing.  Heads are turned, eyes closed, and excuses are made.  “Oh, I don’t think it’s really abuse. I’m sure I don’t know the whole story.”  The result? The child is injured, the perpetrator is not identified, much less punished, and then the perpetrator is free to hurt the child again.

Georgia law requires child abuse reports to be made within 24 hours of when you have reasonable cause to believe that abuse has or is occurring.  You may report by telephone.  Simply dial 911 and you’ll be connected to the local police.  Your report will be taken and an investigation begins.  If you don’t want to call 911, call the police department or the sheriff’s department.

Churches are involved with children and youth all the time.  Volunteers, workers, teachers, counselors, and others involved at the church are not excused from making reports.  Don’t let yourself believe that someone else will call.  Do what is necessary to protect that child in front of you.  Call 911. Report to the police.  Tell the pastor. Your church is a Safe Sanctuaries church and you know what to do.  Make the report.  Protect the child.

I’m sure I sound angry.  I won’t deny it.  In our world, I think it is horrible that children are abused and injured by those who are legally and morally obligated to love and care for them.  Right now, I think it is horrible that so many cases are making news in Georgia, North Carolina, and other states, not just because children have been abused but because witnesses knew and failed to report.  How can it possibly be reasonable to say that we were aware the child was being starved, or the child was being chained up, or the child was being withheld from school, but we didn’t know what to do??!!

When you have reasonable cause to believe that child abuse has occurred, REPORT IT. CALL 911.  In Georgia and every other state, when you make that call, you’ve done a right and good thing.  For more information go to www.SafeSanctuariesConsulting.com.

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1. The law defines “Child service organization personnel” as persons employed by or volunteering at a business or an organization, whether public, private, for profit, not for profit, or voluntary, that provides care, treatment, education, training, supervision, coaching, counseling, recreational programs, or shelter to children”.  Then, the law states that Child service organization personnel, “having reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused shall report or cause reports of that abuse to be made a provided in this Code section.”  Therefore, under our Georgia law, your volunteers and staff members in ministries with children and youth are mandatory of child abuse.

2. The law requires that reports of child abuse be made “no later than 24 yours from the time there is reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused, by telephone or otherwise and followed by a report in writing, if requested, toa child welfare agency providing protective services, as designated by the Department of Human Services, or, in the absence of such agency, to an apporpriate police authority or district attorney.”  Your ministry leaders must know the DFACS office or the sheriff’s office contact information so that the appropriate reports can be made with the law’s time limits.

3. The law makes it clear that clergy must report child abuse. The only circumstance in which clergy may not report child abuse is the situation where a clergy person’s only knowledge of the abuse is a confession by the perpetrator which is “required to be kept confidential under church doctrine or practice.”  The 2012 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, Paragraph 341.5 states, “All clergy of The United Methodist Church are charged to maintain all confidences inviolate, including confessional confidences, except in the cases of suspected child abuse or neglect or in cases whre mandatory reporting is required by civil law.”   This illustrates that the United Methodist doctrine does not require clergy to keep knowledge of child abuse confidential.  Other denominations may have slightly different provisions.  In light of your denomination’s doctrine, it is important to review the Georgia Child Abuse Reporting Statute to be sure your staff and volunteers understand the responsibilities and requirements for reporting abuse.

You can find the complete text of the Georgia child abuse reporting statute in 2012 House Bill 1176, portions of which are quoted above, posted online at www.legis.ga.gov.  For additional information, contact Joy Melton by email: joy@hindosnmelton.com

For churches in Georgia, this case is noteworthy because the new Georgia Child Abuse Reporting statute took effect on July 1, 2012, and the new statute includes new requirements for clergy to report suspected child abuse.  The new statute, found at O.C.G.A. §19-7-5, makes it clear that all staff and volunteers, even Sunday School teachers, and clergy in nearly all circumstances, must report suspected child abuse within twenty-four hours to the Department of Family and Children’s Services.

If your denomination’s leadership has, in the past, simply reassigned a clergy person to another parish when allegations or suspicion of child abuse surfaced, Georgia’s new statute would necessitate a change in that past practice!  The statute sets forth the requirements for reporting and the consequences for the failure to report, including fines and prosecution.  Georgia’s new statute applies to all types of churches and organizations serving children, not just one denomination.  Be sure that your congregation’s  Safe Sanctuaries training includes the appropriate information for reporting suspected abuse.  This is critical for the protection of children and for the protection of your congregation’s mission.

Cases such as this newest Jehovah’s Witness one should serve as clarion calls to all congregations in every denomination for prudent selection of volunteers and staff at all times as well as open communication between the leaders and members of the congregation when the presence of a convicted sex offender is known.  When a congregation is approached by a convicted sex offender seeking to become a member, there must be serious planning for his/her participation and for the appropriate open communications with other members of the congregation.  The offender does not have a right to privacy or secrecy regarding the conviction because the conviction is a matter of public record.  Congregations must therefore become able to communicate reasonably – factually – and plan for safety.  No congregation can afford to face a verdict such as this one and no congregation can afford to lose its reputation because it hasn’t properly communicated with its entire membership.

For more information, contact  Joy Melton at  www.hindsonmelton.com.

Safe Sanctuaries: The Church Responds to Abuse and Exploitation of Older Adults, by Joy T. Melton, will be published by Discipleship Resources, in September 2012.

This new volume focuses on a broad spectrum of issues related to protecting older adults from physical abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation and abuse. The book provides common-sense, practical risk management information and guidance on legal issues related to protection of  older adults from exploitation by caregivers, volunteers, churches, and family members.  Beyond protection measures, this new book also provides organizational guidance for building your church’s ministries for older adults.

Ms. Melton of Hindson & Melton LLC is available for risk management consultations with individual congregations and organizations serving older adults. Email her for more information, available dates, and fees.

Order Safe Sanctuaries for Ministers: Best Practices and Ethical Decisions (2009) here.

Order Safe Sanctuaries: Reducing the Risk of Child Abuse in Churches (2008) here.