Safe Church Policy

Approved June 9, 2003

Mission Statement

The Safe Church Policy of the Second Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, New London, Connecticut provides for a safe and nurturing environment for all who participate in its programs.

Section I - Introduction

A. Policy Statement

The Second Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, New London, Connecticut - hereafter referred to as "the church" - prohibits all forms of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, and sexual harassment as defined below, in any activities sponsored by the church. It is the intention and responsibility of the church to take whatever action may be needed to prevent and correct behavior which is contrary to this policy. These actions include screening staff and volunteers, training staff and volunteers, setting guidelines for working with youth, publicizing reporting procedures and responding effectively to reports of abuse.

This policy shall be reviewed annually by the Church and Ministry Committee to ensure its continued effectiveness.

B. Definitions

Sexual Abuse is defined as any of the following:
1. Repeated or coercive sexual advances (verbal and/or physical) toward another person contrary to his or her wishes.
2. Sexual activity or contact between persons of unequal power, such as between Minister and congregant, church school teacher and child, or choir director and choir member.
3. Any sexual activity in which a minor is used for sexual gratification, including but not limited to: inappropriate touching or verbal contact, pornographic material, obscene phone calls, exhibitionism, and fondling.
Physical Abuse is defined as non-accidental physical harm inflicted on a child or adult by a person of authority or greater power.
Emotional Abuse is defined as language or actions intended to harm the emotional well-being of another person. This includes shaming, teasing and isolation.
Sexual Harassment is defined as any unwanted attention including sexual abuse as defined above.
Minors are people under the age of eighteen years.

Section II - Personnel policies

A. Screening process

All paid staff, and volunteers who work with minors, shall complete the forms set forth below. Completed forms shall be kept in a file, access to which is restricted to the Minister, the Council Chair and the person's supervisor(s), except as required by law.
Paid staff shall complete the following forms:
1. Criminal Records Check Form (Appendix C)
2. Disclosure form (Appendix B)
The Church and Ministry Committee and the appropriate committee chairs shall be responsible for screening these applicants.
Volunteers who work with minors shall complete the following forms:
1. Application - Volunteer Position Form (Appendix A)
2. Disclosure form (Appendix B)
The Director/Coordinator of Christian Education and the Chair of the Christian Education Committee shall be responsible for screening these applicants.
Adults who will supervise overnight stays of minors shall complete the following form:
1. Disclosure form (Appendix B)
The Director/Coordinator of Christian Education and the Chair of the Christian Education Committee shall be responsible for screening these applicants.

B. Selection criteria

All paid staff, and volunteers who work with minors, are subject to these restrictions:
1. An individual with an undeclared criminal history shall not be considered.
2. An individual with a conviction involving child abuse shall not be considered.
3. An individual who has any criminal history which may impair his or her ability to effectively perform the functions of the position for which he or she is applying will not be considered.
Volunteers who work with minors are limited to:
1. Church members who have been regular attendees for six months.
2. Persons who have been regular attendees for one year.
Regular attendance is defined as attendance at Sunday service at least twice each month

C. Training

All paid staff, and volunteers who work with minors, shall be given a copy of the Safe Church Policy. They shall be trained by the Director/Coordinator of Christian Education, working with the Church and Ministry Committee, regarding their responsibility in preventing and reporting allegations of sexual, physical and emotional abuse or sexual harassment.
Training of paid staff, and volunteers who work with minors, shall cover the following:
1. Basic orientation to the facts about sexual, emotional and physical abuse and sexual harassment.
2. Description of what to look for in order to prevent abuse.
3. Explanation of the Safe Church Policy and the reporting procedures.
4. How to respond to reports of abuse.
The Safe Church Policy shall be made available to all members and prospective members of the church. The church will provide two training sessions per year. All committee members are encouraged to attend one.

D. Supervision

It shall be the responsibility of the Director/Coordinator of Christian Education to supervise all volunteers who work with minors to ensure compliance with the Safe Church Policy.
The supervision of other paid staff is the responsibility of the Church and Ministry Committee and/or another appropriate Committee.
When adults are supervising children the following guidelines shall be followed:
1. If any child is to participate in a chaperoned or supervised church activity away from the church, a field trip form must be submitted to the Director/Coordinator of Christian Education (Appendix D).
2. Any person transporting children in a motor vehicle must complete the Transporting Children in a Motor Vehicle Form (Appendix E).

E. Reporting of incidents

All staff and volunteers shall adhere to the following reporting procedures in the event of a reported or observed incident of sexual, physical or emotional abuse or sexual harassment:
1. Any and all incidents shall be reported within 24 hours to the Minister, the Council Chair or the Director/Coordinator of Christian Education.
2. The incident shall be documented in writing by the council chair or staff member who received the report using the Misconduct Incident Report Form (Appendix F).

Section III - Response to evidence of abuse

A. Introduction

The church staff and/or Council Chair shall treat every allegation of sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse or sexual harassment seriously. They shall thoroughly investigate every allegation in a prompt and professional manner. The accused shall be treated with respect and dignity during the investigation process. Every effort shall be made to comfort and protect the victim of the alleged abuse and to ensure that the victim's needs are being met.

B. Formation of a Response Team

When a report of abuse has been received, the Minister, the Director/Coordinator of Christian Education and Council Chairperson shall meet within 24 hours to implement an appropriate response. They may choose to end the response process at this point if it is clear that no violation of the Safe Church Policy has occurred.
If the Minister is involved in the allegation, the Council Chair or the Director/Coordinator of Christian Education shall inform the Regional Associate Conference Minister of the alleged incident.
A response team shall be formed to investigate and act on the reported abuse. It will remain in place until the incident is deemed resolved. The response team shall include a deacon, the Council Chairperson, a Christian Education committee member and two members of the congregation appointed by the Church and Ministry Committee. If the Council Chairperson is involved in the incident, another council member shall be substituted. One member of the response team shall be designated the spokesperson of the church to the media.

C. Response Team Actions

The response team shall:
1. Immediately notify the parent or guardian of any minor involved in the incident.
2. Notify the church's insurance carrier.
3. Notify and discuss allegations with the church's legal counsel to ensure that all legal requirements are met in the response process.
4. Notify the congregation as appropriate.
The response team's actions may include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Overall evaluation of the incident, including interviews with the alleged victim and accused, and counseling referrals if necessary.
2. Monitoring of the accused, and documenting contacts with the accused.
3. Discussion with the accused to ensure he/she understands and respects appropriate limits of behavior.
4. Immediate removal of the accused from the position or placement on leave, pending completion of the investigation.
5. Filing a report with appropriate law-enforcement agencies.
6. Requesting assistance through the Department of Children and Families.
7. Resolution of the case without law-enforcement intervention if all parties agree on a solution, and the Church's legal counsel supports the solution.

Section IV - Youth program guidelines

In order to protect children, who are especially vulnerable to abuse, the following guidelines shall be observed.

A. Program settings

Children's programs shall take place either in open areas, rooms with glass doors or rooms with open doors – never in remote or private spaces.
Two or more adults shall be present at all children's programs whenever possible. Adults shall avoid placing themselves in compromising situations by being alone with a child out of sight of other adults. If a child has not been picked up on time by parents, two adults shall remain with the child. Children shall not be driven home by a lone adult. Instead, parents should be asked to pick up the children, or two adults shall bring the child home with parental consent.
All program participants shall remain with the group throughout the program. Children shall not be permitted to separate from the group activity or from adult supervision.

B. Interacting with children

When touching children, adults shall follow these guidelines:
1. Adults shall touch children only in appropriate ways and places such as on the hand, shoulder or upper back, avoiding discomfort or over-stimulation of the child.
2. Adults shall not touch children against their will except to protect the child or other people.
3. Adults shall not touch a part of a child's body that would be covered by a bathing suit, except in cases of clear medical necessity or when changing a diaper or helping a young or handicapped person use the toilet.
4. Adults shall not initiate or encourage physical contact such as wrestling, horseplay or any other high-contact games.
Children shall not be disciplined through the use of spanking, hitting, slapping or any other form of physical punishment. Verbal reprimands shall not include destructive criticism, insults or shouting. When an adult encounters a particularly difficult situation, he or she should seek assistance from the person in charge (Director/Coordinator of Christian Education or Minister).
Guidelines for toileting young children:
1. All adults will wait outside the bathroom door for children while they are performing personal sanitary functions.
2. When able, a child should take care of her/his own clothes after toileting. When a child needs help, the adult should have the child step out of the stall into an open area.
3. Any adult who is helping a child go to the bathroom should inform the other adult in the room that this is what they are doing.
When helping children to clean up from crafts and to wash hands, the door to the bathroom should be left open.