Preventing Sexual Abuse in Youth Sports – What’s Working, What’s Not
January 27, 2012
Can we take one more news report of a child being sexually abused by a coach? In the last calendar year, no area of youth sports has remained untouched by child sexual abuse. Take for example: *Robert ‘Bobby’ Dodd — former president of the Amateur Athletic Union and youth sports basketball coach. Dodd is currently …
Sexual Abuse Awareness Training Required at Texas Colleges and Universities – Senate Bill 1414
January 24, 2012
Effective September 1, 2011 On June 17, 2011, the Texas Governor signed SB 1414, which creates new requirements for ‘institutions of higher education’ that provide or host campus programs for minors. Sexual Abuse Awareness Training is now required by the newly enacted Section 51.976 of the Texas Education Code. What is a ‘Campus Program for …
Texas SB 471 – Changes in the Law for Child Placing Agencies and Day Care Centers – Preventing Sexual Abuse and Maltreatment
October 28, 2011
Gregory S. Love, Esq Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq in mid-June 2011, the Governor of Texas signed SB 471 into law, amending current law related to public schools, charter schools, day care centers and child placing agencies. The overarching purpose of SB 471 requires child abuse and neglect training and policies in schools and child care …
Texas SB 471 – Changes in the Law Impact Private Schools in Texas
October 27, 2011
Gregory S. Love, Esq Kimberlee D. Norris, Esq In 2009, the Texas Legislature passed Jenna’s Law, calling for each public school district to adopt and implement policy aimed at preventing child sexual abuse. This policy, according to the new law, was to implement methods for increasing teacher, student and parent awareness regarding sexual abuse of …
The Cost of Being a Shepherd: How Vienna Presbyterian Church chose between its sexual abuse victims and a potential loss of insurance coverage
July 11, 2011
Recently, Vienna Presbyterian Church of Vienna, Virginia made headlines by ‘trying to do the right thing’ about past sexual abuse at the hands of a student ministries director hired by the church. http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2011-05-09-vienna-virginia-church-abuse-case-lawyers-insurers_n.htm#uslPageReturn (USA Today, May 10, 2011) The article describes the struggle between church leadership and insurance defense counsel in detail, after church leaders …
Why is SEXUAL ABUSE AWARENESS TRAINING so important?
May 24, 2011
Because it’s a foundational piece of an educational model meant to reduce risk. After years of litigating sexual abuse cases, we have concluded that effective prevention occurs only when employees and volunteers have ‘eyes to see and ears to hear’ common grooming behaviors. And it’s important that ALL employees and volunteers who work directly with …
Training: The single most important step a church can take.
May 20, 2011
Train your people to understand the problem. The creation of safe environments for children’s programming requires training. When staff members and volunteers have an awareness of the basic characteristics of a sexual abuser, the process by which an abuser picks and prepares a child for abuse, and key indicators of child sexual abuse, they are better …
What should a church do to protect against the risk of child sexual abuse?
May 2, 2011
An effective safety system for the church should include the following components. Each of these components is valuable as part of a program, but cannont creat a safe environment standing alone. Sexual Abuse Awareness Training (for all staff members and volunteers). An effective screening process (for screening and hiring of personnel, including volunteers). An appropriate criminal …
Sexual Offenders and RSOs in your Church
January 31, 2011
Churches all over the country are dealing with the issue of Sexual Offenders: How should church leadership respond? First, keep in mind the sobering statistics. The US Dept of Justice reports over 550,000 REGISTERED sexual offenders living in the United States today. Conservative studies indicate that preferential offenders, offenders who prefer a child as a …