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…

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…

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…

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…

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…