The following post is by Joshua Breazeale. Joshua is a CBF Fellow and the Minister of Education and Children at Oakmont Baptist Church in Greenville, N.C. He is a 2010 graduate of Campbell University Divinity School. He has been blessed with a wonderful wife, and two sons.
Joshua attended the Justice and Peacemaking Ministries mission community gathering on Thursday at the 2013 CBF General Assembly. His thoughts and reflections on that workshop session are below.
by Joshua Breazeale
Child sexual abuse is a topic that many people find difficult or uncomfortable to talk about. It is often a topic that people are misinformed about and is plagued by myths.
On the surface it may look like an issue that does not greatly impact the church. The truth is, far more people are impacted by child sexual abuse in all churches than we even know. This is a topic in which parents and congregations need to work together to prevent another child from becoming a victim. My role as a Minister of Children and as a parent is to prioritize children and be intentional about protecting them.
Child sexual abuse is a widespread problem that impacts many children. One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually molested before the age of 18. That is a statistic that when I first heard it I was shocked.
Child sexual abuse occurs across all economic, education and gender levels.
One myth about child sexual abuse is that children do not often know their molester.
Statistics show that 80-90% of children know their molester. There are two primary types of molesters. A grabber is often a stranger. A groomer is often someone who is known by the child and trusted by the inner circle of the child’s family. A groomer spends a considerable amount of time cultivating a relationship before abusing the child.
The North Carolina Department of Justice provides statistics on registered sex offenders. There are 190 registered sex offenders within a five mile radius of the Sheraton Hotel in Greensboro, the host site of the 2013 CBF General Assembly.
There are 701 registered sex offenders in Guilford County, where Greensboro is located. The statistic that is impossible to track is how many molesters there are who have not been caught or made the registry.
We all know it is important to protect kids from such a traumatic experience. Child sexual abuse victims are impacted for the rest of their lives.
How can the church best provide protection for kids?
First and foremost you have to get informed. You need to have a knowledge base of what child sexual abuse is and how to recognize molesters.
Secondly the church needs to build a community to protect kids. One way this can be accomplished is through intentionally training adults so they know what to look for and can intervene.
It is also necessary for churches to have childcare worker policies that require background checks for all volunteers. Policies also need to establish procedures for release of children, the requirement of at least two approved workers per classroom as well as clear guidelines for reporting child sexual abuse.
It is also important to teach children that they have a right to say no to un-wanted touch and to tell when someone makes them feel uncomfortable, scared or confused. When a child makes a disclosure it is important to watch your reaction.
Child sexual abuse is a serious allegation but it is important to give serious consideration to a child’s claim. The scenario in which children lie about abuse or imagine it happening is rare. Many children do not have the vocabulary to describe the abuse they have experienced. If a child perceives that you are not taking them seriously, you run the risk of the disclosure shutting down.
The church has a responsibility to be proactive about preventing child sexual abuse.
Statistically speaking the chances of a child being impacted by child sexual abuse in your church is high. No matter how difficult the conversation may be it is imperative for churches to talk about and be educated about child sexual abuse.
The Justice and Peacemaking Ministries mission community of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is a network for protecting kids. It is a place for resources, dialogue and to share resources.
Join the conversation at http://missioncommunities.org/justice. Our children deserve for the church and their parents to be proactive and to be intentional about protecting them.