Child Protection Training

For North Point Christian Church

Thank you for choosing to be a volunteer to work with our children or youth at North
Point. Your time is valued.

Today’s training will focus on how we, as members of the body and volunteers in
different ministries can:
Protect the Child Protect Yourself Protect the Church

We will focus on these factors:

• Reporting Child Abuse
• Who Reports/What is Reported?
• What is Abuse?
o Definition of Child Abuse
• What do I do if someone confides in me?
• What is adequate supervision?

Review of scripture: There are many that pertain to raising children and how Christ
dealt with them. Here are just a few.

Matthew 7:9-12
Matthew 19:13-14
Colossians 4:2-6

It is our duty, responsibility, and privilege to serve the church in best way we know how
with the guidance of scripture and utilizing the gifts and knowledge of those who have
made this type of information available. This is in no way a comprehensive or certified
training with regards to how to safeguard the minors in our care. It is, however, a
reasonable approach and effort the better equip our volunteers.

Acknowledgement of resources:
Safe Environment Program booklet, 10/04 from the Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Church Law and Tax Report, Reducing the Risk guidebook

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 Reporting Child Abuse
Mandate to report under state law:
The Texas law is very specific on reporting suspected child abuse:
§261.101 Persons required to report; time to report, the Texas Family Cod, states:

a) A person having cause to believe that a child’s physical or mental health or welfare has
been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect by any person shall immediately make a
report.

b) If a professional has cause to believe that a child has been or may be abused or
neglected, the professional shall make a report not later than the 48th hour after the professional
first suspects that the child has been or may be abused or neglected. A professional may not
delegate to or rely on another person to make the report. In this subsection “professional” means
an individual who is licensed or certified by the state or who is an employee of a facility
licensed, certified, or operated by the state and who, in the normal course of official duties or
duties for which a license or certification is required, has direct contact with children.

c) The requirement to report under this section applies without exception to an

individual, whose personal communications may otherwise be privileged, including an attorney,
a member of the clergy, a medical practitioner, a social worker, or a mental health professional.

d) The identity of an individual making a report under this chapter is confidential and
may be disclosed only on the order of a court or to a law enforcement officer for purposes of
conducting a criminal investigation of the report.

§261.106. Immunities, states:

a) A person acting in good faith who reports or assists in the investigation of a report of
alleged child abuse or neglect or who testifies or otherwise participates in a judicial proceeding
arising form a report petition or investigation of alleged child abuse or neglect is immune from
civil or criminal liability.

Who Reports/What is Reported?

A church member, volunteer, staff member, or any person engaged in a non-church
activity conducted on church premises, having cause to believe that a someone’s physical or
mental health or welfare has been or may be adversely affected by abuse or neglect shall make a
non-accusatory report reflecting that person’s belief that someone has been or will be abused to
the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Such report must contain the name and
address of the person, name and address of person responsible for a child, if available, and any
other pertinent information.

Suspected abuse or neglect arising from or discovered within the church community must be
reported. This includes incidents related to:

1. Activities that are at the church, church related, church sponsored, or non-church
activities conducted on church premises.
2. Any contact of a church member, volunteer, staff member or clergy with a minor or
vulnerable adult who is or has been a participant in the above, notwithstanding the location
where the suspected abuse took place.

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Volunteers in any of North Point Christian Church’s children’s departments (from nursery to 5th
grade) should consult our Children’s Minister immediately if any type of abuse is occurring or
suspected. This is done so the Children’s minister, if necessary and appropriate, can take
immediate action to secure the child under our supervision. The responsibility to call TDFPS
still lies with the person who suspects or witnesses the abuse.

Volunteers in any of North Point Christian Church’s youth programs (6th grade to 12th grade)
should consult our Senior Minister immediately if any type of abuse is occurring or suspected.
This is done so, if necessary and appropriate, immediate actions can be taken to secure the youth
under our supervision. The responsibility to call TDFPS still lies with the person who suspects
or witnesses the abuse.

As stated previously, oral reports must be made not later than 48 hours after the suspected
abuse to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at: (www.tdprs.state.tx.us)
1 800 252 5400 or 911.
Also required to follow the oral report is a written report within 5 days. That report should be
sent to:
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
2005 S. Los Rios Blvd.
Plano, TX

Oral and written reports shall specifically include:

1. The name of any person or persons from whom information was obtained;
2. How the reporter obtained the information;
3. Details of the conversations with parents, students, coordinators and others;
4. Name and address of the child or youth;
5. Name and address of the person responsible for the care of the child; and
6. Any other pertinent information detailing the suspected abuse.

***As with all interaction within the church body, discretion and sensitivity are of the utmost
importance. Matters of this nature should be kept confidential and between the volunteer and the
director of the program and, of course, TDFPS. Please do not gossip about what you have
encountered. You can, however, pray for the parties involved, for the future of both the victim
and the suspect, and for an outcome that edifies the body of Christ.

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 What is Abuse?

There are four types of abuse:

Physical: An injury or pattern of injuries that happen to a child that are not accidental.
These injuries may include beatings, burns, bruises, bites, welts, strangulation,
broken bones or death.

Neglect: Neglect occurs when adults responsible for the well being of a child fail to
provide for the child. Neglect may include not giving food, clothing, shelter,
failure to keep children clean, lack of supervision and withholding medical care.

Emotional: Any chronic and persistent act by an adult that endangers the mental health or
emotional development of a child including rejection, ignoring, terrorizing,
corrupting, constant criticism, mean remarks, insults, and giving little or no love,
guidance and support.

Sexual: Sexual abuse is the sexual assault or sexual exploitation of children. Sexual abuse
may consist of numerous acts over a long period of time or a single incident.
Children can be victimized from infancy through adolescence. Sexual abuse
includes rape, incest, fondling, exposing oneself, oral copulation, penetration of
the genital or anal openings, as well as forcing children to view or appear in
pornography. The perpetrator keeps the child from disclosing through
intimidation, threats and rewards.

In the United States, between 1:3 and 1:4 females are sexually abused as children. At least 1:7 to
1:10 males have been sexually assaulted before they reach the age of 18.

In 80% of the sexual abuse cases the child knows the offender and 50% of all cases, the offender
is a member of the child’s household.

Abuse crosses all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Two million cases of child abuse are reported each year and of these reported cases, two
thousand children die.

Definition of Child Abuse

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For our purposes, “child abuse” shall be defined to include the following acts or omissions by
any person:
1. Mental or emotional injury to a child that results in an observable and material
impairment to the child’s growth, development, or psychological functioning.
2. Causing or permitting the child to be in a situation on which the child sustains a mental or
emotional injury that results in an observable and material impairment in the child’s
growth, development, or psychological functioning.
3. Physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child, or the genuine threat of
substantial harm from physical injury to the child, including an injury that is at variance
with the history or explanation given.
4. Failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent an action by another person that results in
physical injury that results in substantial harm to the child.
5. Any of the following acts which are inflicted on, shown to, or intentionally practiced in
the presence of the child
• Contact between the genitals of one person and the mouth or anus of another
person.
• Touching of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of another person with
intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person:
• Sexual contact with any person;
• Penetration of the female sex organ by the male sex organ;
• Sexual penetration with a foreign object;
• Incest;
• Sexual assault;
• Sodomy.

6. Failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent the occurrence of any of the acts set out in
paragraph 5 above.
7. Compelling or encouraging the child to engage in any of the acts set out in paragraph 5.
8. Causing, permitting, encouraging, engaging in, or allowing the photographing, filming, or
depicting of the child if the person knew or should have known that the resulting
photograph, film or depiction of the child is obscene or pornographic;
9. Placing the child in or failing to remove the child from a situation that a reasonable
person would realize requires judgment or actions beyond the child’s level of maturity,
physical condition, or mental abilities and that result in bodily injury or a substantial risk
of immediate harm to the child;
10. The failure to seek, obtain, or follow through with medical care for the child, with the
failure resulting in or presenting a substantial risk of death, disfigurement, or bodily
injury or with the failure resulting in an observable and material impairment to the
growth, development, or functioning of the child.
11. The failure to provide the child with food, clothing, or shelter necessary to sustain the life
or health of the child;
12. The failure by a person responsible for a child’s care, custody, or welfare to permit the
child to return to the child’s home without arranging for the necessary care for the child
after the child has been absent from the home for any reason, including having been in a
residential placement or having run away.

What do I do if someone confides in me?

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This is called disclosure and children may disclose in a variety of ways. They may come to you
in private, and tell you directly and specifically what is going on: unfortunately, this is one of the
less common ways for children to disclose.

Indirect hints: e.g. “Mr. Jones wears funny underwear,” “My babysitter keeps bothering me,” “I
don’t want to wait with him alone.” They either haven’t developed the vocabulary to clearly
state the issue, or they are embarrassed or ashamed. If you are able, help the child explain, but
without putting words in their mouths. Their statements my have innocent meanings or they
really are signs of abuse.

Disguised Disclosure: “I know of someone. . .” “A friend of mine. . .” “ What would happen

if. . .
Encourage the child to tell you what she knows about the “other child.”

Disclosure with conditions: “I have to tell you something, but you have to promise not to
tell...”
Assure the child that you will hold their confidence if at all possible and when it won’t cause
them harm. Also, do not discuss it except with those who are directly involved with the process.

Feelings of anger, guilt, denial, confusion are normal reactions to have as the one being confided
in. The way we respond to children will affect them. The best response is to go slowly, not to
ask for too much information too quickly and to keep focus on the child’s needs. This means
that the adult responding should not focus on revenge toward the abuser or his/her own guilt.
Such a response will only frighten the child.

It would be helpful if you documented your conversation with the child AFTER they are done.
This will be helpful if you do indeed make a report.

Responding to Disclosure:
• Do find a private place to talk (following previously mentioned privacy guidelines).
• Try not to panic or appear shocked.
• Express your belief that the child is telling the truth.
• Use the child’s vocabulary.
• Reassure the child that it is good to tell.
• Reassure the child that it is not her/his fault, that they are not bad or guilty.
• Determine the child’s immediate need for safety.
• Let the child know that you will do your best to protect and support them.
• Let the child know what you will do.
• Report to the proper authorities.

What is adequate supervision?

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 Please know this is not to be considered a comprehensive list to ensure the safety of those
participating in scheduled programs. They are common sense guidelines to help perform the
volunteer duties. Adhering to these should help avoid situations that might be misconstrued or
mishandled. Protect the child, protect yourself, and protect the church.
• Supervision is considered to extend to periods before and after an event, including when
children or youth are waiting for transportation outside of the church building.
Children/Youth should never be left by themselves, nor should you allow yourself to be in
the position that it is just you and the child/youth. Ask another adult to wait with you. If the
parent is dropping off a child and your helper has not yet arrived, ask the parent to wait. This
may not be convenient, but it is prudent.
• One adult is never enough. An adequate number of adults will be scheduled to be present
at events involving children and youth. In all settings, the ideal would be to practice the Two
Adult rule at all times. That is, there are two adults present in the room for the assigned
activity proportionate to the number of children/youth participating.
• In cases where a leader and child/youth need to have a private conversation, the door to
the room should be open or the room should be able to be viewed by a passerby.
• Parental permission, including a signed medical treatment form, will be obtained before
taking children or youth on trips or off premises.
• Children/Youth will be encouraged to use a “buddy system” whenever they go on trips
away from church property.
• Do not provide minors with alcoholic beverage, tobacco, drugs or anything that is
prohibited by law. I know this sounds like a great big DUH!, but it means to not even
inadvertently allow them access to those things while under your supervision. Protect them
and remember, this isn’t just Duh!, it’s illegal and it turns you into the abuser.
• Do not engage in the physical discipline of a minor. Corporal punishment is never
permissible. If their behavior is unruly, discuss it with a parent for suggestions on how to
change the behavior next time. Or, discuss the situation with the leader of the
activity/program.
• Topics, vocabulary, recordings, films, games or the use of computer software or any
other form of personal interaction or entertainment that could not be used comfortably in the
presence of parents (or Jesus) should not be employed with minors. Sexually explicit or
pornographic material is never appropriate.
• Do not administer medication of any kind without written parental permission

• Do not photograph minors while they are dressing or unclothed.

• Touching should be age appropriate and based on the need of the minor and not on the
need of the adult. Avoid physical contact when alone with a minor. If a minor initiates
physical contact, an appropriate, limited response is proper. If a kid hugs you, fine. Affirm
their expression of emotion. If a kid wants to sit on you, put them on your knee, not your lap.
Never force a minor to express affection to you. Respect their space and teach them to
respect yours.

• If you recognize inappropriate personal or physical attraction developing between

yourself and a minor, maintain clear professional boundaries between yourself and the minor
or refer the minor to another adult supervisor or remove yourself from the situation/activity.
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 • If you observe anyone (adult or minor) abusing a minor, take appropriate steps to
immediately intervene and to provide a safe environment for the minor. Immediately report
the misconduct.
Tips on using toilet facilities: Obviously, those not toilet trained need to be tended to as
appropriate. If the minor is able to manage his own needs, it is best if they use the bathroom
before or after class. If needed during class, have a classmate go with them rather than an adult.
Only in extreme circumstances would it ever be necessary to enter the facility of the opposite
sex. It would be better to find a helper of the same sex to tend to the issue. If you do need to
escort them, wait outside for them to be done.

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