Ten Sexual Abuse Prevention Essentials for Summer Camps and Programs

Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. (a stock insurer) ¹ provides tips to support nonprofits, schools and houses of worship

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.:

WHAT: The risk of childhood sexual abuse is real. Here are some sobering statistics:

• One in four girls and one in 13 boys experience sexual abuse at some point in childhood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Ninety-one percent of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone the child or the child’s family knows.

Given the thousands of children sexually abused each year, abuse prevention for youth-serving organizations is of paramount importance. As schools, nonprofit organizations and houses of worship open their doors for in-person summer camps and programming, Church Mutual recommends these 10 essentials of sexual abuse prevention:

TIPS:

1. Provide training
   Awareness training is an essential element in proving a standard of care and reducing the risk of sexual abuse. Everyone serving children in your organization should participate in and complete awareness training every year. Your training program should include elements that develop individuals’ skills in identifying predatory behaviors such as grooming of victims and gatekeepers.
2. Establish sensible policies and procedures
   Develop policies and procedures that demonstrate a recognition and awareness of the risk. Effective policies and procedures serve as a deterrent and make your organization a less attractive target for those with bad intentions.
3. Perform criminal background checks
   In today’s society, conducting a background check of prospective employees and volunteers has become a standard of care. It is important to tailor your background checks to specific positions, especially those working with children in a less structured or less easily supervised environment.
4. Screen workers and volunteers
   Criminal background checks are not a standalone solution for screening the workers and volunteers who will be working with children. In addition to background checks, consider using a written application form, in-person interviews and check references where the individual has worked or volunteered with minors in the past.
5. Maintain appropriate supervision levels with children
   Maintain adequate worker-to-child ratios, which may vary depending on the age group of the children being supervised. Avoid incidents of isolation by having at least two workers present when working with minors.
6. Supervise the staff
   In addition to supervising the children under your organization’s care, establish appropriate supervision of the staff and volunteers working with minors. Have a designated leader on-site available to address any staff issues or questions. Consider using a roaming supervisor who can check on worker supervision in childcare settings.
7. Establish digital and online behavior guidelines
   Digital and online interactions with minors including texting, photo sharing and social media can be high risk, particularly when parents are not aware of the communication. Establish digital and online behavior guidelines to clearly set out what is - and is not - appropriate digital interaction between workers and minors.
8. Understand mandatory reporting obligations
   Be aware of the sexual abuse laws and mandatory reporting requirements of your state. Empower employees and volunteers to report abuse.
9. Establish an abuse response process
   Take allegations of abuse seriously and respond to them appropriately. The response should prioritize the victim. The actions taken following a complaint or accusation should focus on protecting the victim and other youth within the organization.
10. Provide monitoring and oversight of your sexual abuse prevention program
    Setting up a sexual abuse prevention program is not a “once and done” task. Policies and procedures should be reviewed regularly. Training should be monitored to ensure it is completed on an ongoing basis. Revise and update your program to ensure it is up to date and continues to meet organizational needs and protects youth.

In addition to these 10 tips, Church Mutual offers more sexual abuse prevention resources free on its website. To access the tools and information, visit: https://www.churchmutual.com/169/Sexual-Abuse-Prevention

About Church Mutual

Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, senior living facilities, secular and non-secular camps and conference centers, and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. Church Mutual markets most lines of commercial property and liability insurance, including multi-peril, workers' compensation and commercial auto insurance. In addition to insurance, Church Mutual provides a spectrum of value-added solutions that benefit its customers. Church Mutual holds the following honors:

• A.M. Best Company "A" (excellent) rating
• Wisconsin 75 Top Private Company by Deloitte US, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020
• Wisconsin 75 Distinguished Performer: Innovation by Deloitte US 2019
• 2021 Gallup Culture Transformation Award recipient
• 2020 Women and Diversity Award recipient from the American Property Casualty Insurance Association
• Futuremakers Partner by Wisconsin Technical College System
• Celent Model Insurer for innovation and emerging technologies
• Award in Innovation for entrepreneurialism and innovation by National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies
• 2018-2019 Employer of the Year by Northcentral Technical College

¹Church Mutual is a stock insurer whose policyholders are members of the parent mutual holding company formed on 1/1/20. S.I. = a stock insurer.