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Hopefully, your organization will never have to face the financial and emotional devastation of sexual misconduct. But instead of relying upon hope and trust, there are a number of proactive measures and programs that every organization can implement to help prevent sexual misconduct from occurring and minimize the risks associated with an incident.
Sexual Misconduct Statistics
While statistical information regarding child sexual abuse varies substantially, here are a number of dramatic findings from government and other authorities:
Sexual Misconduct Prevention Procedures
Every organization that works with the public should have an official policy in place to help prevent sexual misconduct before it occurs. The following preventive measures are general guidelines only.
1. Carefully Screen Employees and Volunteers
The first step in preventing sexual misconduct is to thoroughly screen the backgrounds of employees and volunteers. Legitimate workers will not be offended, and the process often scares off unwanted individuals. To screen staff members, organizations can take the following actions:
2. Establish Organizational Policies and Procedures
As a second line of defense, organizations should establish written policies and procedures for its employees and volunteers. Once policies and procedures are established, they must be communicated effectively to the staff, and the rules have to be consistently enforced. Here are several examples:
3. Educate Staff, Children, and Parents
An educational program offers your organization a third important line of defense against sexual misconduct. Education can be targeted toward employees, volunteers, parents and children to help everyone identify and avoid potentially dangerous situations. Effective education can include courses such as the following:
4. Develop the Best Prevention Program for Your Organization
Through effective employee and volunteering screening, internal policies and procedures, and education, your staff can develop or further enhance its sexual misconduct risk management program to address the organization’s specific needs. As a result, the entire organization and everyone it serves will be even safer from the nightmare of sexual misconduct. For additional details about sexual misconduct prevention:
To view our complete risk management library of articles for churches and non-profits, click here.
John Keller, CRM ARM CIC AAI is Client Advisor & Risk Manager at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in non-profit and religious organizations. John works with a wide range of business clients to deliver strategic risk analysis and guidance. Comments and questions are welcome at jkeller@gulfshoreinsurance.com
An allegation of child sexual abuse is one of the most difficult situations that a youth serving organization such as a church can experience. Such an incident can have a damaging, lasting impact on the victim and his/her family, upon the organization, upon its members, and upon its impact or ministry to the community. Responding appropriately and in a timely manner is important in addressing the concerns of the individual and the organization, and limiting the lasting damage that can occur.
Should a misconduct claim or allegation take place, consider the following steps in responding to the situation:
Once your organization has established a procedure for handling allegations of abuse, make sure to follow the procedure in every instance. Having a policy or procedure but not following it may be worse than having no policy at all. By planning ahead and having the above information readily available, you may be better positioned to respond in the event of that an allegation of child sexual abuse involving your organization comes to light.
To view our complete risk management library of articles for churches and non-profits, click here.
John Keller, CRM ARM CIC AAI is Client Advisor & Risk Manager at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in non-profit and religious organizations. John works with a wide range of business clients to deliver strategic risk analysis and guidance. Comments and questions are welcome at jkeller@gulfshoreinsurance.com
The death or injury of a member or guest, particularly when the loss involves a child, is a tragedy for the entire congregation. It also carries the potential for serious legal and financial consequences. In most instances, religious organizations no longer are protected by “charitable immunity,” a practice based on the legal premise that because its assets are comparable to a trust fund, they could not be used for purposes other than those intended by donors. Today, the courts assign the same legal responsibility — and liability — to religious organizations as they do any business. It is your obligation to protect your ministry from the potentially disastrous financial consequences — including awards for damages and legal fees — of a lawsuit. You can do this by transferring much of the financial risk to an insurance company. However, prevention should be your most important goal.
The following are examples of tragedies —and their financial repercussions — that have struck during youth group outings of congregations across the United States.
Click here to download the remainder of the safety guide, courtesy of Church Mutual.
To view our complete risk management library of articles for churches and non-profits, click here.
John Keller, CRM ARM CIC AAI is Client Advisor & Risk Manager at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in non-profit and religious organizations. John works with a wide range of business clients to deliver strategic risk analysis and guidance. Comments and questions are welcome at jkeller@gulfshoreinsurance.com
There are few things more enjoyable than seeing a group of children having the time of their lives at a playground. Unfortunately, many of these scenes end with a child being injured — oftentimes seriously — because safety hazards were not dealt with or supervision was lacking.
Playground equipment has improved greatly over the years, but the number of children injured while playing continues to climb. The number of injuries occurring at playgrounds
in the United States is staggering. More than 200,000 playground-related injuries requiring emergency room visits occur each year, which means a serious injury happens at a playground every 2.5 minutes. At schools across the country, accidents at the playground are the leading cause of injuries to students age 5 to 12.
The challenges found at a playground are a great asset for the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of the children who use them. And for many, it is their first social experience. The benefits of a playground certainly should not be eliminated, but steps need to be taken to reduce the risk of injury. Most safety improvements only require a simple maintenance plan and your commitment to carry them out.
Click here to download the full playground safety guide, courtesy of Church Mutual
To view our complete risk management library of articles for churches and non-profits, click here.
John Keller, CRM ARM CIC AAI is Client Advisor & Risk Manager at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in non-profit and religious organizations. John works with a wide range of business clients to deliver strategic risk analysis and guidance. Comments and questions are welcome at jkeller@gulfshoreinsurance.com
During the COVID-19 pandemic, your church leadership team has been left to figure out how to lead your congregation, how to continue the fellowship of believers, and how to continue ministering to your community as a virtual church in a safe and effective way. Many have utilized live streaming video to maximize your impact and keep your congregation as physically safe as possible.
As you continue to navigate the realities of virtual church and trying to make a visual impact, we have compiled a list of the most popular cameras available on the market, ranging in price from an entry level, minimal budget all the way to the top tier, professional gear. Thankfully, while you can spend thousands on camera, lighting, and audio equipment to produce high-quality content, this doesn’t need to be the case. As with most aspects of photography and videography, the financial barrier to entry is low, with your creativity being the most important key to success.
Best Cameras for Video:
Logitech C920 | $ |
Microsoft Lifecam Studio for Business | $ |
Logitech BRIO Webcam | $ |
Canon Vixia HF R800 | $$ |
Panasonic H-V770 | $$ |
Canon 80D | $$$ |
Panasonic Lumix GH4 | $$$ |
Sony a6300 | $$$ |
Sony A7 II | $$$ |
Canon Vixia HF G21 | $$$ |
Canon XA11 | $$$ |
Epiphan LUMiO 12x PTZ Camera | $$$ |
Panasonic Lumix GH5 | $$$$ |
Canon EOS C100 II | $$$$ |
Panasonic AG UX180 | $$$$ |
Canon XF400 | $$$$ |
While it may seem overwhelming to figure out how to get your service online quickly, start with a road map of where you are now and where you want to be. Take note if you already have video equipment available and what type of new equipment you would like to invest in. Consider where you want to stream your sermon. This will determine the platform you end up using to live stream the church service.
It is also important to ensure that your internet connection is fast enough to stream. You can get a dedicated internet connection for your stream. Work on your lighting. When you work on your lighting within the church, your live stream will have a better-quality picture for those watching. Set up your camera with the view you want people tuning in to see. Pick a live streaming platform that’s right for your church. Create your account, set up your stream, practice streaming it and then hit go on Sunday morning.
To view our complete risk management library of articles for churches and non-profits, click here.
John Keller, CRM ARM CIC AAI is Client Advisor & Risk Manager at Gulfshore Insurance specializing in non-profit and religious organizations. John works with a wide range of business clients to deliver strategic risk analysis and guidance. Comments and questions are welcome at jkeller@gulfshoreinsurance.com