Child Abuse Prevention Month is a reminder of diligence, vigilance

NASHVILLE (BP) — The attention brought by National Child Abuse Prevention Month for protecting the most vulnerable is not to be relegated to April and doesn’t begin with churches. It does, however, start with the Gospel.

Jeff Dalrymple, director of Abuse Prevention and Response for the SBC Executive Committee, is clear that the topic brings as much uniformity in its importance as diversity in opinions on how to address it.

“It’s a Gospel issue, because every life is precious, made in the image of God and worthy of protection, value and dignity,” said Dalrymple, named to lead the EC’s effort in January of last year. “We, as Southern Baptists, are pro-life from womb to tomb. First and foremost, we protect life and persons made in God’s image. Furthermore, we believe this is a Great Commission issue because many survivors are not following Christ as a result of their abuse when it has taken place in a ministry context.”

One in 5 women and 1 in 6 men worldwide experienced sexual violence as children, according to a recent study by Georgia State University and multiple other organizations. Resources at SBCAbusePrevention.com are available for churches to develop a plan while answering common questions.

The site includes a page for the Abuse Response Helpline, which provides three avenues for reporting. Calls can be made to (833) 611- HELP (4357). Emails may be sent to sbchelpline@ecap.net. A fillable form is expected soon, which will join an existing chat function.

The most effective, and possibly most overlooked, wall of protection is the first one.

Parents and guardians tend to underestimate their role in safeguarding children, Dalrymple said. Tips such as identifying grooming behaviors and helping kids communicate openly can be found through organizations such as One More Child, Darkness to Light, National Children’s Alliance and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Churches have a lot of say in heading off cases of abuse before they can happen, said Joe McLeod of One More Child.

“The risks go up significantly when you look at unstable housing, a high frequency of food insecurity, high rates of poverty and limited education and economic opportunities,” he said. “If we can work upstream and do things now that will prevent children from being abused or in a situation where they will be removed from their home, then that’s ultimately what we want to accomplish.”

Churches wanting to get started or expand their abuse prevention ministry can do so by avenues such as establishing a foster crew for foster parents or contributing backpack meals.

“We’re instructed to care for the least of these, the widows and the orphans,” McLeod said. “It’s very much a Gospel issue because in Scripture we’re instructed to love everyone and to give special attention to those in need.”

Child exploitation happens in every community, he added. Churches can’t mistakenly assume it’s something that happens somewhere else.

In turn, the baseline for taking steps to fight it should be established in faith, not fear, Dalrymple said.

“We don’t want to scare people, but equip them to do their part. The best child protection is when parents disciple their kids.

“Having a child/youth protection plan in place communicates peace of mind to parents as well as the community and can help new families have confidence when they drop kids off at church programs. For this reason, we clearly need to follow our policies and plans, but we might also summarize our child/youth protection commitments on the church website.”

Discipleship modeled at home and in a congregation builds toward the overall response, which affects every ministry in a church.

“Our Gospel witness is another factor at prevention as well as responding well when there is an allegation,” said Dalrymple. “We want to create a safe place for kids — as well as vulnerable adults — to hear the Gospel and grow in Christ — free from abuse. By taking measurable and concrete steps toward protection, we are safeguarding our kids, our witness, and we are operating with biblical stewardship as one that will one day give an account to the Lord.”