I almost cannot read this book.I may need to back-up and make a turn....
Yes, our churches, ministries, parents, teachers---so many adults, must know about terrible, abusive experiences children sometimes participate in for the sake of adults and children they love.
How can grown-ups do this to children? How can children participate...for those they love? Do many churches and ministries have policies to help control this, as soon as they know of such adult/childhood behavior? Or is it sometimes known and ignored?
This book: The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide, published by New Growth Press (NGP) "is a comprehensive, concrete resource that will aid churches in keeping children safe, holding offenders accountable, and witnessing their commitment to care for the least of these." This quote, and many like it, is accompanied by encouraging words, the stories and details of such happenings among our children and adults and how we can protect our children as we hear of incidents of abuse.
Perhaps we did not know. Perhaps we have not heard. Perhaps the children are afraid to tell us. But here we have an important Policy Guide for safety regarding our children.
Authors Basyle Tchividjian and Shira M. Berkovits and their team have provided us, parents, churches, ministries---all who need to know about these horrible demands sometimes forced on our children. Who knew? some may say. But now we can know and we know what to do to protect our children.
From Getting Started to using a Child Safeguarding Certification (p. 3), which provides necessary resources and support, and concludes with a chapter on Empowering Children, a good beginning. Educational programs for the children will help them learn what the rules are and how they can have "general body safety." An educator, even a parent, can encourage the children to become involved in their own education. For example, a youth group could have a discussion on "creating safe spaces" or, asking "what would make them feel safe" that could be helpful. Such conversations would help them feel safer, wherever they are.
I recommend this book. My children are all grown-up and past all the good and helpful ideas to be found in it. But I have grandchildren, even great-grandchildren who might like to talk with Grammie about people and spaces and kindness, and maybe even talk with the teacher.
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