Safe Congregations Resources
The Safe Congregation Handbook: Nurturing Healthy Boundaries in Our Faith Communities
Patricia Hoertdoerfer and Fredric Muir, Editors
The Safe Congregation Handbook provides clear procedures, policies and workshops for creating, supporting and nurturing safe and healthy boundaries in our faith communities. This thorough guide explores the important, widespread and complex social issues of interpersonal violence and abuse. Topics include anti-oppression work, youth safety and self-care programs.
Responsible
Staffing: Helping You Create Safe Congregations for Children, Youth, and Vulnerable
Adults
Abuse of children, youth, and vulnerable adults is a horrific reality in our
society, and Unitarian Universalist congregations are not immune. The unfortunate
truth is that abuse has occurred in our own congregations. Congregational leaders – paid and volunteer – know at a gut level that we have a responsibility
to be proactive in preventing such tragedy. And we do.
Balancing Acts: keeping children safe in congregations
Covenants and Codes of Ethics:
The issue of the sexual abuse of children by clergy has recently been highlighted
in the media. Unitarian Universalists are fortunate to be part of a caring religious
community that is proactive in regard to sexual ethics and social justice issues.
Our religious professionals are accountable to their Code
of Professional Practices of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association
and/or Liberal
Religious Educators' Association .
Most UU congregations use a Code of Ethics for adults working with children
and youth. Many of our congregations have developed safety policies; some
congregations have created covenants of right relationships. An invaluable
resource for congregations is:
Creating Safe Congregations: Toward an Ethic of Right Relations Workbook
Creating Safe Congregations: Toward An Ethic of Right Relations
is edited by Patricia Hoertdoerfer and William Sinkford. The seven chapters
address clergy misconduct and abuse; peer harassment and abuse; and child
abuse and neglect. Each of the seven chapters includes: a process guide
that is a session plan for participants and congregations to grapple with
issues through reflection, exploration and integration; a discussion essay
that sets the issue and context of the theme; and resources to facilitate
the congregation's work. A brief summary of the seven chapters follows.
- "An Ethic of Right Relations" by Deborah Pope-Lance invites
participants to work through the spiritual and ethical dimensions
of these issues.
- "We Are All Responsible" by Betty Hoskins and Phyllis
Rickter explores issues of power and authority in UU leadership.
- "Abusing a Sacred Role" by Deborah Pope-Lance examines
issues of clergy sexual abuse and misconduct.
- "A Healthy Religious Education Community" by Patricia
Hoertdoerfer, Gretchen Thomas, et al., explores safety guidelines
for RE programs including prevention education components for teacher
training.
- "Just Relations in a Safe Congregation" by Fredric Muir
explores the use of justice as a defining characteristic of right
relations.
- "Healing in Right Relations" by Michelle Hunt examines
elements of healing in defining right relations and safe spaces.
- "Creating and Reviewing Our Covenant" by William Sinkford
invites congregations to create covenants of right relationships.
A compendium of UU resources on sexual abuse plus a bibliography complete
this workbook. This resource is available for purchase from the UUA
Bookstore online or by calling 800-215-9076.
Safety/Abuse Clearinghouse Resource Packet
Another resource available to every congregation is the UUA's Safety/Abuse
Clearinghouse Packet. This packet includes the pamphlet "Honoring
the Children: What We Can Do To Prevent Child Abuse"; a healing service
for survivors and congregations by Rev. Lindi Ramsden; sample safety policies
and congregational guidelines; sample contracts for religious education
volunteers; information on reporting procedures and state laws governing
mandatory reporters; and resource list of organizations and prevention
education materials. To receive this packet your congregation's president,
minister, or religious educator can contact Tracey Robinson-Harris  at 617-948-6462.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education Curricula
Our Whole Lives (OWL), the UUA's comprehensive life-span
sexuality education series, addresses issues of sexual abuse in each of
its five curricula. The curricula for children and youth are especially
strong on this topic as indicated in the following chapters of these four
components. This proactive prevention education gives our children and
youth information about abuse including how to recognize it, avoid it,
and report it.
- Our Whole Lives: Grades K-1, Session Three: Healthy
Bodies, Safe Bodies includes the story "Pamela Needs Help"
and the No! Go! Tell! Rules.
- Our Whole Lives: Grades 4-6, Session Six: Health and Safety
includes strategies on how to recognize and end abusive or potentially
abusive situations.
- Our Whole Lives: Grades 7-9, Unit Ten: Abuse of Sexuality includes
two sessions -- Recovering From Sexual Abuse, and Sexual Harassment
and Acquaintance Rape.
- Our Whole Lives: Grades 10-12, Session Eleven: Sexuality and
Social Issues Power and Control includes workshops on "Sexual Exploitation,
Sexual Harassment, and Erotica"; "Date Rape"; and "Between Consenting
Adults."
- The Parent Guide to Our Whole Lives Grades K-1 and Grades 4-6,
empowers parents and enhances their participation in the sexuality education
of their children by providing examples of "teachable moments"
and answers to frequently asked questions.
All fourteen components of this life-span comprehensive sexuality education
series are available from the UUA Bookstore.
District Offices
An excellent resource available in every district office is Reducing
the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse in Your Church by Richard Hammar,
Steven Klipowicz, and James Cobble (guidebook, educational training manual,
video, and audio tape). District staff are available to consult with congregational
leaders, ministers, religious educators about issues of sexual misconduct
and boundary violations. Contact your district office for further information.
Safety & Risk Management Issues for
Congregation Leaders (in PDF
format), by Laurel Amabile, Liefspan Program Consultant, Thomas
Jefferson District
This resource focuses on congregational Religious Education policies and
procedures (including those related to volunteers) and offers a sample
"confidential documentation form."
Child and Youth Protection Requirements
(in PDF
format), by Tera Little, Pacific Southwest District
This resource includes information on 1.) screening and selection of workers
with children and youth, 2.) supervision requirements, 3.) procedures
for reporting response and removal of an Advisor, and 4.) code of conduct
for workers with children and youth.
Safe Congregations Staff Team:
Staff from Ministry and Professional Leadership, Life Span Faith
Development, and Congregational Services, along with the Association's
executive vice-president, form the UUA Safe Congregations Staff Team. The
team reviews, communicates, and coordinates UUA staff responses to UU
situations and cases of sexual abuse and/or misconduct.
The Safe Congregations Staff Team selected a Safe Congregations Panel
with the mission to recommend to the Association a UUA response and ministry
to victims/survivors of clergy sexual misconduct. Rev. Fredric Muir was
appointed chairperson of this eight-person panel. Click here to read the
panel's report, Restorative
Justice: Unitarian Universalists Responding to Clergy Sexual Misconduct
.
Information from the Insurance Industry:
Church Mutual Insurance Company
offers information on risk management and related topics. Included
is "Reducing
the Risk of Sexual Misconduct," A Guide for Pastors and Staff
Members Who Work With Adults" by James F. Cobble, Jr., D.Min., Ed.
D.
Sample policies (in Word format):
Workshops available:
Creating Sexually Healthy Faith Communities
Resources from Alban Institute on safety:
http://www.congregationalresources.org/ShowCat.asp?CN=1&SCN=23&SSCN=26
For information or assistance, contact the
Rev. Dr. Tracey Robinson-Harris, Director of the Congregational Services
Staff Group (phone: 617-948-6462).
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