Child Abuse Pastor's Responsibilities with Child Abuse

Comment by Sabina:

Pastor's Responsibilities with Child Abuse

It is important for pastors and youth pastors to become familiarized with the child abuse laws in the state in which they serve. Many youth pastors encounter child abuse in their service to their church, and there are specific guidelines that should be followed for reporting child abuse. Failure to report child abuse can result in criminal prosecution for the youth pastor (Hammar, 2010). If a youth pastor gains information about a child being abused in their home environment, he/she must follow the proper protocols for reporting child abuse. The youth pastor should also inform the senior pastor about the abuse.

The senior pastor should ensure that the youth pastor contact the local child protective services and report the abuse. The senior pastor should also ensure the church has procedures for handling child abuse that are in accordance with state laws. If the church currently does not have procedures for handling child abuse, they should ensure research is conducted and proper procedures are in place. The senior pastor should speak with the child, and get as much information available about the abuse, name of parents and address. They should open a file...

The pastor should also ensure the method of reporting is recorded to ensure the church is following proper procedures. This record should be stored in a confidential environment such as on a computer with password, to protect the privacy of the victim.
The church is required to keep a record of the name of the child, the name of the parents or abusers and address if it can be obtained. Most state have toll free numbers where the abuse can be reported. The responsibility of the pastor to the child is to ensure she is in a loving, caring, healthy environment. As the senior pastor it is his ethical concern to ensure that this matter is placed in the hands of the proper authorities so that it can be handled appropriately. As a trusted member of the community the senior pastor should ensure the state laws are being followed about reporting child abuse.

As the youth pastor and senior pastor of the church, it is important to keep the child's identity confidential to protect the child. Information such as this should be handled delicately. The senior pastor could address the issue of child abuse with the team without sharing specific information about the child and family.…