The way forward: Guard against grooming of youth

Experts, prosecutors and activists say there are several ways that churches and parents can protect against sexual abuse:

Develop clear guidelines and training.

Allowing pastors or other church leaders to be alone with children can lead to opportunities for abuse. Establish proper boundaries. Instruct pastors and other leaders to avoid one-onone encounters (even for counseling purposes) with members of the opposite sex. Ban or restrict physical contact, especially with children and teens, and set guidelines to curb or prohibit social media, email or cellphone communications.

Limit texting and computer contact.

Youth pastors should never communicate one-on-one with children/youth group members via texts on cellphones or conduct private chats on Facebook or Skype. These kinds of communications too often go unmonitored and have been used as a gateway to sexual abuse and serial criminal behavior in scores of cases nationwide. A group email or group Facebook page — involving an account to which several adults have regular access — is sufficient for appropriate communication.

Parents also should regularly review their own children’s texts, emails and social media and ask questions. If children feel uncomfortable with any communication or attention they receive from a church leader or anyone else, parents and others should listen and respond and call police if abuse is suspected.

Act on troubling information.

Some minor complaints can be handled by reinforcing guidelines. But police should be informed immediately if abuse or criminal behavior is suspected, including inappropriate touching, texts or exchanges of pornographic/naked images.

Conduct background checks and screen out employees or volunteers who sexually harassed people, committed crimes or failed to set appropriate physical boundaries. They should be referred to counselors and not be allowed to lead youth groups or children’s programs.

Federal law prohibits the possession or exchange of pornographic images of children. If such images are spotted on church computers or church cellphones, police should be informed, and the computers or phones should be safely stored for official inspection.