Child sexual abuse and the church:

Let the little children come to me” (Luke 18:16, NCV). This verse packs some powerful messages: Jesus loves children, and He knows they are at the mercy of others. Furthermore, He wants them to know Him and all that He has to offer.

But in our fallen world, countless children never get to know Jesus. Instead, many of them encounter just the opposite: evil. A study in 2021 showed that in just that year approximately one billion children suffered the horrors of all kinds of abuse.¹ One of its most heinous forms is sexual exploitation.

Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse in which a person of any age takes advantage of a power imbalance to force or entice a child into engaging in sexual activity in return for something received either by the children themselves and/or by those perpetrating or facilitating the abuse. As with other forms of child sexual abuse, the presence of perceived consent does not nullify the abusive nature of the act itself.²

Prevalence

Sex traffickers buy, sell, rent, and trade an estimated 1.7 million children a year. Such children are regularly beaten, injected with narcotics, forced to watch others being abused, and required to pose for pornographic photos and videos.³

For millions of other children, sexual exploitation takes place right at home. A US study reveals that 90 percent of sexually abused children know their abusers, including teachers, neighbors, caregivers, coaches, and clergy. Abuse of about 30 percent of such children comes from family members.⁴

Churches—not always safe places

Sadly, abuse has happened in churches too. Some pastors, priests, and sexual predators within churches have caused lifelong trauma in children through sexual abuse. In addition, some church leaders may suppress reports of sexual abuse to avoid “tainting” the church, resulting in cover-ups. Or a church’s cultural community may frown on bringing sexual issues into the light.

Many child sexual abusers love churches and fit right in. Usually, they are kind, well-liked, and involved with children. A 2014 study mentions that 93 percent of the child sexual offenders in the study group considered themselves “religious.” One predator said that he targets children in churches because “church people are easy to fool.”⁵

Even pastors who want to keep children safe often do not receive the training they need. For example, can you answer these questions?

• How do you spot a sexual predator?
• How do you know who is telling the truth?
• What are your reporting responsibilities?

Arm yourself and your congregation

1. Learn about childhood sexual exploitation.

1. Be aware of the many forms of child sexual abuse.⁶
2. Learn to spot a child who might be sexually abused.⁷
3. Know what to look for when suspecting a sex abuser.⁸

2. Know what to do when you receive a report of abuse.

Both victims and perpetrators need help, but—unless you are a professional licensed to treat sexually abused people—it is not your job. You simply do not know enough to counsel either party, and you can compound the damage with your good intentions.

But you can take these actions:

1. Find out if you are a mandated reporter (if you are not, report anyway):
   • United States (by state)⁹
   • INHOPE Hotline network, access to reporting advice for 54 countries¹⁰
2. Report the abuse to the proper authorities according to the laws of your state or country:
   • Officials in countries around the world¹¹
   • Contacts and procedures for the United States¹²
3. Immediately put safety measures in place to protect the targeted child as well as others.
4. Restrict the accused person from your church and campus until a court of law or child protection agency completes an investigation.
5. Maintain confidentiality with respect to all involved.
6. Compassionately reassure the child, explaining that what happened to them was not their fault, that they deserve no shame, and that the church will support them through their painful journey.¹³
7. Offer spiritual counseling to the affected child/family. You can also provide spiritual counseling to the accused—off church grounds.

3. Develop, implement, and monitor a child safety plan

Section 2 above shows only pieces of the puzzle. At the least, a basic plan in your church would include several components:

1. Sexual abuse awareness training
2. Procedures and policies with ongoing monitoring
3. Communication with the congregation
4. Ongoing background checks
5. Mandated reporting guidelines

Creating a safety plan takes time, but you can put the following safety measures in place immediately:

1. Inform your congregation that this is an area of focus for your church.
2. Conduct background checks on everyone who works with children.
3. Set up sign-in/sign-out procedures for dropping off and picking up children.
4. Appoint a child safety team from your congregation and charge them to create, implement, and monitor a child safety plan.

Your team will not need to start from scratch. Specialty organizations consult, train, and assist in creating safety plans. Or look for do-it-yourself resources. Search online for “child sexual abuse training for churches” or “creating a child-safe program for churches.”

Resources

The Seventh-day Adventist denomination offers excellent information online. The following divisions offer ready resources:

1. North American Division¹⁴ (Abuse Prevention resource)¹⁵
2. Northern Asia-Pacific Division¹⁶
3. Trans-European Division¹⁷

Contact your church administrative office to find out if a program is available in your region.

Other articles, fact sheets, and organizations

1. GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) advocates for child sexual abuse victims in Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Australia, and Europe. It offers a safety toolkit, in-person or online training, and more—for a fee, but with financial assistance available.¹⁸
2. “Must Pastors Report Abuse?” gives a biblical perspective of the church’s essential role in caring for abused children.¹⁹
3. “How Churches Can Show Up for Abuse Victims” offers many practical ideas.²⁰
4. “Violence Against Children” provides in-depth information about the long-term harm caused by child abuse.²¹
5. A fact sheet by “Stop It Now! Minnesota” explains touching and non-touching behaviors in child sexual abuse.²²
6. “INSPIRE: Seven Strategies for Ending Violence Against Children” includes a handbook and program development guide about stopping violence against children.²³
7. Ministry Safe has resources and membership for a fee. They offer training, policies and procedures, background checks, monitoring, and oversight as you develop a child safety plan.²⁴

4. Support organizations that fight child sexual exploitation in many arenas

1. Compassion, a global organization, fights poverty—a contributing factor in child sexual abuse—by offering sponsorships for children who then receive healthcare, food, housing, and education from local congregations.²⁵
2. “Stop It Now,” serving Wales, England, and Scotland, offers resources, a confidential hotline, live chat, and secure email to anyone concerned about child sexual abuse.²⁶
3. Walk Free²⁷ operates at the grass roots of human slavery, collecting evidence, ranking the prevalence of child sexual exploitation by country, strengthening government systems to better identify and prosecute child sex offenders, and interrupting human slavery supply chains.²⁸
4. Watch for lesser-known grassroots organizations that need support. For example, “When the Saints,”²⁹ a Christian ministry founded by American David Peterka in Malawi, Africa, started with nothing but a passionate desire to rescue children from the slave trade. Now supported by several US churches and denominations, the organization houses nearly 100 Malawian girls in a safe compound where they receive counseling, education, medical care, plenty of food, and the deep love of Christ. The perpetrators of abuse, often the girls’ fathers, receive biblical instruction on how to love children as Jesus does.

Fight for their safety

The organizations listed found room in their hearts, schedules, and budgets to fight for the safety of our world’s most innocent inhabitants—children. I invite you to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in how you and your congregation can help sexually abused children. Maybe you will be moved to donate to rescue organizations, volunteer to help fill the many needs of such groups, or raise awareness of childhood sexual abuse in your church and community. Above all, and for the sake of the little ones, please commit to this: Keep the children in your church safe.