Clergy and Educator Abuse Survivors Empowered!	Prevention

Sample Policies & Procedures

Screening Staff and Volunteers Who Work With Children

The following questions may be helpful in evaluating the appropriateness of volunteers who will work with children at your church. The comments with follow each question provide reasons for the type of questions used.

1. How long have you lived in this community?

• Long term residents usually have community connections and commitment.
• Short term residents should give you the opportunity to talk about past experiences and relationships including family relationships, jobs and reasons for moving.
• It may be helpful to ask for references from people who have known applicant for a long time.

2. Why do you want to work with (Pathfinders-Youth-Children’s Church-Children’s Sabbath School)?

• Do they like children?
• Do they work well with children?
• Are children comfortable around you? Children can sense if people really like them.
• Beware of those who have an ax to grind regarding children and discipline, for example.
• Sense of satisfaction?
• What is their motivation.

3. Would your experience as a child have an impact on your working with children in this position?

• Look for body language and tone of voice.
• Be aware of anxiety about relationship with parents and siblings.
• Talk about current family relationships.
• Talk about childhood discipline and punishment. Will his/her ideas create conflict?
• Assess carefully (but not necessarily exclude) those who have experienced abusive, dysfunctional childhood. Try to be sure this does not interfere with the ability to help others rather than helping themselves recover or project their feelings on the children.

4. How would your current relationships with family and friends impact your work with children in this position?

• You are looking for interpersonal relationships with families-family stress, death, divorce, separation, violent relationships.
• Beware of those who have no adult friends and those who say "children are my best friends" or "I’d rather be with kids than adults."

5. Have you had personal experience with child abuse? (Verbal, sexual physical, religious, emotional)

• Watch for those who express strong emotions. They may not be ready to work with children.
• If they have resolved issues through therapy, family, education or support systems, they can be helpful to children.

6. Has an issue or suspicion ever been raised that you may have abused or molested or touched a child inappropriately? How was it resolved?

• If yes, this person is a high risk!
• Be up front and tell them that for their own protection as well as the children’s, volunteering to work with adults is much safer.
• If a person has molested a child in any way, that person should NEVER be allowed to work with children.