When Churches Follow the Rules, Kids Stay Safe

As reported in this article, another survivor has lived 20 years with the horrific effects of abuse and will continue to struggle with them well into the future. The plaintiff alleges that a popular youth leader used his position to groom her and then abused her “hundreds” of times on church property, in the church van, and apparently at the pastor’s home.

Based on the reported facts alone, we can see the playbook religious institutions use to defend these cases. The church blames the victim, arguing that she “[did] not sue the foster father who allegedly sexually abused her for years; her biological mother, who allegedly failed to protect her, relinquished custody of her and consented to her living with her alleged abuser and his wife; the Los Angeles County Dept. of Children and Family Services, which placed and supervised Doe in the home of her alleged abuser.”

It also points out that “the Salvation Army provided Doe and her family with food, shelter and friendship” during difficult times. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, so we don’t know whose account a jury would have believed.

Abusers with a sexual interest in children seek out volunteer and paid positions that give them access to children. Offenders without that interest will still often offend against children when given the chance. This is well established. There are secular standards of care for organizations responsible for serving children, and keeping those children safe is central to them. Too often, institutions of all kinds, and religious institutions in particular, fail to follow the known steps that keep children safe. When these standards are ignored, children get hurt. It’s that simple.

In many ways, religions in our country enjoy special treatment thanks to our incredible Constitution. But our founding principles and laws give churches no exemption when it comes to keeping children safe. Whether it’s a sports league, a school, or a church, organizations that follow known standards minimize harm to children. When an organization of any kind chooses, for whatever reason, not to follow those standards, children get hurt. My colleagues and I have more than half a century of combined experience, and it always comes down to this—when a church follows the rules, kids stay safe, and when it deviates from them, more children are harmed.

—Tim Kosnoff