Child Abuse Reporting Laws: 22 Facts Church Leaders Should Know How state laws define who must report actual or suspected abuse, when a report must be made, and how. Attorneys Richard R. Hammar and Matthew J. C. Branaugh
Are Criminal Background Checks Legally Required for Youth Ministry Workers? A historic recent case helps answer this question. Richard R. Hammar
Why Hiring Ex-Offenders Should Be a Priority for Churches How churches can prioritize support and employment for those leaving prison—while still considering the risks. Alexandria Kuo and Emily Lund
What Do You Do with Volunteers Who Exhibit ‘Gray Area’ Behavior? Three attorneys explain how churches can respond to concerning situations involving church volunteers. Elizabeth Jackson
What I Learned from Advising the Boy Scouts of America During Their Abuse Crisis An attorney’s advice for organizations on preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. Richard J. Mathews
Common Questions About Background Checks A closer look at what is needed to effectively screen volunteers and employees who work with minors. Samuel Ogles
Child Abuse Reporting and the Clergy Privilege Ministers must consider the serious legal ramifications of not reporting abuse. Richard R. Hammar
The State of Abuse Prevention in the Church Awareness of the issue has grown, and caring for victims of past abuse is key Interview by Ashley Emmert
Common Church Board Blind Spots Facts worth noting as you plan your board's next meeting agenda Interview by Ashley Emmert
Mastering Reference Checks for Churches Addressing 15 common questions to reduce ministry vulnerabilities. Richard R. Hammar
Teaching Churches to Draw the Line Youth Ministry Roundtable: The final post in a five-part series focused on issues related to risk and safety. Andrew Finch and Ashley (Moore) Emmert
Social Media and Youth Ministry in the Post-Facebook Era Youth Ministry Roundtable: Part one of a five-part series focused on issues related to risk and safety. Andrew Finch and Ashley (Moore) Emmert
Q&A: How Long Should We Keep Consent Forms and Screening Records? Churches must be ready to document its due diligence dating back decades ago. Richard R. Hammar
Q&A: How Do We Handle an Application Answer that Changes? A volunteer candidate no longer mentions a pornography addiction. Richard R. Hammar
Diagnostic Criteria for Pedophilia Redefined Why churches must understand the severe nature of a pedophile's offenses. Richard R. Hammar
8 Supervision Guidelines to Keep Kids Safe Implement these tips to minimize the risk to your church's children. Beth J. Lueders
Breaking Boundaries with Minors Consider the insights of legal experts on the topic. Mike Woodruff and Dennis Kasper
What to Look For in a Background Check Service Knowing the right questions to ask is a key step in protecting your church community. Tara Beecham