Skills for Safeguarding, Dr. Lisa Compton and Taylor Patterson. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514010730) 2024.
Summary: A guide for religious organizations to prevent abuse, act appropriately when it occurs, and care for survivors.
It seems hardly a month goes by without a new report of sexual abuse in the church. The news in my community has reported on two such cases in recent months. In both cases, the churches were forthcoming and worked with local law enforcement in reporting the abuse when it came to light. But recent years have seen high profile cases in the Roman Catholic Church, in numerous evangelical churches, Christian camps, Christian ministry organizations, and elder care facilities.
Skills for Safeguarding offers a much-needed guide to understanding, preventing, and addressing abuse. Furthermore, it addresses the practices that promote the best chance for healing among survivors. The authors are both mental health professionals with extensive practice in dealing with abuse and trauma. They work with a team of contributors with specific expertise to address the various topics in this book.
They begin by defining th9e work of safeguarders. Specifically, five words encompass their practice: look, listen, equip, and speak out. They highlight Nathan in scripture as a safeguarder who exposed and rebuked David’s abusive actions toward Uriah and Bathsheba. They discuss the opposite of safeguarding, which is different forms of complicity. and they outline the different forms of abuse and of what they consist: emotional and verbal, physical, spiritual, and sexual. And they devote a full chapter to the undergirding abuse of power and how this damages a person’s relationship with God.
The second section focuses on abuse systems, their dynamics and origins. First, a chapter focuses on the systemic clergy-child abuse within the Catholic Church and the subsequent widespread cover-up. Then, authors consider abuse from a systems perspective, particularly the closed systems of families and churches. From systems, Dr. David Cook turns to perpetrator dynamics. He offers a chilling description of how perpetrators groom themselves and their environment as well as their victims. We learn how they choose victims and about reporting, and vigilance with known perpetrators, who will re-offend at least half the time. Finally, they discuss the role of sexual scripts, particularly purity culture scripts, have contributed to abuse.
The third section focuses on the impacts of abuse. One chapter unfolds the growing body of research on trauma. A second discusses the vulnerability of abuse survivors to revictimization. Finally, a third chapter focuses on child and adolescent survivors. They consider the impact of trauma on the brain, on the ability to form healthy attachments, and on emotional regulation. They address healing in each of these areas.
Section four focuses on two vulnerable populations. The first is children and how victims are selected and groomed (I found the material on grooming the most chilling, but also some of the most necessary). Children are most vulnerable who are unsupervised, lack financial resources, have low self-esteem or identity issues, and have disabilities. The other population is older adults and those with disabilities. As an older, but healthy adult, I read this with interest. I’ve recognized efforts to scam me financially. They discuss the particular vulnerabilities of those facing cognitive and physical disabilities to both emotional and physical abuse.
The fifth section focuses on skill development for safeguarders. Successive chapters focus on developing empathy, listening and responding, and emotional regulation and ways to address emotional arousal in safeguarding, both those of survivors and one’s own. A final chapter helps safeguarders navigate complexities of informed consent, various relationships, professional boundaries, confidentiality, and knowing when to refer.
The last section addresses care for the safeguarder. First, they address hazards of safeguarding, including empathy, how continued exposure to the trauma of others may color one’s own outlook or awaken one’s own trauma experiences. Then they consider strategies to strengthen safeguarders through stewarding mind, body, time, and relationships. The final chapter on education, collaboration and resources considers the broader safeguarding culture in churches and organizations. This includes development of a culture of transparency, and education of both ministry leaders and congregations.
Each chapter provides questions for individual and group reflection and further resources. At minimum, the leadership of any church or ministry organization would do well to read, discuss, and consider their own safeguarding practices. As “closed” systems, they have unique vulnerabilities to perpetrators. Awareness will not eliminate all abuse but will alert people to grooming behaviors, promote safe practices, and lead to greater transparency, including swift and proper reporting, and survivor care. I can also see the book being used by professionals offering safeguarding training in churches and religious organizations.
In sum, Jesus cares for the vulnerable, especially children. Abuse not only violates bodies but attacks the spirit, engendering guilt, shame, and doubt before God or worse. Those who embrace the skills and calling of safeguarding stand with Jesus, extending his care to the vulnerable, protecting them from “wolves.” This book shows us how we may begin.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
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