GUIDELINES FOR PREVENTING THE SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINORS

 1.)  A national criminal background check as well as personal reference checks will be conducted on all employees of  Rison Baptist Church with documentation maintained in a secure file accessible to the pastor and chairman of the personnel committee.

 2.)  A statewide sexual offender search will be conducted on all volunteers who have regular on going contact with children under 18 years of age.  This will include individuals who are involved with overnight activities with minors, counseling with minors, and one-on-one mentorship of minors.

 3.)  At a minimum, two references shall be checked on all employees and volunteers covered in section 1 and 2 above.  These references will be of an institutional nature (i.e. from employers or other organizations at which the individual has volunteered) as opposed to personal friends and relatives.  These references should have known the individual for some length of time.

 4.)  Have signed release forms on file for all employees and volunteers covered in section 1 & 2 that give Rison Baptist Church permission to perform criminal background checks.

 5.)  A minor (defined as anyone younger than 18 years of age) shall not be alone with one adult on the church grounds or in any church-sponsored activity unless it=s a counseling situation. There shall always be at least two adults supervising youth, children, preschool, and nursery events.

 6.)  New volunteers covered in section 2 above will not be allowed to interact with minors until they have been a member of Rison Baptist Church for six months.  (Items #=s 5 and 6 do not apply to parents or guardians who attend church related activities.)

 7.)  Any prospective employee who fails the criminal background check, or who does not receive favorable references will not be employed by Rison Baptist Church.

 8.)  Any prospective volunteers who fail the statewide screening, or who do  not receive favorable references will not be allowed to participate in activities for minors sponsored by Rison Baptist Church.

 9.)  Any suspicious behavior or signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, should be immediately reported to the pastor and/or deacon chairman.

 10.)  Arkansas State Law, Act 1039 of 2003, requires that any child maltreatment, or suspicion thereof, be reported to the Child Abuse Hotline, phone 1-800-482-5964.

 11.)  Workers will be trained in how to recognize abuse.

 12.)  Workers and supervisors will take allegations of sexual and/or physical abuse seriously.

 13.)  If an outside investigation begins, all employees and volunteers will assist the investigators upon request.

 14.)  The pastor, or the Chairman of the Deacons if the pastor is the accused party, will serve as the official spokesman for the church to the press in these matters.

 15.)  An attorney for the church will be retained once an outside investigation begins.  The church=s insurance carrier will be notified once allegations are made.  The Arkansas Baptist State Convention will be notified of allegations as well.

 16.)  All church members should be sensitive to the needs of the alleged victims, and alleged perpetrators throughout the investigation and beyond.

 17.)  This policy will be implemented upon adoption by the church in regular business meeting, and will be administered by the Personnel Committee.