Response Team
As a former church administration professional, I understand how church staffs and offices operate. As a survivor of pastoral emotional and sexual abuse, I understand what the response to reporting or discovery should look like. The point is that the response/investigation be completely unbiased and unaffected by any church staff, pastor, elder, etc.
First, I think every church should have a response team to investigate harassment reports.
1. On the team/committee:
- Leadership - the senior or executive pastor and one elder/deacon, maybe one other staff member
- Membership - someone in law enforcement, a counselor/therapist (not of either the victim or accused) , a survivor of abuse, a business leader, an attorney (only for knowledge of law, not to represent the church or the victim)
- At least half of the response team/committee are women
- Appointed by the church body, not church leadership/pastors/elders
- Of course, if the harassment accusation is against any one these, they are then off of the team during the investigation
- Neither the pastor nor elder may be chairman or secretary
- That email address is forwarded to every single member on the team/committee - meaning when a report is emailed to that address, every member gets it at the same time.
- No reporting to the pastor or supervisor
- most immediate determination is to be sure victim is safe
- does this need to be reported to civil authorities (police)?
- does accused need to be placed on temporary leave?
5. Interviewing Victim
- not the whole board
- female if victim is female
- do research on this to be sure interview doesn't further victimize
- do research on the typical language of a victim
6. Interviewing the Accuser
- not the whole board
- not the pastor/elder
- do research on the typical language/tactics of an abuser
- retrieve computer, phone, passwords
Someone is assigned to walk with the victim
- not related to anyone on the response team
- relationship completely confidential -- same as doctor/client confidentiality practice
- does not report specific information to response team
Someone assigned to walk with accused