Sexual Harassment: 5 Guiding Principles for Churches
Between 1992 and 2010 the EEOC received an average of 14,000 reports of sexual harassment a year, with 87% being filed by females (though there was a slight increase in male reports in the last decade). Sexual harassment is “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.” Oftentimes sexual harassment goes unreported and when it is reported is often not taken seriously. However, sexual harassment is a betrayal of trust and abuse of power, just as other forms of abuse, and the economic and physiological impacts are just as long-term and devastating.
Harassment should be taken seriously as it “strikes at a person’s dignity and self-esteem precisely because it is sexual,” and may serve as a precursor to more serious violent acts, such as sexual assault, rape, and murder. When sexual harassment is present in church culture, the spiritual impact can be great. Below are some guiding principles that churches and church leaders can implement to help combat a culture of sexual harassment in their environment.
1) Begin to change the culture towards an environment of safety.
So often, I hear churches ask me about “preserving the church” or “restoring a person back to ministry” or “reducing their liability.” These should not be the end goals of the church or their primary focus. Churches should prioritize creating an environment of safety and respect for others, recognizing our God-given dignity. The primary focus should be care for survivors, shining a light onto the darkness, and ensuring evil is not allowed to loom in the church halls.
2) Ensure your policies are up to date and enforced
A policy is only as effective as its education and enforcement. What this means practically is if there is a policy, but your staff, volunteers, and congregants do now know about it, are not educated on it, and the policy is not enforced, then you essentially only have a policy for liability reasons; and not for the purpose of ensuring an environment of safety.
3) Ensure your policy has a clear reporting and response plan
When allegations surface, there needs to be a clear plan for institutional response. Ensure there are clear reporting guidelines to someone who is trauma-informed and knowledgeable on issues of sexual harassment, clergy abuse, and abuse of power. If there are female clergy members in your denomination, make sure that there are clear reporting guidelines both at the church and denominational level where necessary. Make sure this person is outside the chain of command and provide multiple options for reporting to give people the ability to report elsewhere in the event the offender is the person to whom they would normally report. Make sure your policy has a response plan in place. A third-party investigation may be warranted in some circumstances, so ensure your policy allows for that. These measures will provide an environment of safety, and ultimately, care well for survivors.
4) Ensure training and policy guidelines for everyone at all levels in the church
There is a misnomer that sexual harassment is “workplace misconduct,” and that it only happens between two employees of an organization. Sexual harassment may occur between employees, a leader, and volunteer, between a congregant, or between two congregants. Sexual harassment can cross gender lines or occur between those of the same gender. It is important that the church not only educate its employees on these issues but inform the entire congregation of what the policy is and what the reporting structures are. This way if someone outside of the typical “employee bubble” has a complaint, they know where to go.
5) Use Scripture Wisely
Certain scriptures (such as Matthew 18) or larger topic messages, such as gossip, unity, and God’s view of sexuality, are misapplied in responding to allegations of sexual harassment or abuse. Unfortunately, when used in these contexts, it may be considered spiritual abuse and further fosters an environment of silence. Churches that normalize encouraging disclosures of abuse by not minimizing the behavior or silencing survivors through messages surrounding gossip and unity are churches that are safe for survivors.
While there have been improvements since the #metoo and #churchtoo movements, there is still much work to be done to combat sexual harassment in the church. Silence surrounding these issues is still very common. When churches care for the vulnerable and broken-hearted, they are the churches that are a city on a hill that cannot be snuffed out.
Sources:
Statistics are from Pamela Cooper-White, The Cry of Tamar, 2d ed., pg. 87.
This definition of “sexual harassment” is taken from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). See https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment.