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It Can't Happen Here

Our local news outlets have recently reported that some schools--private and public--have failed to report abusive situations involving students.  Several reasons have been cited by officials for their actions, but these indicate that they failed to protect vulnerable individuals under their supervision.

We have seen this before in churches, schools, and not-for-profit agencies.  Institutions can quickly become more concerned about protecting themselves than in doing the right thing. 

There two primary errors that institutions commit in relationship to abuse--sexual, verbal, physical, or psychological.

First, very often institutions act as if it can’t happen to them. Several years ago, I worked for an organization and became concerned that we be more proactive about possible incidents of abuse.  Nothing had happened, but I believed that it would be appropriate to take steps to head off any problems both for the sake of those we served and for our staff members. 

Surprisingly, there was little interest in this initiative.  Leadership was willing to let me come up with recommendations, but there was minimal support. When I talked with the organization’s legal counsel and insurance carrier, they acknowledged that this was a potential concern but were hesitant to address “hypothetical situations.”

We made some progress in training staff to deal with potential abuse situations, but it was not a popular topic.  I got the feeling from leadership that “It won’t happen here.”

The second error that institutions make when it comes to abuse is to act like it didn’t happen.  There is a tendency to blame the victim or to excuse inappropriate conduct on the part of those in a position of power.  We misplace our trust and fail to act.  If we don’t acknowledge it, perhaps it will go away.

Whenever one person is in a position of power or control over another, there is the potential for abuse.  Institutions of all types must acknowledge this and act justly rather than seeking to protect their reputations and resources. 

What is your organization doing to be proactive in relation to potential abusive situations?


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