Services and informative websites
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24 Hour Hotline
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has a 24 hour hotline if you believe you have seen a missing child or encounter sexually exploitive images. NCMEC also has resources that parents, churches and schools can use in teaching children online safety.
Children with Disabilities
A report from the Department of Health and Human Services that provides a number of resources to respond to the risk of child abuse and neglect among children with disabilities.
Congregational Guidelines for Dealing with Sexual Offenders
These guidelines, developed with the help of law enforcement, abuse experts, and church workers, provide carefully crafted counsel for churches. Safety of children and youth is foundational to the document, while finding safe ways for congregations to serve an offender spiritually within his specific legal restrictions.
Download Dealing with Sexual Offenders, the Congregational Guidelines document produced by WELS Special Ministries.
Freedom for the Captives – Counseling
Visit our FFTC counselors page for resources that may help in finding a counselor.
Freedom for the Captives – Policy Experts
Experts are available to help churches and schools develop effective policies for their ministry. We can provide sample policies templates and provide guidance concerning best practices. E-mail [email protected].
GRACE
Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment is a Christian organization of child abuse prosecutors, psychologists, and other professionals who provide training, publications, and other child abuse prevention resources to families and churches.
Help for Adult Victims of Child Abuse
HAVOCA provides support, friendship, and advice for any adult whose life has been affected by childhood abuse. HAVOCA
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Child Abuse Resources. This website, created by a Missouri Synod (LCMS) Task Force on child abuse, contains articles, prayers, coloring books and other resources that may help churches and families in responding to the sin of child abuse.
Male Survivor
An organization committed to preventing, healing, and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men through support, treatment, research, education, advocacy, and activism. Male Survivor
Prevent Child Abuse America
Prevent Child Abuse America is the nation’s oldest and largest organization committed to preventing child abuse and neglect before it happens. They promote programs and resources families; churches and communities prevent child abuse and neglect.
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network
RAINN is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. Resources include a national hotline (800.656.HOPE), resources, information, and education and training. RAINN
Safe Kids
Act Against Violence (ACT) Raising Safe Kids Program is designed to help parents raise healthy children and to reduce the risk of physical or emotional abuse. The program was developed by the American Psychological Association and its effectiveness is supported by research.
Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative
A comprehensive report prepared by the United States Department of Justice that details our current knowledge about adults and children who commit sexual offenses. The Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative report may help clergy or others who must monitor convicted sex offenders in a congregation or in directing sex offenders to appropriate treatment and other resources that research indicates can lower the risk of recidivism.
Sexual Behaviors of Children
The American Academy of Pediatrics: Evaluation Sexual Behaviors in Children. Parents, clergy, teachers, and others may struggle with discerning a child’s sexual behaviors. This article helps sort out normal and abnormal sexual behaviors in children and offers guidance when professional assistance is necessary.
Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma
The Matty Eappen Foundation has resources to help prevent abusive head trauma in infants, which is commonly called Shaken Baby Syndrome. The foundation also has a grant program to assist families impacted by this form of child abuse.
Special Ministries Mental Health Needs
Informational brochures and counselor information to help Christians make informed choices as they choose a mental health provider when suffering from abuse or addiction.
Standing Up for Children
Standing Up for Children: A Christian Response to Child Abuse and Neglect. All churches and schools need to be safe places where leaders actively work to prevent abuse. Freedom for the Captives (FFTC) offers online training videos taught by experts Mr. Victor Vieth, director of education and research at Zero Abuse Project and Prof. John Schuetze, a seminary professor and counselor. To learn more, check our training webpage. To request the training for yourself or your group, please complete our online learning registration form.
Teaching Children Internet and Personal Safety
Zero Abuse Project has a number of resources for parents, schools and churches in teaching children personal safety.
Teaching Children Resilience
The Search Institute has developed tools for parents and schools to use in teaching children perseverance and resilience, including a connection to faith.
The Centers for Disease Control
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has published a guide to assist youth-serving organizations in limiting the possibility of child abuse within an organization.
The Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Registering, Apprehending and Tracking
(SMART) is a United States Department of Justice program that monitors federal law on the registration of sex offenders. The SMART website has resources that can help churches or others understand registration laws in a particular state. Tags: Advocates, Ministry Leaders
Trafficking
Shared Hope International offers resources to assist in understanding and responding to the trafficking of children.
Zero Abuse Project
Zero Abuse Project (ZAP) is an organization committed to transforming institutions to effectively prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse. Zero Abuse Project offers many excellent training courses, including “Keeping Faith: Empowering the Faith Community to Recognize and Respond to Child Abuse.”