If you work for a youth-serving organization, you are unlikely to be a risk management expert. As a result, there is no reason you would know that:
- the ‘safe environment’ approach you must follow to prevent sexual abuse is over twenty years old
- sexual abuse is rising
- a safe environment, though it includes critical individual controls, wasn’t risk management best practice when it was introduced
- despite everything that has been learned about sexual abuse and risk management since it was introduced, the safe environment hasn’t fundamentally changed
- all the costs of failing to prevent sexual abuse have grown exponentially, and
- a safe environment doesn’t protect you or your organization from the consequences of failing to prevent sexual abuse.
You likely are aware, however, that
- your organization probably has less risk-bearing capacity than ever, and
- insurance for sexual abuse is now much harder to obtain, costs much more, and covers less.
Given how significant sexual abuse risk has become, risk management best practices are becoming essential.
Risk management best practices mean:
- safer children through comprehensive protection
- well-protected organizations through conscientious child protection.
The Ten-Step Guide will show how to supplement a safe environment with risk management best practices, even if you have no previous risk management experience.
