Who Needs Training? NOT ME!

Friday, October 19th, 2018

“Why do I, a respected member of this organization, need training about protecting children? I’ve been working around kids for 15 years!”
You have probably heard this in your church or organization many times. Or maybe you’ve said it a couple of times yourself.

As a leader, you are trying to encourage best practices and do your best to see that everyone who works with children, youth, and vulnerable adults has been trained with consistent information. But it can be frustrating when you continually get pushback from people who have:

• Been volunteering for a number of years
• Previous training with another organization or group
• Education related to children or youth

Hopefully the majority of your staff and volunteers understand the importance of consistent training and appreciate the reminder when it comes to renewal time. But when the pushback gets exhausting, here are some reminders about why everyone should be trained in the quest to protect the vulnerable:

• Even a person who has been volunteering for several years can be an abuser.
• Even a person with professional training and education can be an abuser.
• Even a person who has attended your church for 25 years can be an abuser.
• Even a parent with young children can be an abuser.

Everyone can benefit from training, even if they’ve heard it all before. It’s not just about technical information—it’s about how you can apply that information in any setting. It’s not about creating a culture of fear where you imply that everyone in your church is an abuser. It’s about distributing information to everyone, informing everyone that the rules apply to everyone, so that everyone who sees something will say something.

The next time you get pushback from someone who doesn’t want to train, remind them of these very important reasons to take a little time out to follow your policy. Keep pushing!