Church Law & Tax conducted a research study on sexual harassment in the Christian workplace and the findings reveal that churches have a lot of work to do to establish a safe and respectful work culture.
One in every six employees/volunteers in the Christian workplace has been sexually harassed, and 42 percent of those individuals have no intention of reporting the incident, according to new research on sexual harassment in the Christian workplace.
Earlier this year, Church Law & Tax–a resource division of Christianity Today–conducted its second research study on sexual harassment in churches and parachurch ministries, and the results uncovered some troubling findings—especially when compared to the previous study conducted in 2007. One of the most striking findings was the similarities between the two studies, which indicated issues related to sexual harassment have, for the most part, remained the same or have gotten worse. Experts who reviewed the new study say there is still a lot more work churches need to do to properly and effectively tackle this issue.
All of the findings from the 2020 study have been curated into the Sexual Harassment in the Christian Workplace – Executive Report. Exploring this report will not only educate churches about the painful and unsettling truth regarding sexual harassment, but will hopefully get them asking the right kinds of questions, such as:
– Does our church have sound policies in place?
– How are the policies being enforced?
– What steps have been taken to prevent negative behaviors?
– What processes and outlets are being provided to individuals looking to report inappropriate behavior?
– What can our church do to encourage a culture of respect where sexual harassment isn’t tolerated?
It is crucial that ministries clearly understand this issue and take actions to implement preventative measures, safeguarding their employees/volunteers.
The complete Sexual Harassment in the Christian Workplace – Executive Report is now available in the Church Law & Tax Store, along with a wide variety of other reliable resources designed to provide tools and strategies to keep churches safe, legal, and financially sound.
Christianity Today is an acclaimed and award-winning media ministry that elevates the storytellers and sages of the global Church. Each month, across a variety of digital and print media, the ministry carries the most important stories and ideas of the kingdom of God to over 4.5 million people all around the planet.
SOURCE: Church Law & Tax
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