Support for abused and rejected children
The Church of England's current policy on child protection and safeguarding can be found here.
If you are a young person and need help you can ring Childline, tel no 0207 239 1000 any time of the day or night. Calls are free.
The House
of Bishops first adopted a policy on child protection in 1995 to
safeguard the welfare of the children with whom the Church of
England works. The current policy Protecting
All God's Children (GS Misc 725) was published in
2004.
The General Synod debated Child Abuse and Neglect in November 1988 and carried this motion:
'That this Synod
a) noting with compassion the increasing reports of child abuse and neglect, but welcoming growing public openness and concern;
b) aware of the relevance of the Church's ministry of healing to this problem; but
c) conscious of the complex cultural forces at work and the danger of uninformed action; and
d) aware of the need for appropriate work with those who have been abused and with those who abuse;
invites Diocesan Social Responsibility Agencies to explore appropriate areas for lay and clergy education, training and involvement, in close association with those statutory and voluntary agencies working in this field.'
The Board for Social Responsibility published a paper about sex offenders in 1999 entitled Meeting the Challenge: How Churches Should Respond to Sex Offenders.
