Nine Things Teenagers Can Do

To Help Create and Maintain

Safe Environments at Church and at School

Laws and rules are at the service of a community as well as individuals. Given the unique needs of children and teenagers in relation to the rest of the Christian community, it is not surprising that in the Church we place the needs of our children and teenagers first. Our laws and rules are at the service of our children and teenagers.

Teenagers can also help create and maintain safe environments. As a teenager, you need to be aware that:

1. Your body is your own. No one should touch you in a way you do not want to be touched. If another person touches you inappropriately, that person is wrong and should be reported to the proper authorities.

2. You should not accept expensive gifts from non-family members. You should not accept food, drinks, or rides from people you do not know well.

3. When attending Church functions, expect to be chaperoned and have behavioral expectations made clear to you. When attending an activity you need to advise the adult(s) in charge before you leave the activity. If this is not occurring, then either the people in charge or your parents should be told.

4. You must not stay overnight in church-owned or operated facilities without chaperones and the written permission of your parents.

5. Adolescents must not bring or consume illegal drugs or alcoholic beverages on Church property. Any Church ministers, employees, or volunteers who provide drugs or alcohol to teenagers are acting illegally and should be reported promptly to both Church and civil authorities.

6. Be cautious when dealing with over friendly adults, those who place themselves on the same level as adolescents, those who seem to relate better to adolescents than to adults, those who suggest activities of which parents would not approve. Similarly, exercise caution around any adult who takes pictures extensively of adolescents, or offers explicit pornographic materials to teenagers. Such behavior should be reported immediately to parents or other trusted adults. Overlooking or thinking of such behavior as harmless can pose a real threat to everyone in the community.

7. Church personnel have certain limitations on their behavior. Church ministers, workers, and volunteers are not allowed to give expensive gifts to young people. They are not allowed to travel unchaperoned with young people. They are not allowed to touch young people in unacceptable ways. Generally, except in certain limited situations, it is expected that there will be at least two adults present for youth activities. If you observe violations of these rules by Church personnel, you should report those violations to your parents or appropriate Church authorities (see Process of Reporting and Addressing Complaints and Allegations listed under the section entitled Enforcement).

8. Reporting violations of this Pastoral Code of Conduct may not be a popular thing to do. However, the purpose of this Code of Conduct is to assure the safety of people young and older. The Church personnel who may be disregarding these provisions are wrong and may pose a real threat to the health and safety of others. None of us can look the other way and pretend we do not see what is happening.

9. Strive to live lives of truth, holiness, and virtue, treating all human beings as human persons and not as objects for gratification, power, or advancement.