ABUSE PREVENTION TRAINING
Welcome to KCEA’s child abuse awareness and prevention training!
Please utilize the following links and resources to begin meeting the state requirements for abuse awareness and prevention training in accordance with Act 126 of 2012. This law mandates a minimum of three hours of training over the course of five years for employees, but it is also prudent and best practice for volunteers to also receive training in awareness and prevention. Employee training requirements include: recognition of child abuse/neglect and proper reporting procedures; reviewing the institution's policies and procedures; reviewing current state law; and for schools, reviewing the Professional Educator Discipline Act (or PEDA) and the Act's requirements, along with professional discipline procedures for certificated teachers.
Local records for employee and volunteer clearance documents and training need to be accurately and regularly maintained. An employee or volunteer serving in your ministry without clearances could be damaging to your ministry and to their future opportunities for employment or volunteer service.
NOTE: Key terms and definitions changed in the second half of 2015. This section will be rewritten for a new recording/presentation.
Segment 1:
NOTE: Key terms and definitions changed in the second half of 2015. Check the official state website, KeepKidsSafe, for additional information, sample documents, FAQ tools, and more.
Segments 2 & 3:
NOTE: Content covered in this segment has significantly changed in late 2014 and mid-2015.
Supplementary Resources
Children, Youth & Families Contact Information: Visit the websites for regional Children, Youth & Families offices, or to view or print a complete list of county and regional offices.
Legislative Updates:
December 2015 — Added PowerPoint documents and audio from two KCEA Conference workshops on current law, abuse recognition, etc.
May 20, 2015 — KCEA presentation at the April 2015 PARBC semi-annual meeting at Hazleton, PA. Download the updated PowerPoint presentation.
March 9, 2015 -- KCEA Presentation at the March 2015 Northeast PA Pastors Fellowship meeting in Duryea, PA. Download the PowerPoint presentation and access the quality audio recordings from Hour 1 and Hour 2.
Sept. 26, 2014 -- KCEA Conference workshop “It’s About the Kids … and Ministry.” Download the PowerPoint presentation or access the audio recording. NOTE: The audio recording is of moderate to poor quality due to microphone interference. The audio is best heard on an individual basis and not when played for a group in a room.
Quizzes: Ministries may opt to use quizzes at the end of your training session. Download the quiz and answer key in PDF for Segment 1.
Sample Ministry Training Certificate: A ministry could use the Ministry Training Certificate to maintain an institutional record of when they held training sessions.
Sample Individual Training Certificate: A ministry could use the Individual Training Certificate to maintain an individual record of when someone attended and completed training sessions. Such a document could be retained in the individual’s personnel file at the institution, or given to the individual following completion of the training day(s).
Sample Affidavit/Affirmation Documents: Volunteers who will have contact with children during the course of their volunteer work are required to have all 3 background clearances — FBI, PA State Police, and PA Child Abuse — prior to the start of service. Volunteers must keep them current for as long as their duties require contact with or responsibility for children as a regular and integral part of their service. An exception exists to completely avoid the FBI check IF (a) the position is unpaid, (b) the prospective volunteer has lived continuously in Pennsylvania for the last ten years, and (c) the prospective volunteer can affirm or attest they have not committed specific and related crimes that exclude them from serving in a volunteer capacity with responsibility for or contact with children.
If the volunteer has not been a continuous Pennsylvania resident for 10 years but has received an FBI certification document since establishing residency, the document is still current if it is less than 5 years old. State-level certifications (PA State Police and Child Abuse History Check) are deemed to remain current for 5 years. KCEA has drafted an affirmation document for volunteers.
Adult Employees are required to have all 3 certifications, and the certifications are deemed to expire after 5 years. Sample copies of the employment affirmation document for adults are available.
Employees who are minors must also have all 3 certifications, but they may be exempted from the FBI certification if they have been a 10-year continuous resident; if not, just like for Adult Volunteers, the FBI document is needed. Sample copies of the employment affirmation document for minors are available.
Supplementary Resources Document: Ministries or individuals may choose to review other resources available to them either online or in print format. An entity may choose to share a resource with select administrators or staff, or show/share the resource with all employees and volunteers. If you are aware of an outstanding resource that could benefit other ministries by including them in this list, please contact the KCEA office.
Video and Webinar Suggestions: Churches and schools may choose to use some internet multimedia options to partially fulfil their Act 126 training requirement, or to expand into areas intentionally not covered as extensively by KCEA’s presentation. (HINT: Our purpose is to provide training that could be used for either church or school staff, independent contractors, and/or volunteers). We do not focus exclusively on school or church application; we strive to include some of both and allow local leaders to expand on them based on your local ministry practices, policies, etc.
Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse at Church – An excellent 38-minute video podcast on the topic from Dallas Theological Seminary. The content focuses primarily on churches, but it can be more broadly focused on ministries in general. The session discusses some of the legal and practical preparations ministries can take in advance, as well as cautions on ministry policy protective methods for individuals in ministries, particularly those deemed to be Mandatory Reporters.
Child Abuse and Neglect – A training video with excellent content on abuse recognition. What are the practical signs of physical abuse? sexual abuse? Looking at evidence in context with other evidence is a critical but important factor of properly responding to potential abuse. In the end, a reasonable cause to suspect is the litmus test in Pennsylvania for reporting any and all abuse.
Child Abuse in the Covid-19 Era – Presented by the American Academy of Pediatrics, this 16-minute video provides a timely update on abuse recognition and reporting trends in the Covid era. The session also gives some good recognition tips usable for leaders working remotely as they communicate with individuals using videoconferencing tools. Easily expandable for local ministries to discuss your policies and practices. Includes portions of an interview with an abuse victim.
Child Abuse Prevention – Presented by staff at Penn State Children’s Hospital. A broader interview on overall abuse trends and importance of reporting through 2017. This 15-minute interview could be a helpful introduction to the topic in a pre-Covid environment.
Creating a Culture of Transparency – A series of current webinars on a variety of security and safety topics from Brotherhood Mutual. These topics impact every ministry, whether or not we like to admit them. Guidance is provided on insurance and liability issues relating to ministry safety procedures; creating a child protection program; recognizing threats; and more.
Health News You Can Use: Child Abuse Prevention - This 5-minute overview provides a good basic interview to the overall topic, including widely recognized definitions of abuse that are broadly consistent across many states. The video also highlights key signs of potential abuse, as recognizable in youth. The session was produced by the St. Luke Health System in Missouri.
The Intersection of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse - A nearly hour-long presentation that was part of a secular child abuse prevention and safety online conference in 2022. Content focuses on both behavioral and motivational characteristics of the perpetrator. The physical and emotional impact, types of abuse, and affects on parenting and the household. Specific examples are given for Kentucky and Indiana. This training would be useful in better understanding abuse from the specific context of domestic violence.
Preventing Child Abuse Types, Prevalence, Indicators and Impact – A 60-minute webinar produced in 2021. The webinar’s focus is almost exclusively focused on the recognizable signs of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. The session also discusses some warning signs of child neglect, which is purported to be even more prevalent than child abuse. Be aware that some of the descriptions in the discussion are blunt.
Though the state of Pennsylvania law relating to child abuse has become more stable over the last few years, this does not mean the issue is settled or won’t ever change again. As changes are made in policy, procedure, and law, updates will be provided to ministries. Watch for more timely announcements via email or the Sentinel newsletter.
As always, please feel free to contact the KCEA office if you have any questions regarding the training or the current state of the law surrounding Act 126.
© KCEA, 2024
Please utilize the following links and resources to begin meeting the state requirements for abuse awareness and prevention training in accordance with Act 126 of 2012. This law mandates a minimum of three hours of training over the course of five years for employees, but it is also prudent and best practice for volunteers to also receive training in awareness and prevention. Employee training requirements include: recognition of child abuse/neglect and proper reporting procedures; reviewing the institution's policies and procedures; reviewing current state law; and for schools, reviewing the Professional Educator Discipline Act (or PEDA) and the Act's requirements, along with professional discipline procedures for certificated teachers.
Local records for employee and volunteer clearance documents and training need to be accurately and regularly maintained. An employee or volunteer serving in your ministry without clearances could be damaging to your ministry and to their future opportunities for employment or volunteer service.
NOTE: Key terms and definitions changed in the second half of 2015. This section will be rewritten for a new recording/presentation.
Segment 1:
- Introduction, Terms, and Definitions;
- Institutional/Ministry Policies:
- Dangers of Delayed Reporting of Abuse (a downloadable handout is available to accompany this webinar);
- Professional Educator Discipline Act and related issues for State-Certified Staff
NOTE: Key terms and definitions changed in the second half of 2015. Check the official state website, KeepKidsSafe, for additional information, sample documents, FAQ tools, and more.
Segments 2 & 3:
- Recognition of Signs of Abuse and Sexual Misconduct;
- Abuse Reporting Requirements;
- Professional Educator Discipline Act (continued),
- Related Law, and Mandatory Reporting Requirements for Non-Certificated Teachers and Staff;
- Professional and Appropriate Relationships with Students
NOTE: Content covered in this segment has significantly changed in late 2014 and mid-2015.
Supplementary Resources
Children, Youth & Families Contact Information: Visit the websites for regional Children, Youth & Families offices, or to view or print a complete list of county and regional offices.
Legislative Updates:
December 2015 — Added PowerPoint documents and audio from two KCEA Conference workshops on current law, abuse recognition, etc.
- ”Nuts and Bolts” PowerPoint
- ”Core of PA Law” PowerPoint
May 20, 2015 — KCEA presentation at the April 2015 PARBC semi-annual meeting at Hazleton, PA. Download the updated PowerPoint presentation.
March 9, 2015 -- KCEA Presentation at the March 2015 Northeast PA Pastors Fellowship meeting in Duryea, PA. Download the PowerPoint presentation and access the quality audio recordings from Hour 1 and Hour 2.
Sept. 26, 2014 -- KCEA Conference workshop “It’s About the Kids … and Ministry.” Download the PowerPoint presentation or access the audio recording. NOTE: The audio recording is of moderate to poor quality due to microphone interference. The audio is best heard on an individual basis and not when played for a group in a room.
Quizzes: Ministries may opt to use quizzes at the end of your training session. Download the quiz and answer key in PDF for Segment 1.
Sample Ministry Training Certificate: A ministry could use the Ministry Training Certificate to maintain an institutional record of when they held training sessions.
Sample Individual Training Certificate: A ministry could use the Individual Training Certificate to maintain an individual record of when someone attended and completed training sessions. Such a document could be retained in the individual’s personnel file at the institution, or given to the individual following completion of the training day(s).
Sample Affidavit/Affirmation Documents: Volunteers who will have contact with children during the course of their volunteer work are required to have all 3 background clearances — FBI, PA State Police, and PA Child Abuse — prior to the start of service. Volunteers must keep them current for as long as their duties require contact with or responsibility for children as a regular and integral part of their service. An exception exists to completely avoid the FBI check IF (a) the position is unpaid, (b) the prospective volunteer has lived continuously in Pennsylvania for the last ten years, and (c) the prospective volunteer can affirm or attest they have not committed specific and related crimes that exclude them from serving in a volunteer capacity with responsibility for or contact with children.
If the volunteer has not been a continuous Pennsylvania resident for 10 years but has received an FBI certification document since establishing residency, the document is still current if it is less than 5 years old. State-level certifications (PA State Police and Child Abuse History Check) are deemed to remain current for 5 years. KCEA has drafted an affirmation document for volunteers.
Adult Employees are required to have all 3 certifications, and the certifications are deemed to expire after 5 years. Sample copies of the employment affirmation document for adults are available.
Employees who are minors must also have all 3 certifications, but they may be exempted from the FBI certification if they have been a 10-year continuous resident; if not, just like for Adult Volunteers, the FBI document is needed. Sample copies of the employment affirmation document for minors are available.
Supplementary Resources Document: Ministries or individuals may choose to review other resources available to them either online or in print format. An entity may choose to share a resource with select administrators or staff, or show/share the resource with all employees and volunteers. If you are aware of an outstanding resource that could benefit other ministries by including them in this list, please contact the KCEA office.
Video and Webinar Suggestions: Churches and schools may choose to use some internet multimedia options to partially fulfil their Act 126 training requirement, or to expand into areas intentionally not covered as extensively by KCEA’s presentation. (HINT: Our purpose is to provide training that could be used for either church or school staff, independent contractors, and/or volunteers). We do not focus exclusively on school or church application; we strive to include some of both and allow local leaders to expand on them based on your local ministry practices, policies, etc.
Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse at Church – An excellent 38-minute video podcast on the topic from Dallas Theological Seminary. The content focuses primarily on churches, but it can be more broadly focused on ministries in general. The session discusses some of the legal and practical preparations ministries can take in advance, as well as cautions on ministry policy protective methods for individuals in ministries, particularly those deemed to be Mandatory Reporters.
Child Abuse and Neglect – A training video with excellent content on abuse recognition. What are the practical signs of physical abuse? sexual abuse? Looking at evidence in context with other evidence is a critical but important factor of properly responding to potential abuse. In the end, a reasonable cause to suspect is the litmus test in Pennsylvania for reporting any and all abuse.
Child Abuse in the Covid-19 Era – Presented by the American Academy of Pediatrics, this 16-minute video provides a timely update on abuse recognition and reporting trends in the Covid era. The session also gives some good recognition tips usable for leaders working remotely as they communicate with individuals using videoconferencing tools. Easily expandable for local ministries to discuss your policies and practices. Includes portions of an interview with an abuse victim.
Child Abuse Prevention – Presented by staff at Penn State Children’s Hospital. A broader interview on overall abuse trends and importance of reporting through 2017. This 15-minute interview could be a helpful introduction to the topic in a pre-Covid environment.
Creating a Culture of Transparency – A series of current webinars on a variety of security and safety topics from Brotherhood Mutual. These topics impact every ministry, whether or not we like to admit them. Guidance is provided on insurance and liability issues relating to ministry safety procedures; creating a child protection program; recognizing threats; and more.
Health News You Can Use: Child Abuse Prevention - This 5-minute overview provides a good basic interview to the overall topic, including widely recognized definitions of abuse that are broadly consistent across many states. The video also highlights key signs of potential abuse, as recognizable in youth. The session was produced by the St. Luke Health System in Missouri.
The Intersection of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse - A nearly hour-long presentation that was part of a secular child abuse prevention and safety online conference in 2022. Content focuses on both behavioral and motivational characteristics of the perpetrator. The physical and emotional impact, types of abuse, and affects on parenting and the household. Specific examples are given for Kentucky and Indiana. This training would be useful in better understanding abuse from the specific context of domestic violence.
Preventing Child Abuse Types, Prevalence, Indicators and Impact – A 60-minute webinar produced in 2021. The webinar’s focus is almost exclusively focused on the recognizable signs of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. The session also discusses some warning signs of child neglect, which is purported to be even more prevalent than child abuse. Be aware that some of the descriptions in the discussion are blunt.
Though the state of Pennsylvania law relating to child abuse has become more stable over the last few years, this does not mean the issue is settled or won’t ever change again. As changes are made in policy, procedure, and law, updates will be provided to ministries. Watch for more timely announcements via email or the Sentinel newsletter.
As always, please feel free to contact the KCEA office if you have any questions regarding the training or the current state of the law surrounding Act 126.
© KCEA, 2024