- Do you know your risk areas?
- Do you consciously or subconsciously advocate or engage in non-erotic contact (hugs, pats, putting your arm around a shoulder) with parishioners?
- Do you ask unnecessary questions or details about a parishioners sex life?
- Do you take advantage of the power differential you hold over the parishioner because of your position of authority?
- Are you aware that people with past sexual assault/abuse may be more vulnerable to successive victimization?
- Do you consider yourself to be above or beyond boundary violation?
- Do you have peers with whom you meet regularly and are accountable to?
- Have you confronted and reconciled any past sexual abuse, exploitation, or harassment in your own life?
- If you have experienced a boundary violation with a congregant, have you referred that person to another counsellor and sought help for yourself?
- If you are married, are your devoting time and energy to strengthening your marriage relationship?
- Are you aware of boundary violations, manipulation, and dependence needs?
- Are you on guard for transference and counter-transference (with its potential to trigger the feeling that the pastor and only the pastor can save the congregant)?
- Are you aware of your denominations professional misconduct standards policy?
- Ensure your office and any other meeting areas have windows in the doors.
- If you have reasonable cause to suspect a congregant has been a victim of sexual abuse you are required by law to report it to the proper authorities.
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