Pagan Community Safety
It's with a good deal of relief I note that the Pagan community has actually reached a
point where most members are willing to admit that not everyone who says they are
Pagan is necessarily someone you want to associate with. In fact, like any other
community, religious or not, we have our bad apples and have always had a good deal of
difficulty figuring out how to deal with them. Perhaps now that we have admitted we
sometimes do have a problem, we can think quietly about how we can reduce its impact.
First, we should clearly realize that we are talking about a rather wide spectrum of
offences and our reactions must be tailored to each specific situation. In the case of
activities that are clearly against the law, we should if possible make sure they are
reported to the police. This would include robbery, theft, violence or abuse (physical or
sexual) of a minor. Obviously, in some cases this isn't going to be possible, as the victim
won't wish to bring charges. Such cases tend to be when sexual or physical abuse has
occurred. If the victim of sexual abuse is a child, there is simply no way you are justified
in doing nothing. I agree that it's difficult to know what to do since we must be aware
that allegations made by a child are sometimes not accurate. At the very least, all
parents in the community must be informed that there is a possibility of a problem and
those of us who sponsor group events must put in place appropriate protections for all
children's activities. Actually, all parents should always realize that there is such a
possibility wherever they are.
Every case is different and the amount of evidence, the reliability of the victims
testimony and the general situation may make it impossible to take a case to the police.
In any case, we owe it to the children of our community to do our utmost to protect them
even at risk of unfairness to the person accused. Even more important, we need to take
steps within our groups right now to protect children. I found a policy developed by the
Christian Reformed Church in Ann Arbor that has it all set out; rationally, reasonably
and in a form that we can follow. I strongly suggest that all leaders read this and that all
groups sponsoring events implement it. (Webmistress note:
http://www.aacrc.org/onlinebboard/AbusePreventionPolicy71403.pdf does not seem to
be active at the present.)
It's also important to exercise good judgment in warning parents. Causing them fear
and emotional upset without providing recommendations for actions that will result in
greater safety for the children can easily make the community weaker rather then
stronger. I believe the most appropriate solution is for each group and event sponsor to
screen anyone who wishes to work with children and at all events to ensure that adult
interactions with children are monitored.
In the case of an adult abusing, physically or sexually, another adult, the victim has the
right to choose not to go to the police. However, bear in mind that the victim's story
may be anything from completely untrue to exaggerated to minimized. Try to find
witnesses or other individuals who have been around the accused person. In general as
leaders and teachers we should teach newcomers to the community to guard themselves
just as they must in the general community. In a case where someone is abusing their
child, if you are pretty darn sure you've got the straight story, call it in to social
services. In spousal or SO abuse, if they aren't in your group, it's probably none of your
business. You can support the victim if they ask you but do it by directing them to the
resources of the general community. Do not attempt to shelter them in your own home;
it's simply too dangerous. I should hope we can all agree that one adult shouldn't
repeatedly be hitting another, regardless of whatever else is going on in the
relationship. Any adult known to have displayed violence against another must be
watched should they remain within the community. In cases where the violence is
repeated, I feel that a responsible community should deny that individual participation.
Otherwise, we appear to be condoning the violent behavior.
Now that we have looked at the two most important problems we're likely to find in our
community, we need to allow for quite a number of other situations that may need
community action. To stay with legality for the moment, we have had in the past
situations in which an individual or group have been untrustworthy with money.
Unfortunately, one of our inheritances from New Age thinking was an inclination to
despise paperwork. If you don't have a written agreement, you have no practical legal
recourse. Make sure that you know to whom you are giving money and what it is to be
used for. If it's a significant amount of money, have something written - a simple receipt
is better than nothing! If you don't have anything in writing, there isn't much you can do.
Community leaders should already be aware of such behavior and it is permissible to
tell such a leader that you believe misuse of funds has occurred. If you are handling
funds, find someone who can add and subtract, give them the job of keeping a record of
income and expenses and POST it at the event. If you seethat there may be some
money left over, tell people what's going to be done with it.
What about ethical situations, of which there are a number of scenarios such as an
individual claiming to hold a specific initiation which other leaders have found reason to
suspect. Or if a group is reported to coerce sexual favors from students, or simply that
someone is granting all sorts of unearned initiations.
What about the group that is extremely authoritarian, perhaps amounting to spiritual
abuse? Of course, first of all, none of these things is against the law. There really is
very little we can do other than publicly disapprove of them.
The community leaders should discuss the situation, attempt to find out the facts and, if
there is strong evidence of deceit, decide if there is any useful action you can take. It
certainly is possible to make public your conclusions, to formally or informally bar
people from events or to proclaim a shunning. Of course, there is no way to enforce a
shunning but I suspect in the long run it does have some effect. Don't, however, rule out
taking more positive steps. I am aware of a case in which a group that was claiming
honors to which they were not entitled was diplomatically approached by an experienced
and ethical leader. This leader helped the group founders in an advisory fashion helping
them achieve their goals without causing a major community upset.
What can our communities do to prepare for problem people? I believe that a form of
the Council of Elders is really the only appropriate long-term mechanism. By this I
simply mean a collection of group leaders and individuals who put on events or provide
a venue (i.e. occult store owners, etc.) in the area. I use the term, Council of Elders with
some reluctance since I doubt it is possible for an assortment of groups to agree on a
definition of elder. Regardless of what you call the group, it should be made up of
individuals who take a leadership role within their own group and/or sponsor activities
open to the community at large. If you can possibly find a couple of people who have
both a goodly number of years along with experience with Paganism and with Pagan
groups, ask them to join at least in an advisory position.
Start simply with people you know and add more as you can. Make an effort to get to
know as many of the leaders as possible. Once you have a core group of people, it's a
good idea to have a brief written agreement to maintain confidentiality with regard to
group discussions. It really is to almost everyone's advantage to have a safe and
peaceful community. There's no excuse any longer for group leaders to fight over
students or membership since there are more newcomers than we have facilities to deal
with. A stabile local community structure gives all of us a better atmosphere in which to
nurture our own groups.
This will not solve these problems nor will it ensure against bad things happening; what
it does is give us a place to go when problems crop up. Once upon a time just about
everyone in the Pagan community was not only Wiccan but what's now called British
Traditional Wiccan. At that time, everyone knew exactly who was or wasn't an elder
and convening a council was pretty straightforward. Such times are gone. Most any
community will need to include the Asatru, Druids and varieties of Wicca that simply
aren't BTW as well as the clans, tribes, and gatherations of Pagans.
You're going to ask me why you are the person who is supposed to start this process.
Well, simply the fact that you've read this much of my article shows that you possess
the most important qualities, i.e. a sense of responsibility and a dedication to the
community. So start today with the local leaders you already know and trust. Explain
the idea to them and see if you can't agree to work together on community concerns.
Then I'll bet each of you knows at least one other person suitable for the job and you
can begin to expand the group so that it includes more and more of those in the
community who qualify. Keep in mind that the only things this informal group must
agree on is the importance of keeping the community safe and active.
I suggest keeping it informal. When there's a problem, send a brief note around to a
selection of community leaders and have a private and confidential discussion about
what, if anything, to do. How should the members of this informal council be chosen? I
think the most important consideration after concern for the community is
confidentiality. Much of the time it is appropriate that the leaders be aware of a
possible problem and very inappropriate to tell the whole community. Victims need the
protection of privacy and those accused who have not been convicted in court also have
the right to privacy.
I know a lot of people are going to explode about the issue of confidentiality. You'll want
to know why the elders should keep secrets from everyone else and how will that keep
people safe? One reason to keep the information very private is the very real problems
with questions of proof and with slander. Another point is that making such information
public tends to encourage toxic gossip, keeps the community stirred up-usually
unnecessarily-and accomplishes virtually nothing in the way of increased safety. It's
important to accept that in some situations, direct, open confrontation may be the better
action and in other situation the community is better served if the matter is not made
public.
Am I suggesting that Pagans should judge someone? Sure am! Judgment is one of the
necessary aspects of responsibility. While every individual human has the right to make
their own decisions about morality, we have the more important right to disagree with
them. Refusing to accept the responsibility to make judgments on the behavior of
others is strictly a cop out allowing people to avoid an unpleasant job. No community
can survive if it allows dishonesty andviolence free reign.
Most of us want to find open acceptance of our religious practices in the general
community, with that acceptance goes the necessity to make every effort to make our
community safe for all its members. Anyone who finds themselves in a leadership
position-no matter how they got there-must accept this responsibility. While an
individual always has the right to make their own choices, the community is not required
to allow them to remain if they are dangerous or disruptive.
Having this counsel is not going to solve all the community's problems. No one has ever
truly solved the problems communities have with individuals who do not hold the
well-being of the community high in their list of imperatives. And your counsel isn't
going to be in agreement about what to do about problem people. That's why I so
strongly urge that you work on methods of prevention rather than creating further strife
by attempting to find a way to punish someone who violates the standards. Also, try to
agree to consult before taking any action above coven or small group level. However
clearly you think you see your path, emotions get into the process and all of us can
make mistakes. Talking things
over with a peer generally helps gain perspective on the situation.
As each group leader is responsible for maintaining safety for every member of their
group, so must the community's leaders as a group do all they can to ensure the safety
of individuals in open events. We aren't embarrassed to warn people to use sunscreen
on the first outdoor weekend of the spring; we shouldn't be hesitant to remind everyone
that going off alone with someone they just met is not the most sensible thing they can
do. While I don't believe that we are responsible for teaching the newcomers the
ordinary skills of life; it's so common for people new to a religion to have a picture of
the entire religion as somehow safe space. There is no true safety. All we can do is
guard against those problems we can conceive of and have a way of doing the best we
can with whatever comes up.
Copyright Grey Cat 2004~Used with permisson by the author.
It's with a good deal of relief I note that the Pagan community has actually reached a
point where most members are willing to admit that not everyone who says they are
Pagan is necessarily someone you want to associate with. In fact, like any other
community, religious or not, we have our bad apples and have always had a good deal of
difficulty figuring out how to deal with them. Perhaps now that we have admitted we
sometimes do have a problem, we can think quietly about how we can reduce its impact.
First, we should clearly realize that we are talking about a rather wide spectrum of
offences and our reactions must be tailored to each specific situation. In the case of
activities that are clearly against the law, we should if possible make sure they are
reported to the police. This would include robbery, theft, violence or abuse (physical or
sexual) of a minor. Obviously, in some cases this isn't going to be possible, as the victim
won't wish to bring charges. Such cases tend to be when sexual or physical abuse has
occurred. If the victim of sexual abuse is a child, there is simply no way you are justified
in doing nothing. I agree that it's difficult to know what to do since we must be aware
that allegations made by a child are sometimes not accurate. At the very least, all
parents in the community must be informed that there is a possibility of a problem and
those of us who sponsor group events must put in place appropriate protections for all
children's activities. Actually, all parents should always realize that there is such a
possibility wherever they are.
Every case is different and the amount of evidence, the reliability of the victims
testimony and the general situation may make it impossible to take a case to the police.
In any case, we owe it to the children of our community to do our utmost to protect them
even at risk of unfairness to the person accused. Even more important, we need to take
steps within our groups right now to protect children. I found a policy developed by the
Christian Reformed Church in Ann Arbor that has it all set out; rationally, reasonably
and in a form that we can follow. I strongly suggest that all leaders read this and that all
groups sponsoring events implement it. (Webmistress note:
http://www.aacrc.org/onlinebboard/AbusePreventionPolicy71403.pdf does not seem to
be active at the present.)
It's also important to exercise good judgment in warning parents. Causing them fear
and emotional upset without providing recommendations for actions that will result in
greater safety for the children can easily make the community weaker rather then
stronger. I believe the most appropriate solution is for each group and event sponsor to
screen anyone who wishes to work with children and at all events to ensure that adult
interactions with children are monitored.
In the case of an adult abusing, physically or sexually, another adult, the victim has the
right to choose not to go to the police. However, bear in mind that the victim's story
may be anything from completely untrue to exaggerated to minimized. Try to find
witnesses or other individuals who have been around the accused person. In general as
leaders and teachers we should teach newcomers to the community to guard themselves
just as they must in the general community. In a case where someone is abusing their
child, if you are pretty darn sure you've got the straight story, call it in to social
services. In spousal or SO abuse, if they aren't in your group, it's probably none of your
business. You can support the victim if they ask you but do it by directing them to the
resources of the general community. Do not attempt to shelter them in your own home;
it's simply too dangerous. I should hope we can all agree that one adult shouldn't
repeatedly be hitting another, regardless of whatever else is going on in the
relationship. Any adult known to have displayed violence against another must be
watched should they remain within the community. In cases where the violence is
repeated, I feel that a responsible community should deny that individual participation.
Otherwise, we appear to be condoning the violent behavior.
Now that we have looked at the two most important problems we're likely to find in our
community, we need to allow for quite a number of other situations that may need
community action. To stay with legality for the moment, we have had in the past
situations in which an individual or group have been untrustworthy with money.
Unfortunately, one of our inheritances from New Age thinking was an inclination to
despise paperwork. If you don't have a written agreement, you have no practical legal
recourse. Make sure that you know to whom you are giving money and what it is to be
used for. If it's a significant amount of money, have something written - a simple receipt
is better than nothing! If you don't have anything in writing, there isn't much you can do.
Community leaders should already be aware of such behavior and it is permissible to
tell such a leader that you believe misuse of funds has occurred. If you are handling
funds, find someone who can add and subtract, give them the job of keeping a record of
income and expenses and POST it at the event. If you seethat there may be some
money left over, tell people what's going to be done with it.
What about ethical situations, of which there are a number of scenarios such as an
individual claiming to hold a specific initiation which other leaders have found reason to
suspect. Or if a group is reported to coerce sexual favors from students, or simply that
someone is granting all sorts of unearned initiations.
What about the group that is extremely authoritarian, perhaps amounting to spiritual
abuse? Of course, first of all, none of these things is against the law. There really is
very little we can do other than publicly disapprove of them.
The community leaders should discuss the situation, attempt to find out the facts and, if
there is strong evidence of deceit, decide if there is any useful action you can take. It
certainly is possible to make public your conclusions, to formally or informally bar
people from events or to proclaim a shunning. Of course, there is no way to enforce a
shunning but I suspect in the long run it does have some effect. Don't, however, rule out
taking more positive steps. I am aware of a case in which a group that was claiming
honors to which they were not entitled was diplomatically approached by an experienced
and ethical leader. This leader helped the group founders in an advisory fashion helping
them achieve their goals without causing a major community upset.
What can our communities do to prepare for problem people? I believe that a form of
the Council of Elders is really the only appropriate long-term mechanism. By this I
simply mean a collection of group leaders and individuals who put on events or provide
a venue (i.e. occult store owners, etc.) in the area. I use the term, Council of Elders with
some reluctance since I doubt it is possible for an assortment of groups to agree on a
definition of elder. Regardless of what you call the group, it should be made up of
individuals who take a leadership role within their own group and/or sponsor activities
open to the community at large. If you can possibly find a couple of people who have
both a goodly number of years along with experience with Paganism and with Pagan
groups, ask them to join at least in an advisory position.
Start simply with people you know and add more as you can. Make an effort to get to
know as many of the leaders as possible. Once you have a core group of people, it's a
good idea to have a brief written agreement to maintain confidentiality with regard to
group discussions. It really is to almost everyone's advantage to have a safe and
peaceful community. There's no excuse any longer for group leaders to fight over
students or membership since there are more newcomers than we have facilities to deal
with. A stabile local community structure gives all of us a better atmosphere in which to
nurture our own groups.
This will not solve these problems nor will it ensure against bad things happening; what
it does is give us a place to go when problems crop up. Once upon a time just about
everyone in the Pagan community was not only Wiccan but what's now called British
Traditional Wiccan. At that time, everyone knew exactly who was or wasn't an elder
and convening a council was pretty straightforward. Such times are gone. Most any
community will need to include the Asatru, Druids and varieties of Wicca that simply
aren't BTW as well as the clans, tribes, and gatherations of Pagans.
You're going to ask me why you are the person who is supposed to start this process.
Well, simply the fact that you've read this much of my article shows that you possess
the most important qualities, i.e. a sense of responsibility and a dedication to the
community. So start today with the local leaders you already know and trust. Explain
the idea to them and see if you can't agree to work together on community concerns.
Then I'll bet each of you knows at least one other person suitable for the job and you
can begin to expand the group so that it includes more and more of those in the
community who qualify. Keep in mind that the only things this informal group must
agree on is the importance of keeping the community safe and active.
I suggest keeping it informal. When there's a problem, send a brief note around to a
selection of community leaders and have a private and confidential discussion about
what, if anything, to do. How should the members of this informal council be chosen? I
think the most important consideration after concern for the community is
confidentiality. Much of the time it is appropriate that the leaders be aware of a
possible problem and very inappropriate to tell the whole community. Victims need the
protection of privacy and those accused who have not been convicted in court also have
the right to privacy.
I know a lot of people are going to explode about the issue of confidentiality. You'll want
to know why the elders should keep secrets from everyone else and how will that keep
people safe? One reason to keep the information very private is the very real problems
with questions of proof and with slander. Another point is that making such information
public tends to encourage toxic gossip, keeps the community stirred up-usually
unnecessarily-and accomplishes virtually nothing in the way of increased safety. It's
important to accept that in some situations, direct, open confrontation may be the better
action and in other situation the community is better served if the matter is not made
public.
Am I suggesting that Pagans should judge someone? Sure am! Judgment is one of the
necessary aspects of responsibility. While every individual human has the right to make
their own decisions about morality, we have the more important right to disagree with
them. Refusing to accept the responsibility to make judgments on the behavior of
others is strictly a cop out allowing people to avoid an unpleasant job. No community
can survive if it allows dishonesty andviolence free reign.
Most of us want to find open acceptance of our religious practices in the general
community, with that acceptance goes the necessity to make every effort to make our
community safe for all its members. Anyone who finds themselves in a leadership
position-no matter how they got there-must accept this responsibility. While an
individual always has the right to make their own choices, the community is not required
to allow them to remain if they are dangerous or disruptive.
Having this counsel is not going to solve all the community's problems. No one has ever
truly solved the problems communities have with individuals who do not hold the
well-being of the community high in their list of imperatives. And your counsel isn't
going to be in agreement about what to do about problem people. That's why I so
strongly urge that you work on methods of prevention rather than creating further strife
by attempting to find a way to punish someone who violates the standards. Also, try to
agree to consult before taking any action above coven or small group level. However
clearly you think you see your path, emotions get into the process and all of us can
make mistakes. Talking things
over with a peer generally helps gain perspective on the situation.
As each group leader is responsible for maintaining safety for every member of their
group, so must the community's leaders as a group do all they can to ensure the safety
of individuals in open events. We aren't embarrassed to warn people to use sunscreen
on the first outdoor weekend of the spring; we shouldn't be hesitant to remind everyone
that going off alone with someone they just met is not the most sensible thing they can
do. While I don't believe that we are responsible for teaching the newcomers the
ordinary skills of life; it's so common for people new to a religion to have a picture of
the entire religion as somehow safe space. There is no true safety. All we can do is
guard against those problems we can conceive of and have a way of doing the best we
can with whatever comes up.
Copyright Grey Cat 2004~Used with permisson by the author.
