Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Background check Screening of Prospective Members

[Elizabeth Magill (pastorlizm]

1. Almost all sexual abuse is done by people who haven't been caught.
To know that everyone you live near is not a registered sexual
offender is not actually giving you any information.
These are both falsehoods:  a) I am safe because no one has been
caught and b) I am safe because this is an intentional community.
Not that I'm a fan of living in fear, just that if you have this fear
all the things about learning to have boundaries, building a community
that believes people who tell about abuse, and the others things
mentioned on this email thread are the most important ways to deal
with the risks of sexual abuse.

2. Are we trying to improve the world, or just ourselves?
In Worcester County MA there were around 60 registered sex offenders,
and 50 of them lived at the homeless shelter. I do not believe the
world is made safer by isolating sex offenders.

-Liz
(The Rev. Dr.) Elizabeth Mae Magill
Pastor, Ashburnham Community Church
Minister to the Affiliates, Ecclesia Ministries
www.elizabethmaemagill.com
508-450-0431


On Wed, Mar 16, 2022 at 3:53 PM Muriel Kranowski <murielk [at] vt.edu> wrote:
>
> The discussion about trying to identify sex offenders always reminds me of
> an awful situation in a cohousing community (not mine) that I heard about
> years ago. It was discovered that a fairly long-time, very well liked
> resident had been victimizing community kids. It really shook me up to
> learn about that and I'm sure it was devastating for that community.
>
> Not in response to that, but a number of years ago we adopted a policy that
> before you sell to or rent any part of your home to anyone you must check
> both the national and state sex offender registries. If the person is on
> it, you (the current homeowner) must call a plenary meeting that you and
> the prospective new person must both attend so people can talk to the
> person and determine how safe they feel with the person.
>
> This doesn't prevent you from selling or renting, but presumably gives the
> community a heads-up if they find the person to be unsettling.
>
> I assume homeowners are complying and checking before they sell -- there's
> no way to know if they do or don't, and no-one has ever called such a
> plenary meeting, but the policy remains in effect and perhaps makes parents
> of young kids feel a bit safer about buying in.
>
>   Muriel at Shadowlake Village
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> http://L.cohousing.org/info
>
>
>