Schools, religious ed programs striving to keep children safe

"When I was teaching, if kids needed a ride home after a dance, I'd say, 'Come on, I'll give you a ride,'" said Sister Jane Herb, IHM, superintendent of the Albany diocesan Catholic Schools Office.

That kind of gesture is no longer allowed, she said, in order to protect both children and the adults who teach them.

Five years after the implementation of the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," diocesan educational officials note distinct changes in their environment:

* background checks and Virtus training have become a normal and accepted prerequisite for volunteering or working with children;

* catechists and teachers are more familiar with proper behavior and ways to create a healthy learning environment for kids; and

* new issues regarding technology have found their way into the process.

Positives

Overall, the Charter has been "a very positive thing; it's certainly created a safe environment for our children," said Sister Jane. "It's become part of our culture, and we understand that we live in a different society."

Speaking to school personnel five years ago, she asked if it would help to have a standardized "safe environment" program, which drew an "overwhelming yes," she said.

After research, the Schools Office chose "Child Lures" as a program for implementation in diocesan elementary and high schools.

Behavior

Five years later, Virtus training, "Child Lures," background checks and a code of conduct all adults working in a school must sign are accepted as routine.

Sister Jane believes those steps have "made people more aware of what's appropriate contact with young people. We certainly don't say to anybody, 'Never hug a student,' but we ask them to use reasonable judgment."

Appropriate conduct that protects both students and teachers includes keeping classroom doors open when speaking with students, and increasing the number and training of chaperons on overnight trips and field trips.

School principals sign verification forms, indicating that the code of conduct has been signed by all teachers and volunteers, and that all adults in the school have submitted to Virtus and background checks.

In addition, recent state legislation has enabled Catholic schools to participate in a fingerprinting program for prospective employees.

Technology

A new question that has arisen regarding child safety results from the evolution of technology, Sister Jane said.

"MySpace, Facebook, blogging and all those things that are out there raise questions regarding appropriate use" of school technology, she noted.

"We have to be aware of what safe for children, what's not safe, and what's appropriate for employees and what's not."

Awareness

Jeanne Schrempf, director of the Albany diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (OEC), said that catechists and youth ministers are "very vigilant" about safety for children.

"We're looking at our programs with very different eyes. Youth ministers have always been aware of boundary issues, but the fact that these are now written down has created a greater awareness of how we deal with children, where we meet with children, and how to be professional with children and youth."

All catechists and parish volunteers who come into contact with youth are required to attend Virtus training. In many parishes, catechists and youth ministers have become Virtus trainers themselves.

Safe environment

To respond to the Charter's request that faith formation programs implement a safe environment program for children and parents, the OEC developed an in-house program that reaches children four times in their school career:

* in grades 1-3, when the program discusses good touch and bad touch;

* in grades 4-6, when the program teaches children what kind of situations to avoid, inappropriate advances and when to talk to an adult;

* in middle school, when the program discusses internet safety; and

* in high school, when the program teaches about boundary issues.

Parents' role

The Charter's directives require training for parents and that they have access to the safe environment materials presented to their children.

To fulfill that requirement, the OEC sends parents an annual pamphlet about how to talk to kids about sexual abuse and boundary issues.

The OEC is also looking into the possibility of linking faith-formation safe environment programs to those offered in the public schools that the religious ed students attend.

Extra miles

Some faith formation programs take extra steps to ensure the safety of children: They employ parent-volunteer gatekeepers who watch the doors before, during and after classes, a step which Mrs. Schrempf said dates back to measures taken after the murders at Columbine High School and the 9/11 terror attacks.

For example, at St. John/St. Joseph parish in Rensselaer, faith formation director Linda Remington said that parents have to sign children out, physically pick them up from their classrooms and walk them to their cars.

Mrs. Schrempf said that the OEC is available to help parishes come into compliance with the Charter, make programs accessible and introduce new models to help different parish programs flourish.

(6/28/07) [[In-content Ad]]