Youth awareness is latest effort to prevent abuse

The U.S. bishops promised in their 2002 "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" that dioceses would create "safe environment" programs for children.

The Albany Diocese has fulfilled that vow in several ways, including Virtus training and background checks for all employees and volunteers. Now, it has added a program of sexual abuse awareness training for youth in parish religious education and youth ministry programs.

Training sessions are being held around the Diocese to help parishes implement the program, which covers everything from "good and bad touch" with younger children to the dangers of the internet for teens.

Protecting youth

Jeanne Schrempf, director of the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (OEC), which created the program, noted that public schools provide abuse awareness education and the Diocese's Catholic schools have also created their own program. But, she added, "we're responsible for the children in our parish catechetical and youth ministry programs."

Besides, she said, public school programs are not taught within the context of the Catholic faith, which is an aspect of the Diocese's programs.

The abuse awareness program was created by Joyce Solimini, the OEC's associate catechetical director, and Patricia Taafe, who has worked with the diocesan Video and Resource Center. They consulted with Teresa Rodrigues, the Diocese's victims assistance coordinator for clergy abuse victims, who ensured the program complied with the requirements of the Charter.

Adaptations

The trio realized that parish religious educators don't see their students every day, as Catholic school teachers do, and that the program had to be useful to its broad spectrum of parishes -- large and small, those with paid staff and those with volunteers.

They looked at programs already in use around the country, with an eye toward giving children information and skills to prevent abuse, keeping a faith perspective, and including sessions for parents so they could support what their children learned.

Mrs. Solimini said that most secular programs they researched had common components: Young children were taught about "good and bad touch;" those in middle school learned about avoiding the lures of abusers; and older children were taught about healthy boundaries in relationships with both peers and adults.

Since abusers' use of the internet to find victims is an increasing problem, the Diocese chose to focus the middle-school section of its program on that issue.

Mrs. Solimini and Mrs. Taafe worked on the program in the summer of 2003, then took drafts to deanery meetings where religious educators and youth ministry leaders could examine them. After feedback and modifications, the Diocese began training religious educators to implement the program this past spring. Pastors and parish life directors were invited to the sessions, as well.

Age ranges

The program has specific lesson plans that catechists can use with four age ranges: 5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-17. Parishes are not necessarily advised to include those plans in religious education every year, but to make sure children participate in the program once during every age range.

Materials on the program distributed by the OEC include ways to:

* integrate the information into lessons on a "Christian approach to human sexuality" already taught in religious ed;

* use the program as part of a retreat for older adolescents;

* include parents in the program (through separate sessions for them or whole-family education); and

* make abuse awareness part of parish Respect Life, Lenten or other activities.

Training

Mrs. Schrempf noted that since not all catechists feel comfortable teaching abuse awareness, some parishes are choosing to designate certain religious educators to go into classes and cover the topic.

Now that catechists are being trained to lead the program, parishes are required to implement at least some part of it in their religious ed programs during this school year.

Catechists must record when, how and with whom they implemented the program, and submit their reports to the OEC, so the Diocese has records to show its compliance with the Charter.

Before parishes can start the program, however, they have to send a letter home to parents explaining what will be covered, so that parents can be aware of it -- and decide whether to allow their children to be present for the lessons.

Model for others

Mrs. Schrempf reported that the Albany Diocese's program is already being adopted for use by the dioceses of Rochester, Syracuse and Portland, Maine, and also by the Archdiocese of New York.

She credited this success to Bishop Howard J. Hubbard's fast work to comply with the requirements of the Charter, a response which put the Albany Diocese ahead of many others in preventing abuse.

"We're doing this in response to a crisis in the Church," Mrs. Solimini explained; "but even if we weren't, [the program makes us aware that] children are a sacred trust."

Mrs. Schrempf added: "I hope parents and family members will see that the Church is a community of faith that cares for, respects and loves their children, and we will be able to restore some of the trust" lost during the abuse crisis.

(Along with lesson plans and suggestions, the OEC has sent parishes a list of books and videos available on loan from the diocesan Video and Resource Center, and a list of websites with further information. Guest speakers on abuse awareness are also available, and parishes can bulk-order materials, such as "Keeping Our Children Safe," a pamphlet published by the National Pastoral Life Center.)

How to help children

In creating the Albany Diocese's new abuse awareness program, Joyce Solimini and Patricia Taafe realized that some children, after participating in the program, might disclose that they had been abused.

If that happens, religious educators are advised to:

* reassure children that the abuse was not their fault;

* alert Child Protective Services and the police if a child is in imminent danger;

* help the child to find a safe place to go if their home is unsafe;

* if the abuse was not perpetrated by a family member, talk with the child about calling their parents to find out whether to do so before calling an abuse hotline.

"Remember," the program materials advise, "your role is to mirror the compassionate care of Christ to the child/teen." (KB)

(10/21/04)