The history of this special observance began nearly 30 years ago when the alarm was sounded over the rapid increase in the number of children being abused.
Congress and the President made child abuse prevention a national priority in 1983 by designating April as a special month to raise our national consciousness about the terrible impacts of child abuse.
As an institution in our society that is closely linked to the well-being of families and children, our Church joins in this observance each year. I want to do my part this year by sharing a reflection on the history of a critical component of our diocesan Safe Environment Program – personal safety education for children.
Eight years ago this June, the bishops of the U.S. included in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People the commitment to teach children how to contribute to their own safety.
Initially, no one knew exactly how that commitment would be honored, but in our Diocese we had two important helps in getting started.
First, we had these three firm principles about personal safety education for children: children can play an effective role in their own safety; personal safety education is a practical amplification of what our faith teaches about respect for self and others; and, in this age of media saturation, there is no perfect world of innocence for children of school age.
Second, we were fortunate to have the resource of the Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center. The Advocacy Center offered personal safety education for children all over our Diocese, and its programs are still approved and used by many of our parishes and schools.
Despite the lack of resources, this initial program for the education of children went very well. Nevertheless, it became clear that alternatives were needed to allow different content each year and to integrate the teaching of personal safety with the religious education curriculum, both in terms of schedule and content.
By 2006, our Diocese was ready to develop and publish its own personal safety curriculum for children and youth. A group of parish and school educators and administrators worked intensively over a period of six months to complete the project in time for the 2006-2007 academic year.
The new curriculum allowed teachers, with the help of outside speakers or videos, to present personal safety education in a fresh way each year and do so during regular class times, integrating the age-appropriate content with the teaching of our faith.
Since the introduction of the Personal Safety Curriculum for Children and Youth, many persons have worked hard to help teachers feel comfortable in delivering the lessons. There have obstacles, but through patient explanation by our supportive pastors and principals, tremendous progress has been made.
Last academic year, for example, more than 20,000 children and youth received personal safety education. Parent refusals were only about two percent, and most of those were limited to a few areas, indicating the need for clearer explanation of what is being taught. Only one parish elected to rely completely on the local public school system’s curriculum rather than teaching personal safety from our own Catholic perspective.
There will always be some who believe that personal safety education is “overdone” or who think that personal safety and religious education don’t mix.
But I hope that this history and the good news of the progress we have made will motivate you to support personal safety education for children in your parish and school.
I hope that you will feel a renewed sense of the important role you play to reinforce messages of personal safety education with your children and grandchildren, and to listen to them when they speak of the challenges they face in their world.
And, thinking beyond your own children, I hope that you will take time in this special national month dedicated to child abuse prevention to think about and pray about supporting the church and civic institutions that work to keep all children safe from abuse.
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( 2.9 / 88 )Abril es el Mes Nacional de Prevención de Abuso de Niños.
La historia de esta observancia especial empezó hace 30 años cuando sonó la alarma por el gran incremento en el número de niños siendo abusados.
Los miembros del Congreso y el Presidente hicieron la prevención de abuso de niños una prioridad nacional en 1983 designando el mes de abril como el mes especial para estar más conscientes acerca de los terribles impactos en el abuso de niños.
Como una institución en nuestra sociedad que está muy de cerca relacionada al bienestar de las familias y niños, nuestra Iglesia se junta a esta observancia cada año. Yo quiero hacer mi parte este año compartiendo una reflexión en la historia de un componente crítico de nuestro programa diocesano Programa de Ambiente Seguro – educación personal en seguridad para niños.
Hace ocho años, en este junio, los obispos de los Estados Unidos incluyeron en la Carta para la protección de niños y personas jóvenes el compromiso de enseñar a los niños cómo contribuir en su propia seguridad.
Inicialmente, nadie sabía exactamente cómo se aceptaría ese compromiso, pero en nuestra Diócesis teníamos dos ayudas importantes para poder empezar.
Primero, nosotros teníamos tres principios muy firmes acerca de educación en seguridad personal para niños: Niños pueden desempeñar un papel efectivo en su propia seguridad; educación personal en seguridad es una amplificación práctica en lo que enseña nuestra fe con respecto al respeto a sí mismo y a otros; y, en esta edad de media saturación, no hay un mundo perfecto de inocencia para niños de edad escolar.
Segundo, nosotros tuvimos la fortuna de tener los recursos del Centro de Defensa de Niños del Sur de Arizona (Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center). El Centro de Defensa ofreció educación en seguridad personal para niños en todas partes de nuestra Diócesis; sus programas siguen siendo aprobados y se usan en muchas de nuestras parroquias y escuelas.
No obstante la carencia de recursos, este programa inicial para la educación de niños salió muy bien. Sin embargo, fue evidente que se necesitaban alternativas para permitir un contenido diferente cada año para integrar la enseñanza en seguridad personal con el currículo de educación religiosa, ambos en términos de planeación y contenido.
Para 2006, nuestra Diócesis estaba lista para desarrollar y publicar su propio currículo en seguridad personal para niños y jóvenes. Un grupo de educadores y administradores de parroquias y escuelas trabajaron arduamente por un periodo de seis meses para completar el proyecto en tiempo para el principio del año escolar académico 2006-2007.
El currículo nuevo le permitió a los maestros, con la ayuda de hablantes de afuera o videos, presentar la educación en seguridad personal de una manera nueva cada año y así durante tiempos de clase regular, integrando el contenido apropiado para la edad de los alumnos con la enseñanza de nuestra fe.
Desde que se introdujo el Currículo de Seguridad Personal para Niños y Jóvenes, muchas personas han trabajado muy duro para ayudar a los maestros sentirse cómodos en impartir las lecciones. Ha habido obstáculos, pero por medio de la explicación paciente de nuestros párrocos y administradores que dan gran apoyo, ha habido un progreso tremendo.
El último año académico, por ejemplo, más de 20,000 niños y jóvenes recibieron educación en seguridad personal. Solamente un dos por ciento de padres de familia rehusaron dar permiso, y la mayor parte de esas fueron limitadas a pocas áreas, indicando la necesidad de explicación más clara de lo que se ha enseñado. Solamente una parroquia eligió confiar completamente en el currículo del sistema público escolar local en lugar de enseñar seguridad personal con nuestra propia perspectiva Católica.
Siempre habrá algunos que creen que educación en seguridad personal es “exagerada” o algunos que piensan que seguridad personal y educación Religiosa no se mezclan.
Yo espero que esta historia y las buenas noticias del progreso que hemos hecho, los motive en apoyar la educación en seguridad personal para niños en sus parroquias y escuelas.
Espero que sientan un sentido renovado del importante papel que desempeñan en reenfozar los mensajes de educación en seguridad personal con sus hijos y nietos, y que los escuchen cuando ellos hablan de los desafíos con que se confrontan en su mundo
Y, pensando más allá de sus propios hijos, espero que tomen tiempo en este mes nacional, tan especial, dedicado a la prevención del abuso de niños, para que piensen y recen acerca de apoyar la iglesia y las instituciones cívicas que trabajan en resguardar de abuso a todos los niños.
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( 3 / 80 )My office has the longest name of any office in the structure of the Diocese of Tucson: Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection.
That title encompasses the three very important populations that we cover with the umbrella of our diocesan Safe Environment Program.
I think that most often folks associate my office with our efforts to protect the “Child” and the “Adolescent.”
But, what about the “Adult” in the title? Who is this adult that we want to protect?
In describing our responsibilities within the Safe Environment Program, we often include “vulnerable” to further define the adults with whom we are concerned.
Vulnerable adults, first and foremost, are those with physical, cognitive or psychological impairment that make them vulnerable to abuse or exploitation.
But, in the broadest sense, under our diocesan Code of Conduct for employees and volunteers, we have a responsibility to any adult with whom a priest or deacon, lay employee or volunteer has a ministerial relationship. The way we meet that responsibility is by knowing and keeping proper boundaries in ministry.
Among the adults that we are particularly concerned about are our elders. Just as we hold the little ones of our community in special care, so are we called to a particular reverence for those who carry many years.
Some of our priests and deacons, employees and volunteers are called to minister to elders by going into the homes or institutions in which elders live to bring the Eucharist and the comfort of Christ.
Entering into the living places of our elders is a special privilege. There are a whole set of boundaries unique to that experience.
In addition, being privileged to visit elders where they live places on us a responsibility to be on guard for signs that might indicate the elder is being mistreated.
In January 2007, I wrote in this space for the first time about the issue of elder abuse. (See www.diocesetucson.org/POCColumnArchives.html.)
Since late 2009, we have been engaged in a more systematic process of study and networking to learn more about the dangers that elders face. Here is some of what we have learned so far.
Each week I receive from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Arizona a summary of news items describing crimes that have been committed against elders. These crimes are all too prevalent.
Elders face all the risks for mistreatment that our young face, and more.
The three most common forms are financial exploitation, neglect and physical or emotional abuse by caregivers.
Complicating our efforts to protect the elderly from mistreatment is the fact that elders may be reluctant to complain about the person who is mistreating them for fear of losing the attention that is given to them or for fear that the mistreating person will be punished.
Further, when it comes to neglect, the elder may simply not be caring for himself or herself effectively.
These facts inhibit the efforts of law enforcement and social service agencies because the elder, as an adult, must be ready to file a complaint in order for there to be a crime.
Our clergy and lay employees and volunteers are in a privileged position whenever they serve elders.
Eucharistic Ministers, especially, because they visit with the homebound, hold a position of high responsibility.
In the coming months, our Safe Environment Program will be focusing more on protecting our vulnerable adults by developing education about what to look for and what to do if there is a reasonable suspicion that an elder is being mistreated or is otherwise in need of assistance.
Information about protecting the elderly from mistreatment is available at the National Center on Elder Abuse, www.ncea.aoa.gov. And, if you have a concern about an elderly person right now, you can call Adult Protective Services at 877-767-2385 or, in case of greater urgency, you should call 911.
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( 3 / 95 )Mi oficina tiene el nombre más largo que cualquier otra en la estructura de la Diócesis de Tucson. Oficina de Protección de Niños, Adolescentes y Adultos.
Ese título abarca tres populaciones muy importantes que cubrimos bajo paraguas de nuestro Programa de Ambiente Seguro diocesano.
Pienso que con frecuencia gentes asocian mi oficina con nuestros esfuerzos en proteger el “Niño” y el “Adolescente”.
Pero, ¿qué quiere decir el “Adulto” en el título? ¿Quién es ese adulto que queremos proteger?
Al describir nuestras responsabilidades dentro del Programa Ambiente Seguro, muy seguido incluimos “vulnerable” para definir más claramente la clase de adultos que nos conciernen o nos preocupan.
Adultos vulnerables, en primer lugar, son aquellos con impedimentos físicos, cognitivos o psicológicos que los hacen vulnerables al abuso o explotación.
Pero, en un sentido más amplio, bajo nuestro Código de Conducta diocesano para empleados y voluntarios, tenemos una responsabilidad para cualquier adulto con quien un sacerdote o diácono, empleado o voluntario laico tenga una relación ministerial. La manera de llevar a cabo esa responsabilidad es conociendo y guardando una distancia propia al darles ministerio.
Entre los adultos que nos preocupan de una manera muy particular son nuestros ancianos. Así como acogemos a los pequeños de nuestras comunidades con especial cuidado, así también somos llamados a dar una reverencia particular por aquellos que llevan muchos años.
Algunos de nuestros sacerdotes y diáconos, empleados y voluntarios están llamados a ministrar a los ancianos yendo a sus hogares o instituciones en donde ellos viven para llevarles la Eucaristía y el consuelo de Cristo.
Entrar en los lugares donde residen nuestros ancianos es un privilegio muy especial. Ahí está todo un conjunto de barreras muy únicas a esa experiencia.
Además, teniendo el privilegio de visitar a los ancianos en el lugar donde habitan coloca en nosotros una responsabilidad de estar en guardia de señales que puedan indicar que la persona mayor haya sido maltratada.
En enero del 2007, escribí por primera vez en este espacio acerca del tema del abuso de personas mayores de edad. (Ver www.diocesetucson.org/POCColumnArchives.html.)
Desde la última parte de 2009, hemos estado trabajando en un proceso más sistemático de estudio y con el uso de la red para aprender más acerca de los peligros con que se confrontan las personas mayores de edad. Aquí esta algo de lo que hemos aprendido hasta ahora.
Cada semana recibo de la oficina del Procurador General (Attorney General) de Arizona un sumario de artículos describiendo crímenes que se han hecho en contra de los ancianos. Estos crímenes son demasiado comunes.
Los ancianos enfrentan todos los riesgos de malos tratos que nuestros jóvenes enfrentan, y más.
Las tres formas más comunes son explotación financiera, negligencia y abuso físico o emocional de parte de quien los cuida.
Lo que complica nuestros esfuerzos en proteger de maltrato a los ancianos, es el hecho de que las personas mayores rehúsen quejarse de las personas que los maltratan, ya sea por miedo de perder la atención recibida o por miedo de que se castigue a la persona que los maltrata.
Además, en caso de negligencia, puede ser que el anciano simplemente no pueda él o ella misma cuidarse efectivamente.
Estos hechos inhiben, o detienen, los esfuerzos de los en forzadores de la ley o de agencias de servicios sociales porque el anciano, como adulto, debe de estar listo para poner una demanda para que sea crimen.
Nuestro clero y empleados laicos y voluntarios se encuentran en una situación privilegiada cuando sirven a los ancianos.
Los Ministros de la Eucaristía, especialmente, por razón de que ellos visitan a los ancianos que no pueden salir de su hogar, se encuentran en una situación de gran responsabilidad. Es por eso que nuestro Programa de Ambiente Seguro requiere que sean escrutinados, o examinados, y entrenados para este ministerio tan especial.
En los próximos meses, nuestro Programa de Ambiente Seguro pondrá más hincapié en proteger a nuestros adultos vulnerables desarrollando educación acerca de en qué estar alerta y qué hacer en caso de que haya una sospecha razonable de que un anciano esté siendo maltratado o esté en necesidad de asistencia.
Información acerca de protección de maltrato a un adulto está disponible en el Centro Nacional del Abuso a los Ancianos, www.ncea.aoa.gov.
Y, si ahorita tiene alguna preocupación acerca de una persona adulta , puede llamar a Servicios de Protección de Adultos al 877-767-2385 o, en caso de mayor urgencia, debe llamar al 911.
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( 3 / 88 )We emphasize consistently and constantly in our Diocese of Tucson Safe Environment Program that all employees and volunteers of the parishes, schools and other ministries within the Diocese should consider themselves mandated reporters whenever they have reasonable suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused or mistreated.
We also emphasize consistently and constantly the “red flags” of possible abuse or mistreatment. These “red flags” are actually several levels of indicators of distress in a child.
The first level might be called “risk factors.” We know that some children are more vulnerable than others to abuse. This does not mean it is their fault, far from it. It does mean that we must be even more vigilant for the welfare of children with these characteristics.
Children who have a previous history of abuse are more likely to be abused again. Those who do not have good support within the family or among peers and those who suffer with some form of emotional, cognitive or physical disability are more vulnerable to some form of mistreatment.
Our best role when we know of such children is to be alert and supportive. A supportive presence can make a big difference in the life of a wounded child. Alert “trusted adults” are like good shepherds.
The second level of “red flag” indicators is comprised of general signs that call us to look more deeply into the situation of the child. These general signs may be physical, emotional, social or behavioral in nature.
Many physical functions are much influenced by distress. When sleep or appetite is suddenly changed, for example, it is likely that something is wrong. If a child begins to wet the bed or have trouble with bowel control at an age when good control is expected and after a period in which good control was demonstrated, there is some problem that needs to be addressed.
More directly, a child who is fearful in general or who has very poor relationships with peers is a child who needs some encouragement to explore and change his or her perception of the world. Fears of being alone with a person or marked change in mood are somewhat more specific indicators that require our focused attention to determine what has happened.
Achievement and other behavioral changes also are “red flag” indicators of potential problems. A tendency toward impulsive or risky behavior, or difficulty paying attention, warrants our concern. Behaviors that cause specific harm to the self or a remarkable change in school achievement raise red flags and call for immediate follow-up.
While none of these indicators may mean a child is actually being abused, they do all point to a child who may be in trouble.
The third level of “red flag” indicators, however, points more directly to abuse. When these indicators are noted, a call to law enforcement is the very next step.
Indicators or sexual abuse include: unexplained pain or injury of genitalia; pregnancy or venereal disease; sexual knowledge unexpected at the child’s age; or sexual preoccupation in word or actions.
Indicators of physical abuse include: unexplained injuries; history of previous injuries at home; fear of going home; or fading bruises.
Indicators of neglect include: frequent need for food or for money to buy food; poor hygiene or clothing; lack of medical or dental care; or any other indication that point to basic needs not being met or to a lack of adult supervision.
When all is said and done, of course, the final “red flag” level and most reliable indicator of abuse is a report by a child that he or she has been abused. Whether or not the report turns out to be accurate, a report by the child should always be taken seriously and always should lead to making a report to law enforcement.
We emphasize in our Safe Environment Program training that whenever the indicators lead to a reliable suspicion of abuse, there is reason for investigation. That investigation, which is different from making a judgment, needs to be carried out by law enforcement, not the person who has the reasonable suspicion.
Referring to civil authorities to carry out the investigation results in a productive division of responsibilities and puts the investigation in the hands of persons trained to carry it out in a fair and balanced manner.
When the indicators are less specific and do not rise to the level of a reasonable suspicion of abuse, we emphasize that our parish and school staff and volunteers should share their observations with immediate supervisors or closest consultants so that with their assistance the indicator can be evaluated until it is clear what the next step should be.
When an investigation by law enforcement does not produce evidence of abuse, our responsibility to the child is not ended. Continued observation is critical because it may lead to further information and a supplemental report or corrective action.
For more information about signs of abuse, check out this pamphlet:
Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Symptoms. Child Welfare Information Gateway, June 2007. www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/signs.cfm
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