How to Better Protect all God’s Children and Youth

Michael J. Bland, Psy. D., D. Min., L.C.P.C.
Consultant to the VIRTUS® Programs

The goal of the VIRTUS^® programs is to help prevent, address, and mitigate wrongdoing in the faith community. Dioceses across the country are implementing a program to assure the safety of children and youth.

The VIRTUS Protecting All God's Children Program is designed to help adults become protectors of children, and to help communities provide safe environments for children and youth. The Protecting God’s Children^® program has been adopted by many archdioceses and dioceses across the country to ensure safe environments in all parishes, schools and diocesan programs. Thousands of adults—clergy, deacons, principals, directors of religious education, youth ministers, teachers, catechists, employees, parents and volunteers—have participated in these training sessions.

The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People reflects a series of practical and pastoral standards that are to be implemented and maintained in each diocese. Article 10 states: “The whole Church, especially the laity, at both diocesan and national levels, needs to be engaged in maintaining safe environments in the Church for children and young people.” Article 12 goes on to say: “They (safe environment programs) are to be conducted cooperatively with parents, civil authorities, educators, and community organizations to provide education and training for children, youth, parents, ministers, educators, volunteers, and others about ways to make and maintain a safe environment for children.”

The focus of the safe environment programs is to increase awareness about the nature of child sexual abuse. VIRTUS, using awareness sessions, videos, and online training bulletins, educates the adults about how to recognize the warning signs and what to do when they suspect a child or young person may be a victim of abuse.

Protecting Gods Children for Adults outlines five basic steps adults can take to prevent child abuse.

STEP 1: Know the Warning Signs

Adults who are made aware of the indicators of inappropriate behavior between a minor and an adult can help stop potential abuse before it begins. Some warning signs are:

• The adult always wants to be alone with a child.
• The adult goes overboard touching, tickling, and/or wrestling with children.
• The adult gives gifts to the child without the parent's permission.
• The adult wants to take the child on an outing or a vacation alone.
• The adult uses bad language or tells dirty jokes to children.

STEP 2: Control Access

Adults need to be extraordinarily careful about determining who can work with children and youth. This sends a message that all children and youth programs are going to be closely watched.

For the adults or volunteers working with or around children, all references must be checked, interviews conducted, and criminal background checks completed. It is the responsibility of the supervising adult to inform the other adults involved in children and youth programs of the standards of appropriate boundaries—both physical and emotional.

STEP 3: Monitor All Programs

Careful supervision of all activities is mandatory. A child should never be left unattended with only one adult present. Furthermore, adults need to be aware of where the children and youth are at all times. This involves having an adequate number of adults in all programs.

All adults should be coached on the importance of not being alone with a child in a secluded area such as a closed room or in an area that cannot be readily viewed by others.

STEP 4: Be Aware

Adults should be observers of children—talk to them, listen to them, and watch them. A change in a child's behavior or personality may indicate something is making the child feel uncomfortable.

Teaching children the correct anatomical names for their private body parts empowers children to seek help and to report inappropriate touching to another adult. Teaching children to say "stop it" to an adult who may want the child to commit acts he or she does not want to do is imperative for the child's protection.

STEP 5: Communicate Your Concerns

Be alert to situations in which you observe inappropriate behavior between an adult and a child.

In a parish or school situation, the supervisor should be notified or the child abuse hotline and/or the police called. Communicating your concerns includes paying attention to your feelings and intuition about what you observe.

Being aware of these five steps creates a positive plan to protect children and youth from being the victims of sexual abuse. All adults, whether or not they are involved in a church program, should be schooled in these basic steps. It is estimated that there are 40 million adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the United States. It is time to put an end to this crime in our homes, our schools, our parishes, and our communities. VIRTUS and the Protecting God's Children program provide a positive plan to address the problem of sexual abuse of children and young people in our society.

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