Erin
Neil, director of the Office of Safe Environments, offers an update on the ongoing
implementation of the Safe Environment Initiative in the Diocese of Bridgeport,
launched in June 2003
April
2008
April
is National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Wear a Blue Ribbon!
On
April 4, 1983 in the wake of rising reports of child abuse in
the United States, President Ronald Reagan declared April
as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Since then,
child abuse and neglect awareness activities have been promoted
across the country during April of each year.
In
1989, a concerned grandmother, Bonnie Finney, of Norfolk, VA,
took a stand against child abuse after experiencing the death
of her grandson. She tied a symbolic blue ribbon to her van
to encourage awareness and involvement of everyone in the community
to prevent abuse before it starts. During the past 19 years,
the blue ribbon has become a national symbol of child abuse
awareness and prevention education.
The
statistics surrounding child sexual abuse in the United States
are shocking:
-
1
in 5 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18.
-
1
in 10 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.
-
1
in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the internet.
-
An
estimated 40 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in
America today.
-
Approx.
29% of victims are abused by a family member.
-
Approx.
60% are abused by someone the family knows and trusts.
-
Only
11% of child sexual abuse is committed by strangers.
With
the passage of the 2002 U.S. Bishop's Charter
for the Protection of Children and Young People the Catholic
Church launched the largest child sexual abuse prevention campaign in
the history of the United States, training millions of adults and children
to recognize early warning signs of inappropriate behavior in order
to prevent abuse before it starts.
In
the Diocese of Bridgeport, the VIRTUS Protecting God's Children program
is used to train all Clergy, Employees, Volunteers, and even our
vendors and Independent Contractors. A trained counselor from Catholic
Charities delivers the Child Lures Think First and Stay Safe Program
to our elementary school students and the Personal Safety Training program
for High School Youth which emphasizes internet safety and how to make
a report of suspected abuse to proper authorities.
To
download (in Microsoft Word) Parish
Resources for Child Abuse Awareness Month, including bulletin announcements
and prayer petitions, click
here.
During
the month of April, The Office of Safe Environments is sponsoring and
promoting a variety of critical child safety programs, free of charge.
Learn what you can do to protect children from the pain and suffering
from abuse because one victim is simply one too many (spaces
are limited, please call early to reserve a space):
• VIRTUS Protecting
God's Children: For an updated list of dates, places, and
times for training in Microsoft Word, click
here.
•
VIRTUS
for New Facilitators: Friday, April 11, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Become certified as a volunteer facilitator to teach the VIRTUS program
in your own school or parish. This is a wonderful opportunity to make
a difference in your community and in the life of a child! English
speaking and Bi-Lingual Facilitators are needed. Contact
Erin Neil for details: 416-1406 or email: eneil@diobpt.org
•
THE
CHILD LURES PREVENTION PROGRAM (Think First & Stay Safe): Friday,
April 18, 2-3 p.m., Catholic Center. Learn how to talk to children
and pre-teens in a non-threatening way about child sexual abuse prevention
and internet safety For all parents with children in K-8. Contact
Tara Mingione for details: (203) 416-1327 or e-mail tmingione@ccfc-ct.org
•
BULLYING
AWARENESS PROGRAM FOR PARENTS: Friday, April 25, 11:30
a.m.-12:30 p.m., Catholic Center. Learn about the problem of bullying,
cyber-bullying and school violence. Learn the basics and identify
early warning signs. Contact Erin Neil for details: 416-1406 or email:
eneil@diobpt.org
•
F.B.I.
SPECIAL AGENT TOM LAWLER speaking on "The Dark Side of the
Internet": Tuesday, April 29, 2-3 p.m., Catholic Center.
Learn what you need to know about Sexual predators on the internet,
the risks associated with Social Networking sites, and the latest
in frauds and scams on the internet from F.B.I. Special Agent Tom
Lawlor. For details, contact Marie Keogh: (203) 416-1320 or e-mail
mkeogh@ccfc-ct.org
October
2007
Halloween
Safety Tips
As
your little ghosts and goblins set out for the neighborhoods in search of candy
and special treats, please keep in mind some important safety tips that will help
make this Halloween as safe as possible for them.
When
trick or treating or attending parties at local halls, haunted houses, and shopping
centers, remember that nothing is safer than your supervision. If you have made
a decision to permit your child to trick or treat in your neighborhood and you
will not be going with them, it is important that your child goes with a group
and that an older teenage sibling is with them at all times.
Let children know that they should never go into the homes or up to an approaching
car to get treats or candy, no matter what the person says. Practice a few scenarios
with them to be sure they understand. Children should always wait until they get
home to sample the candy so that you may inspect everything.
Set
a route and reinforce that they must stick to this route and stay in well-lit
areas.
Place emergency identification tags inside clothing and have your child carry
a fully-charged cell phone and a flashlight with new batteries at all times.
Costumes
should have large holes for eyes that give your child full view of his or her
surroundings. Your child should be visible to others. Reflective tape placed on
costumes or candy bags is an inexpensive way to make sure that your child is visible
to traffic.
Finally,
review the safety tips you and your child learned in the Child Lures Prevention
Think First & Stay Safe Program.
Come
to the Halloween Safety Program October 29
There will be a special safety
program held at the Catholic Center, Bridgeport, for parents and grandparents
to view the Think First & Stay Safe Program on Monday, October 29, from 6:00-7:30
p.m. Parents will learn to talk with their child or teenager about early warning
signs in unsafe adults, abduction prevention, and sexual abuse prevention in an
age-appropriate and non-threatening way. Parent safety guides will be provided
to you at no cost.
To
reserve a space at this safety program, call 416-1406 or e-mail eneil@diobpt.org.
Have a safe
and Happy Halloween!
June
2007:
Five
years since the landmark Dallas Charter, the Diocese of Bridgeport maintains
a Safe Environment though vigilance and hard work: click
here
May
2007
2006
Compliance Audit Released
Last month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops' Office for Child and Youth Protection released the results of the 2006
diocesan compliance audits on the Charter
for the Protection of Children and Young People. The Charter, which
our own Bishop William Lori helped to draft, was issued by the bishops in 2002
to reach out to victims of abuse and to create Safe Environments for children
and adults alike. The 2006 audits were focused on those dioceses that were found
to be non-compliant during the 2005 audits, and for a few dioceses that requested
it.
Here
in the Diocese of Bridgeport, we were found to be in full compliance with all
articles of the Charter for three consecutive years. We are scheduled to
undergo our fourth full onsite compliance audit this coming fall.
The
Gavin Group, Inc., is the Boston-based firm that conducts the diocesan audits.
Bill Gavin, president, observed in a letter this month to the National Review
Board:
"Accomplishments
have been many and impressive, and demonstrate the willingness of the Bishops
and Eparches to do all possible to bring peace and closure to the suffering of
past victims and to prevent any further incidents of abuse."
For
more information and to view the full audit report, click
here.
Not
a Current Occurrence
It
is clear from the compliance audit that the incidence of sexual abuse of minors
by clergy has significantly declined and is a rare occurrence. Reports of abuse
have decreased within the past several years, and most reports are of incidents
that occurred many years ago.
In
the Diocese of Bridgeport, abuse of minors by clergy is not a current occurrence.
We have received no reports of abuse by clergy occurring since before the Safe
Environment program was founded in 2003. In fact, there has been no report of
any single incident occurring even in the 1990's or the 2000's.
The
results of the audits demonstrate that outreach to victims and child protection
efforts provided by the Catholic Church remain strong and unmatched. Our efforts
to protect children here in the Diocese of Bridgeport are comprehensive. The protection
of children remains a priority in all of our schools, parishes, and programs.
By
the Numbers
At
the end of April, we held our 1,000th VIRTUS Protecting God's Children
training session on the awareness and prevention of abuse. In addition to VIRTUS,
we have held hundreds of Child Lures Prevention programs for parents, children,
and youth. This mean that more than 4,000 hours of child abuse prevention training
that has taken place right here in the Diocese of Bridgeport in less than four
years.
In the State of Connecticut, the Catholic Church has trained a combined total
of more than 140,000 adults and youth. Truly, the Church's efforts to protect
children are remarkable!
February
2007
Think
First and Stay Safe
The
Think First and Stay Safe Program continues in all Catholic elementary
schools in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Fifteen out of 34 elementary schools have
completed a thirdyear- in-a-row of Safe Environment training for students.
Tara
Mingione, a counselor with Catholic Charities, is the Safe Environment educator
for all students enrolled in the elementary schools and the high schools. Every
year, Tara reaches out to well over 11,000 students in grades K-12 on the importance
of personal safety - and students are responding.
At
Saint James Elementary School in Stratford, three seventh- grade students were
assigned a drama project early this year. On their own initiative they decided
to use their assignment as an opportunity to promote safety and to teach other
students what they are learning from Safe Environment training. One student played
a student walking home from school, while another portrayed an unsafe adult who
used a common lure or trick in order to get the child come close to the vehicle
where a child could be grabbed. The students used an iPod as their lure. The student
demonstrated that, by taking two steps back, running in the other direction, and
telling a trusted adult immediately, it could help him or her stay out of harm's
way.
Various
Scenarios
The
students are taking this program very seriously. Their questions are thoughtful
and contain various scenarios, such as, "What should I do if I am lost in a store?"
and "How can I tell if a person is safe?" Tara teaches students that they can
tell a person is safe by how they act and what they say, but not by their age,
gender, or appearance.
It
is clear from the student's level of questioning and by students' conversations
that parents are making safety training a priority in the homes. Students are
encouraged to practice their refusal skills at home by role playing the different
types of lures with their parents.
High
School Student Training
Personal
Safety Training for high school students will be conducted again in all Catholic
high schools this spring. Tara's presentation will include updates and lessons
on Internet safety, a discussion on safe and responsible use of social networking
sites, and cyber-bullying prevention. For more information on these topics, please
visit ChildLuresPrevention.com.
June
2006
Three
Years of Accomplishments!
June
2006 marks three years since the new Sexual Misconduct Policy was issued and the
Safe Environment Program in the Diocese of Bridgeport was launched. Since 2003,
we have held 850 child abuse prevention trainings for adults in seven languages
using the VIRTUS program, and over 250 parent, children, and youth training sessions
using Child Lures Prevention. We also hold routine in-services on mandated reporting,
conducted by the Connecticut Department of Children and Family Service.
The Diocese of Bridgeport has trained over 40,000 clergy, employees, volunteers,
parents, high school youth, and children on abuse prevention, Internet safety,
and reporting requirements. We have reached thousands more through informational
brochures, online continuing education, and safety guides sent home to families.
Child safety materials and information on how to make a report of suspected abuse
are available in every school, parish, and program.
Criminal
background checks, awareness training, the Code of Conduct and the Sexual
Misconduct Policy have all worked together to make our Diocese a safer place
for children and adults.
Is
It Working?
A
participant of a 2003 VIRTUS training recently asked, "How do we know if our efforts
are working?"
One
measure of a prevention program is a decline in new incidents of abuse. Since
the implementation of the Safe Environment Program in 2003, there have been no
new allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by a member of the clergy, a lay employee,
or a lay volunteer.
Another
measure is the reporting of early warning signs or concerns before they become
incidents of abuse. VIRTUS and the Child Lures Prevention Program educate adults
and youth to be proactive and report concerns or unsafe situations as soon as
they occur. We have great success to report in this area. The Safe Environment
Office receives regular reports by volunteers, parents, clergy and even members
of the community of their concerns or about unsafe situations in their environment.
We have even received reports from small children who go through the Child Lures
Program. Adults and children trained to detect and report early signs of a problem
help us to respond early before a serious situation can occur.
Background
checks have proven effective at screening out individuals with crimes against
children in their past from working in our diocese. In recent months, background
checks have turned up no hits of any person with a conviction of a sex crime or
crime against children in their past.
Finally,
the Diocese of Bridgeport has undergone three external compliance audits since
2003 with great success.
We
may never be able to stop every incident of abuse, but we know for certain that
we are lessening the chance of it occurring, going unnoticed, or going unreported.
January
2006
Response
and Prevention Project
The results of the "Response and Prevention Project,"
conducted by Mary Lentz, Esq., have been released and can be read on the website
of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: click
here.
The
Response and Prevention Project was an online survey designed for victims of sexual
abuse as minors and coordinated by the Office of Child and Youth Protection. The
goal of the survey was to provide victims of abuse an opportunity to provide feedback
for developing appropriate responses to sexual abuse and to assist the conference
in furthering outreach and prevention efforts. There were 31,554 "hits" on the
dedicated web site for this confidential survey, and 1,350 survey respondents.
This
report, the authors note, "will aid in further understanding how bishops, clerical
religious superiors, and victims/ survivors can work together toward the most
effect pastoral outreach possible. The bishops, along with the Office of Child
and Youth Protection, will continue to work with victims/ survivors in helping
to make their voices heard, and healing the hurts of the past."
New
VIRTUS Trainers Needed
The Office of Safe Environments is currently accepting
applications for interested and qualified VIRTUS trainers. If you had a positive
experience attending VIRTUS and if you are interested in becoming certified to
teach others how to prevent abuse, please call Erin Neil for further information
and an application: 416-1406. Bi-lingual facilitators are also needed.
Upcoming
Training Schedule
As part of our diocesan effort to maintain Safe Environments,
all clergy, employees, volunteers, independent contractors, and parent volunteers
who join us throughout the year are required to complete a criminal background
check and attend a three-hour training called VIRTUS, Protecting God's Children.
This program teaches adults to identify warnings signs of child sexual abuse and
how to prevent it. To date, nearly 25,000 people throughout Fairfield County have
completed the training and background check.
Here
is a schedule of upcoming training sessions. Please pre-register online at www.virtusonline.org
or call Erin Neil: 416-1406.
Catholic
Center, Bridgeport: Wednesday, January 18, 1 p.m.
St. Jude Parish,
Monroe: Saturday, February 4, 9 a.m.
Catholic Center, Bridgeport:
Tuesday, February 7, 6 p.m.
St. Roch Parish, Greenwich: Thursday,
February 9, 6:30 p.m.
St. Edward the Confessor Parish, New Fairfield:
Wednesday, March 8, 7 p.m.
October
2005
Annual
Compliance Audit This Fall
This fall, the Diocese of Bridgeport will undergo
its third annual compliance audit with the Charter for the Protection of Children
and Young People. This annual compliance audit is conducted by the Gavin Group
and overseen by the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops. The auditor will review our progress with Safe Environment
Programs, including assistance and outreach to victims of abuse as minors by clergy;
Safe Environment policies and procedures; codes of conduct; awareness training;
and the implementation of background checks.
In
the past two audits, the Diocese of Bridgeport was found to be in full compliance,
and in many areas exceeded requirements.
Training
for High School Youth Begins
The Office of Safe Environments, in partnership
with Catholic Charities, is providing Personal Safety Training in all five diocesan
high schools in conjunction with the abstinence education curriculum this fall.
The new High School Personal Safety Training teaches youth in grades 9-12 to identify
warning signs of inappropriate behavior commonly used by adults in crimes against
youth, and shows how they can employ proven prevention strategies to protect themselves
ands others from abuse. This training provides information about Internet/online
computer safety, date rape prevention, and how to make a report of suspected abuse.
Students learn that sexual abuse is never a victim's fault. The personal safety
program provides youth with a Code of Conduct and teaches critical refusal skills
that will help keep students safe from harm.
PERSONAL
SAFETY TRAINING classes are being offered to students in all five diocesan high
schools, including Notre Dame High School in Fairfield (right), where students
listen to the presentation by Tara Mingione of Catholic Charities. "Feedback from
the students was excellent," Erin Neil reports. "Tara asked a group of students
how many knew of someone who has been abused or have seen warning signs. Over
half the class raised their hands. "The survey we used also showed some important
and alarming information," Neil adds. "Several students before the training responded
on a survey that they felt it was okay to meet in person someone they had met
online. Much discussion took place regarding this point and Internet safety in
general." (PHOTO BY JOHN GLOVER)
The
abstinence education curriculum was a natural fit with this Safe Environment program
as it reinforces personal safety and abuse prevention skills. Teaching abstinence
until marriage is consistent with core Catholic values and teachings.
October
VIRTUS Training Workshops
In the Diocese of Bridgeport, all active and
visiting clergy, seminarians, parent volunteers, lay employees, lay volunteers,
and contract employees are required to attend a VIRTUS "Protecting God's Children"
training session. The following sessions will be held this month (please consult
the location for times, or call the Safe Enviroments Office):
October
2, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Danbury; October 4, Saint Mary Parish,
Ridgefield; October 6, Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish, Brookfield;
October 7, Haitian-American Catholic Center, Stamford (English and Creole);
October 8, Saint Jude Parish, Monroe; October 12, Saint Patrick
Parish, Redding Ridge; October 12, Saint Mary Parish, Norwalk; October
13, Saint Michael Parish, Greenwich; October 15, Saint Joseph Parish,
Shelton; October 17, Saint James Parish, Stratford; October 19,
Saint Andrew School, Bridgeport; October 20, Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish,
Fairfield; October 22, Saint Lawrence Parish, Shelton; and October 27,
Saint Edward the Confessor Parish, New Fairfield.
Pre-registration
is required. This can be done online at www.virtusonline.org or by calling the
Safe Environment office.
September
2005
98
percent of schoolchildren trained
In the spring of 2005, three trainers
from Catholic Charities successfully trained 98 percent of our Catholic elementary
school students - approximately 7,000 children - using the Child Lures prevention
program, in less than three months. One-hundred percent of elementary schools
will receive this training by the end of this month.
In
addition to the Child Lures program, 4,447 children have participated in the "McGruff
" safety program in the Diocese of Bridgeport.
So
far, we have held over 30 preview sessions on the Child Lures program for parents.
These preview sessions included a video and a live presentation by an experienced
social worker from Catholic Charities with the goal of helping parents to feel
comfortable talking with their children about this important information. The
overwhelming majority of parents who previewed the program were pleased to see
this information being offered in the schools. One comment we received from a
parent was, "I was really impressed by this program. I've been in education for
10 years and this was the best I've seen."
Almost
every parent who previewed the program had something positive to say. But can
parents opt-out? Yes. In the Diocese of Bridgeport, we believe that parents are
the primary educators of their children. At the Child Lures parent preview sessions,
we provide enough information to parents so that they may choose to teach this
at home.
Very
few parents have opted-out of the Child Lures School Program. We have carefully
reviewed the material and adapted the material to fit our Catholic school environment
so that the information is delivered in a sensitive, age-appropriate, and non-threatening
manner.
Child
Lures program coming to parishes
There will be upcoming training opportunities
in parishes for parents and interested personnel who would like more information
on how to talk with children about personal safety and abuse prevention in a non-threatening
and age-appropriate way.
The
goal is to make every parent aware and comfortable with the material that is presented
to their child. We encourage parents to reinforce this information at home, and
parents may also choose to teach this at home in place of the classroom instruction.
While the focus of the Child Lures program is on sexual abuse prevention and Internet
safety, this exciting new program includes important information on abduction
prevention, drug prevention, and bullying prevention.
The
following parish programs have been scheduled. Parents from any parish are welcome.
Parents will receive the "Child Lures Prevention Parent Guide" free of charge.
-
Sunday,
October 16, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Saint Edward the Confessor Parish, New
Fairfield. Facilitator: Bill Hoey, L.C.S.W. To pre-register, contact Jane Arseniadis:
746-2200.
-
Thursday,
November 3, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Saint Jude Parish, Monroe. Facilitator: Bill Hoey,
L.C.S.W. To pre-register, contact Jean Paul: 261-6788.
July 2005
Protect
Your Children from Internet Predators
When children go online, it’s no
different than having them walk out the front door of your home for the evening,
FBI Special Agent Joe Dooley said a recent Internet Child Safety Seminar held
at the Catholic Center in Bridgeport.
“Parents
should be asking, ‘Where are you going?’ ‘Who are you going with?’ ‘What are you
going to do?’ – all the same questions you’d ask if your children were physically
leaving the house,” said Dooley during the seminar co-sponsored by the Office
of Safe Environments and the Health & Safety Office of Catholic Charities.
To
read more about this important topic, click
here.
June
2005
Contract
Employees and Vendors
Our parishes and schools are vibrant and active
places in our community which welcome people from all walks of life. They provide
outreach to the community by opening their doors to groups, fairs, meetings, and
community programs. The vendors and companies we use necessarily bring adults,
who are not our employees, into contact with children.
To
keep all environments as safe as possible, we evaluate all activities and programs
that are sponsored by the Church, and include contract employees and vendors in
our safety programs.
Here
are some frequently-asked questions about this topic.
What
do we mean by contract employees? Contract
employees include independent businesses or vendors that are frequently used by
schools, parishes, and programs within the Diocese of Bridgeport. Contract employees
have entered into an agreement, a lease, or a contract with the pastor, principal,
program director, or another diocesan official.
What
is expected from contract employees and routine vendors? All contracts
must include a written agreement that describes our Safe Environment programs
and requirements. The owner, supervisor, or sponsor of the activity must be in
full compliance with all safety standards. This includes clearing a criminal background
check; completion of awareness training on child abuse prevention; acknowledgement
of the Code of Conduct; and
acknowledgement of the Sexual Misconduct
Policy. These guidelines are especially important in environments where
children are present. Contract employees are asked to screen their own personnel
and agree that they will not place any person who has been convicted of a crime
against children to work on diocesan premises. Our diocesan director for Support
Services, Louise Stewart-Spagnuolo, assists vendors to set up a background check
process if they do not have one already in place. This has been very helpful to
many businesses in the community.
How
do we safely address confidential self-help groups that routinely meet on parish
property? In the diocese, we have a Code of Conduct that contains guidelines
for proper supervision of all programs where children are present. These guidelines
ensure that children are safely monitored at all times by two adults. Self-help
group members are anonymous, so we cannot conduct background checks. Self-help
groups are required to meet only during times when children are not present, which
honors the anonymity of the members and protects the safety of the children.
Is
this a lot to ask of a vendor or contract employee? It may sound like
a lot of work and a lot to ask, but many vendors have come forward willingly.
Most adults understand that it is a necessary step to control access and carefully
screen anyone who may come in contact with children. Most vendors who have gone
through the Safe Environment program agree that it is a good safety step, and
many understand because they have children of their own.
May 2005
Training
Begins in Catholic Schools
During the final week of April, facilitators
from Catholic Charities began Safe Environments training in Catholic elementary
schools in the diocese. More than 1,000 students were trained in the first week.
The response has been very positive.
We
are using the Child Lures Prevention Program to deliver personal safety to students
through experienced facilitators from Catholic Charities. John DiTaranto, Denise
Dagesse, M.S.W., and Tara Mingione are the Child Lures educators who bring a great
deal of experience and dedication to the Safe Environment program. Parents received
the Child Lures Parent Guide, and were given the opportunity to preview
the program to discuss any questions or concerns they may have with an experienced
counselor from Catholic Charities.
The
training is broken down into two sessions. Day One teaches children basic personal
safety skills. Day Two teaches children how to identify and avoid the common lures
used by unsafe adults. This includes important information on Internet safety
which is an ever-growing concern among parents.
Gift
from God
On April 27, Holy Family School in Fairfield held its first
training session. Principal Larry Fitzgerald introduced the Safe Environment program
to the children and let them know that the reason they were there was to make
sure they are safe.
The
facilitator, John DiTaranto, encouraged the children from the very start to talk
with their parents about what they learned that day. Personal safety training
included reminding children that their bodies are special and a gift from God.
Children are told that they have the right to say no to an adult who asks to see
or touch the areas of the body covered by a bathing suit, and to immediately tell
their Mom, Dad, or another trusted adult (a doctor's visit with a parent present
is an exception).
Star
Wars
Children also learn to say no to anyone that tries to use gifts
to lure a child into a car or a secluded area without other adults around.
During
this lesson, a third grade innocently raised his hand to ask, "Do I have to say
'No' even if someone offered me a 'Darth Vader Voice Changer' or 'Anakin's Laser
Light Sword'?" The facilitator effectively communicated that they must say "No"
even if they really, really wanted that toy, and then get away and tell their
Mom or Dad immediately.
We
all know that those who harm children are well-versed on the current toys and
trends and use them to gain a child's trust.
For
more information on the Safe Environments Program, contact Erin Neil: 416-1406
or 416-1301, or click here.
