The Valley Catholic April 16, 2019 | Page 4

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April 16, 2019 | The Valley Catholic
COMMUNITY
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
Every April, Catholic parishes
and schools across the United States
participate in National Child Abuse
Prevention Month. We observe Child
Abuse Prevention Month to highlight
the importance of protecting minors
from abuse.
The Catholic Church understands
that it is critical to build safety barriers
around children and young people to
keep them from harm. These barriers
come in the form of codes of conduct,
background evaluations, policies and
procedures, and safety training pro-
Over 2.5 million adults have undergone background checks
and received safe environment training in the Church.
-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
grams. According to the USCCB, in the
U.S., the Catholic Church has provided
age appropriate safe environment
abuse prevention training to more than
4 million children in Catholic Schools
and in parish religious education pro-
grams. Over 2.5 million adults have
undergone background checks and
received safe environment training in
the Church.
In the Diocese of San Jose, we are
all part of a larger culture of protection
and healing within the Church. Each
one of us can play an important role in
strengthening this culture. For example,
we can better prevent abuse by ensur-
ing that the signs of abuse are identified
and reported when first noticed. We
can also play a role in victim outreach
by offering support, compassion, and
prayers to those close to us who have
been abused. The importance we place
on carrying out these acts of charity
will go a long way in creating a culture
within our Church where children are
safe and victims/survivors find healing.
Report Abuse: If You See Something, Say Something
If you have reason to believe or
suspect that a child has been or is
being abuse, it must be reported. Par-
ish and school personnel, including
clergy, are “Mandated Reporters” and
are required by state law to report
abuse, even a reasonable suspicion
of abuse, to civil authorities (Law
Enforcement or CPS). Volunteers are
“Ethical Reporters” and should report
abuse to authorities, and must report
to diocesan Mandated Reporters. After
making a report to the local authori-
ties, the diocese request a follow up
report to the Office for the Protection
of Children & Vulnerable Adults at
[phone].
If an adult victim/survivor needs
to report a case of Clergy Abuse,
we encourage them to fist contact
their local civil authorities (Law
enforcement). Once a report is filed
with the local civil authorities, in-
dividuals are encouraged to contact:
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Five
Ways
t o p ro t e c t yo u r c h i l d re n f ro m
sexual abuse
Parents play the primary role in
educating their children about
sexual abuse. Here are 5 tips for
teaching safety to the little ones
God has entrusted to you.
1
Keep it practical. Teach
your children the differences
between safe touches and
unsafe touches.
2 Tell your children that
saying “no” is okay.
Empower your children to
say “no” if anyone makes
them feel uncomfortable
or touches them
inappropriately.
3 Give your children a
way to alert you. Tell
your children they can use
an excuse or share a special
“code-word” with you to to
alert you about an unsafe
person or situation.
Copyright © 2019, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.
4 Tell your children to
report an unsafe touch.
Let your children know they
should tell you if they feel
uncomfortable or unsafe
around any adult or peer.
You can also identify other
adults they can tell about
unsafe touches.
5 Tell your children you
trust them. If your child
makes a report to you, believe
him or her. Tell them it is not
their fault and that you love
them. Immediately bring the
allegation to the attention of
public authorities.
The Office for the Protection of
Children & Vulnerable Adults at
[phone].
Reports to the Diocese are accept-
ed by either online submission or by
phone. All reports are confidential
to protect the rights of the victim.
For online submissions, please
use the following URL to access
our secure third-party reporting
server designated for this purpose:
https://opcva.ethicspoint.com.
A PRAYER FOR HEALING
VICTIMS OF ABUSE
God of endless love,
ever caring, ever strong,
always present, always just:
You gave your only Son
to save us by his blood on the cross.
Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace,
join to your own suffering
the pain of all who have been hurt
in body, mind, and spirit
by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.
Hear the cries of our brothers and sisters
who have been gravely harmed,
and the cries of those who love them.
Soothe their restless hearts with hope,
steady their shaken spirits with faith.
Grant them justice for their cause,
enlightened by your truth.
Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,
heal your people’s wounds
and transform brokenness into wholeness.
Grant us the courage and wisdom,
humility and grace, to act with justice.
Breathe wisdom into our prayers and labors.
Grant that all harmed by abuse may find peace in justice.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Promise to Protect
Pledge to Heal
Copyright © 2014, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights
reserved. To order publication no. 7-495, visit usccbpublishing.org or call 877-978-0757.