WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Catholic dioceses
nationwide will promote Child Abuse Awareness Month in April. Plans call
for raising awareness through special prayers during Sunday Masses,
diocesan and parish lectures, and other educational activities.
Child Abuse Awareness is a major initiative of the Catholic Church in
the United States. As a result, an estimated 1.6 millions persons have
undergone background checks; 1.8 million priests, deacons, candidates for
ordination, educators, employees and volunteers have gone through safe
environment programs and approximately 6 million children in parish school
and religious education programs have received age-appropriate instruction
in this area.
Some, such as the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas; and Grand Island,
Nebraska, also are joining their efforts with the Blue Ribbon Campaign of
the National Exchange Club Foundation, which promotes the blue ribbon as a
national symbol of child abuse awareness. The foundation produces materials
for public awareness.
The diocesan and parish efforts were urged by the U.S. bishops'
Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People. It provided
educational materials, homily resources, prayer cards, intercessory
prayers, posters and other materials to each of the 195 dioceses in the
United States.
"We can never rest when it comes to protecting children and teenagers,"
said Bishop Gregory Aymond, Committee chairman. "The prevalence of child
abuse in our society calls for vigilance of parents, pastors, teachers,
indeed, all responsible adults. Child Abuse Prevention Month deserves our
attention in both prayer and action."
In the Corpus Christi Diocese, for example, the Office for Safe
Environment has distributed brochures outlining hiring, screening and
training requirements related to preventing child abuse. The diocesan
newspaper, "South Texas Catholic," also scheduled a series of articles such
as "Grooming Behaviors of Sex Offenders" and "Preventing and Identifying
Child Sexual Abuse." The newspaper also plans to offer a tribute to local
Safe Environment Coordinators in mid-April.
Others, such as Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, the Archdiocese of Dubuque,
Iowa, Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas and Diocese of Monterey,
California, will promote awareness through their diocesan newspaper.
Dioceses are providing information via their Web sites. The Diocese of
Manchester, New Hampshire, for example, plans to post on its site a
coloring book, originally developed by the Archdiocese of New York for
sexual abuse awareness. The resource can be reproduced and distributed or
used in schools or religious education programs. Each Monday in April the
diocese will feature articles and resources about child safety.
The Diocese of Orlando, Florida, will provide a child abuse prevention
video on its Web site. The video can be viewed by anyone, but all diocesan
employees are required to view the video and there is a corresponding test
that employees must pass. The video was part of a diocesan training
program.
Some dioceses are printing "Did You Know" announcements developed by
the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for weekly parish bulletins. One
announcement highlights the prevalence of child abuse in society and
reports that "an estimated 9.6 percent of all school children will be
molested by an educator or an employee of a school between kindergarten and
12th grade." The information comes from Professor David Finkelhor's
article, "Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual
Abuse."
The Diocese of Orange, California, will host a guest speaker who works
with adults and child sexual abuse victims to address "The Impact of Sexual
Abuse on the Child and the Family."
The Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, is publishing on-line a special
spring edition of St. Raphael's Messenger, its parent training series so
pastors can print it for parents in their parish.
The resource materials sent to dioceses were developed by the
Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection and underwritten by the Catholic
Communication Campaign, which is supported by a collection taken up
annually in parishes to support church media efforts. The resource material
is available at http://usccb.org/ocyp/april_cap_month.shtml.
SOURCE U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
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Related links:
http://www.usccb.org
CONTACT:
Sr. Mary Ann Walsh of U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops, +1-202-541-3200, home, +1-301-587-4762
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