New Orleans archdiocese credits ‘Safe Environment’ program with reducing clergy abuse
Updated Posted
They number in the tens of thousands and include people from all walks of life. Teachers, doctors, laborers, judges, students, clergy, police officers – even a Roman Catholic archbishop – are among the flock.
When it comes to the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Safe Environment training program, no one gets a pass. The program, which includes a background check and a class that teaches adults how to appropriately interact with children, is mandated for anyone who has contact with minors at any Catholic church or school event. Over the past year, more than 16,000 adults in the metro area have participated in the program.
Meanwhile, another component of the Safe Environment program is aimed at youngsters, teaching them what to do if they are touched inappropriately by an adult and how to recognize efforts on the part of predators to “groom” them for sexual abuse. Over the past year, 43,550 children received the training, archdiocese officials said.
With the raging Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal at the forefront of public consciousness, church leaders have pointed to what they say is the success of the wide-ranging safety initiative, saying the program is largely responsible for a drastic decline in abuse cases over the past decade.
“It’s been very effective,” said Sister Mary Ellen Wheelahan, who coordinates the program for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. “It’s a different generation we’re raising now.”
Archbishop Gregory Aymond said in recent interviews that while recent revelations of clergy abuse in the Catholic Church exposed terrible sins, preventative measures such as Safe Environment put in place by the U.S. Conference of Bishops in 2002 have helped church leaders address the issue and move toward a renewal. He said there have been no credible reports of clergy abuse occurring in the Archdiocese of New Orleans in more than a decade.
In a move that could help support that statement, Aymond has said he plans to release the names of clergy who have been “credibly accused” of abusing minors over the past five decades once files are closely examined. He did not say exactly when that would be, though he has said it would be sooner rather than later.
Wheelahan said all archdiocese clergy members, parochial school teachers, school volunteers and anyone who has any dealings with minors is required to undergo a background check and take the class. That includes people who may interact with children only sporadically, such as parents who volunteer to chaperone school groups marching on Mardi Gras parades. Everyone required to take the training must repeat it, and resubmit to a background check, every three years.
No one is exempt. Even public school teachers who undergo similar training must take part before they are allowed to be a volunteer. Aymond himself has been the subject of a background check and took the training session.
Wheelahan said participants are told that the program came to be as a result of the abuse scandal, which exploded in early 2002 when the Boston Globe published an investigation that led to the criminal prosecutions of five Roman Catholic priests and brought the issue of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy under a national spotlight. Following that revelation, the U.S. Conference of Bishops established the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” The charter, which has been updated three times since 2002, mandates that all dioceses in the U.S. establish Safe Environment programs.
In August, a Pennsylvania grand jury’s report identified more than 300 priests credibly accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 child victims over seven decades. That report detailed the pervasive sexual abuse of minors by members of the Roman Catholic clergy, and systematic cover up by church officials, sending shock waves through the church.
Aymond declared the clergy abuse issue and the church’s efforts to cover it up a crisis that has caused anger, disappointment, outrage and heartbreak. However, he pointed out that only a handful of the incidents outlined in the Pennsylvania grand jury report occurred after 2002, which he said was a testament to the impact of the Safe Environment program.
"I am convinced we have a safe environment," Aymond said in a recent interview.
Archdiocese Communications Director Sarah McDonald said the program, includes training on how to recognize signs that a young person is being abused, has served as a model for other organizations that have created similar initiatives.
Wheelahan said much of what is taught to adults seems like common sense issues, but it’s easy for some to get caught up in the moment when working with playful children.
“We don’t tickle children, we don’t wrestle with children,” she said. “We don’t touch a child’s torso or legs unless it’s a medical emergency.”
The children’s component of the child safety program begins in pre-kindergarten. From that point on, the youngsters are taught that adults must respect boundaries. In working with children in the 4-10 age group, Wheelahan said she asks them to extend their arms to establish the “boundary,” or the distance that adults should keep from the child in most circumstances.
“They are taught that adults have to respect your space,” Wheelahan said. “They (the children) know that no means no and they know that they are to contact a parent or trusted adult if the feel uncomfortable with someone.”
The program is age appropriate, with lessons changing as students get older. The youngsters are eventually taught how to spot possible predators, officials said.
A few weeks ago, Wheelahan said a child saw a man at a church fair acting suspiciously and taking photographs of other children. The principal was alerted and police were summoned, resulting in an arrest. The suspect was not a clergy member.
While the Safe Environment program is an outgrowth of the clergy abuse scandal, archdiocese officials said it has proven to be a useful tool in helping address all facets of child abuse, including cases within families.
“Invariably, when we teach a class a child will come forward and tell us something is going on (in their families),” she said.
Tim Lennon, president of the board of directors for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priest, said he believes Safe Environment is a good program program but it can’t wipe away the clergy abuse issue on its own. He said there have been reports of clergy abuse since the program was put in place.
“These child protection policies are good, they’re necessary,” Lennon said. “But it’s a mixed bag. There are still questions about bishops covering things up.”
In addition to Safe Environment, the archdiocese is also part of a pilot program to incorporate “high reliability organization’ practices into the Catholic Church to reinforce its commitment to eliminate sexual abuse. Sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Bishops’ Office of Child and Youth Protection, the program incorporates principles used by the military and the airline and medical industries to address mishaps that can have profound impacts.
It is based on the theory that organizations that are preoccupied with failure tend to better dissect operational flaws to see what went wrong to prevent reoccurrences. In the medical and airline industries, a mishap could lead to casualties.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans is one of seven Catholic dioceses across the country participating in the program.
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