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Protecting
Children From Abuse
There are 25,857 Catholic parishes and schools in the
United States. If every Catholic parish or school could
stop just one child from being abused we could make a
tremendous difference. Abuse prevention training programs
are available on a regular basis in English and Spanish
throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. These programs
only take a few hours to complete. To locate a training
program near you, please call the Archdiocesan Safeguard
the Children Office, 213/637-7227. For particular help,
you may call Assistance Ministry at 213/ 637-7650. |
| Additional
Tips Archive
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| Possible
Indicators of Child Abuse and Neglect |
| How
Is Compliance With Child Prevention Efforts Verified? |
| Mandatory
Background Checks Promote Safe Environments |
| Recognizing
Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect |
| Helpful
Tips for Childproofing Your Home |
| Choosing
Safe Toys for Children |
| Violence
and Teen Dating |
| Who
Are The Perpetrators? |
| Keep
Kids Safe! During Child Abuse Prevention Month |
| Sign
up for Wireless Amber Alerts |
| CyberTipline
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| Is
Safety Training Effective for Kids? |
| Abuse
Prevention Training Nears 2 Million |
| Help
Reduce Abuse Statistics |
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| Keeping
Kids Safe After School |
| How
To Understand Your Kids' Text Messages |
| Teach
Kids to Protect Themselves at Home |
| Getting
To and From School Safely |
| Text Messaging - Know the
Warning Signs |
| Text
Messaging - Know the 'Parent Warning Codes' |
| Five Tips for Safeguarding
Children |
| What's
Your Plan in the Event of an Emergency? |
| Ensuring
your Child's School is Safe |
| Keep an Up-To-Date Photo
of Your Child |
| Get
Involved in Parish Safety Programs |
| CyberTipline
Fights Internet Crimes Against Children |
| Is
Your Family Prepared For A Natural Disaster? |
| Safeguard
the Children Parish Committee
Mission Statement
The
purpose of the committee shall be to help educate
all parish members in protecting the children and
young people of the parish from physical, emotional
and/or sexual abuse issues.
This
will be accomplished by:
•Gathering and providing appropriate media
materials, including the Archdiocesan guidelines,
pertaining to physical, emotional and sexual abuse,
neglect, and health and safety.
•Providing a confidential open door policy
which may include making referrals to appropriate
community agencies or family advocates.
•Providing
educational programs to adults and children, including
VIRTUS training and Teaching Touching
Safety classes, and managing records of such
activities.
•Providing
ongoing review of the parish and school physical
plant for safety issues.
This
committee is made up of volunteers from the Visitation
Parish who represent the diversity within the community.
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Possible Indicators
of Child Abuse and Neglect
A key to reporting child abuse and neglect is being able
to recognize common indicators. In a parent, the following
signs may signal the presence of child abuse or neglect.
Shows little concern for the child. Blames the child for
the child's problems in school or at home. Asks teachers
or other caretakers to use harsh physical discipline if
the child misbehaves. Sees the child entirely bad, worthless,
or burdensome. To learn more about child abuse prevention,
visit http://www.archdioces.la/protecting/
index.php. For particular help, you may call Assistance
Ministry at (213) 637-7650.
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How Is Compliance
With Child Prevention Efforts Verified?
While background checks and fingerprinting of all those
who work with children in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
are important, they are used in conjunction with abuse awareness
and prevention training programs to help ensure that we
create the safest possible parish and school environments
for our children. An archdiocesan background-tracking information
system, Volunteer and Personnel Information Network (VPIN),
tracks assignment histories and compliance by employees
and volunteers of fingerprinting, background checks and
mandatory VIRTUS sexual abuse prevention training. VPIN
allows parishes and schools to adapt features of the system
to fit their local needs and it assists the archdiocese
to complete its audit reports. For particular help, you
may call Assistance Ministry at (213) 637-7650 |
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Mandatory
Background Checks Promote Safe Environments
Every teacher, coach, and volunteer who works with children
in the Los Angeles Archdiocese's parishes and schools must
have a background check before he or she is permitted to
work in any school- or parish-related job or activity that
involves contact with children. Around the nation, Catholic
(arch)dioceses have conducted criminal record checks on
more than 1.5 million volunteers and employees; 163,705
educators; 51,000 clergy; and 4,955 candidates for ordination.
For more information on background check requirements in
the Los Angeles Archdiocese, please call the Archdiocesan
Safeguard the Children Office: (213) 637-7227. For particular
help, you may call Assistance Ministry at (213) 637-7650. |
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Recognizing Signs of Child
Abuse and Neglect
A key to reporting child abuse and neglect is being able
to recognize common indicators. In children, the following
signs may signal the presence of child abuse or neglect:
Shows sudden changes in behavior or school performance.
Has not received help for physical or medical problems brought
to the parents' attention. Is always watchful, as though
preparing for something bad to happen. Is overly compliant,
passive, or withdrawn. Comes to school or other activities
early, stays late, and does not want to go home. To learn
more about child abuse prevention, visit : http://
www.archdiocese.la /protecting/ index.php. For particular
help, you may call Assistance Ministry at (213) 637-7650. |
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Helpful Tips for Childproofing Your Home
Though we often think of babies and toddlers when we hear
the words babyproofing or childproofing,
unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in kids
14 years old and under, with more that a third of these
injuries happening at home. Have you removed the rubber
tips from all doorstops? Have you checked that all used
and hand-me-down baby equipment hasn't been recalled? For
helpful checklists on how to make your home safer for your
young children, please visit: www.kidshealth.org
and click on First Aid and Safety.
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Choosing Safe Toys
for Children
Millions of toys are out there, and hundreds of new ones
hit the stores each year. Toys are supposed to be fun and
are an important part of any child's development. But each
year, scores of kids are treated in hospital emergency departments
for toy-related injuries. Choking is a particular risk for
kids ages 3 or younger, because they tend to put objects
in their mouths. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) closely monitors and regulates toys. For a helpful
checklist on how to determine which toys are safest for
young children, please visit:
www.kidshealth.org and click on “First
Aid & Safety.” For particular help, you
may call Assistance Ministry at (213) 637-7650. |
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Violence and
Teen Dating
Violence and Teen Dating Statistics show that one in three
teenagers has experienced violence in a dating relationship.
In dating violence, one partner tries to maintain power
and control over the other through some kind of abuse.
Dating violence crosses economic, racial and social lines,
most victims are young women who are also at higher risk
for serious injury. For useful tips to recognize the warning
signs that your teenager may be in an abusive dating relationship,
please visit http://www.rcwtf.org
or call Asst. Ministry at 213/637-7650.
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Who Are The Perpetrators?
According to data provided by the L.A. City Attorney's Office,
parents constitute 84 percent of the child abuse perpetrators,
while caregivers, relatives, foster parents and babysitters
constitute the rest. Sixty percent of perpetrators are female
whose median age is 31 years. Forty percent are male, whose
median age is 34 years. The L.A. City Attorney's Office
maintains a webpage of useful information on child safety.
For particular help, you may call Assistance Ministry at
213/637-7650 |
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Keep Kids Safe! During
Child Abuse Prevention Month
During April, Catholic school and religious education students
throughout the Archdiocese will wear bright blue ribbon-shaped
stickers that say Keep Kids Safe. The Archdiocese!s
Keep Kids Safe campaign coincides with
national Child Abuse Prevention Month. Children will be
reviewing important child safety lessons this month. Keep
Kids Safe stickers may be ordered from the Archdiocese's
Safeguard the Children Office by emailing or calling Tim
Olshefski at:
tolshefski@la-archdiocese.org
or (213) 637-7508. For particular help, you may call Assistance
Ministry at (213) 637-7650. |
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Sign up for Wireless Amber Alerts
The first three hours after a child is abducted are the
most critical to recovery efforts. Wireless Amber
Alerts, an initiative of the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children and the wireless
industry, have the potential to reach more than 242 million
wireless subscribers with information to help bring abducted
children home quickly and safely. You can sign up to receive
free text message alerts in one of three easy ways: 1. Test
AMBER followed by a space and the five-digit Zip code to
AMBER (26237); 2 . Visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org;
or 3. Register on your wireless carrier's website. |
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CyberTipline
CyberTipline offers a means of reporting incidents of child
sexual exploitation including the possession, manufacture,
and/or distribution of child pornography; online enticement;
child prostitution; child sex tourism, etc. Mandated by
Congress, CyberTipline allows the public to assist all levels
of law enforcement by providing one streamlined reporting
tool that enhances information sharing and collaborative
efforts to combat these crimes. Reports may be made 24-hours
a day, 7 days a week online at www.cybertipline.com
or by calling 1-800-853-5678. For particular help, you may
call Assistance Ministry at 213/637-7650.
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Is Safety Training Effective for Kids?
Did you know that national and international studies show
that children who participated in prevention education programs
like VIRTUS, were six to seven times more
likely to demonstrate protective behavior- to be more assertive,
speak up, and disclose abuse or suspected abuse- than children
who had not participated in such programs? Research supports
the effectiveness of abuse prevention training of our children.
For more information about what our parish and school are
doing to teach children to be safe, please contact the parish
office or the Archdiocesan Safeguard the Children:
(213) 637-7227. For particular help, you may call Assistance
Ministry at 213/637-7650. |
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Abuse
Prevention Training Nears 2 Million
Did you know that every person working with children and
youth in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is mandated to attend
VIRTUS training? The Archdiocese of Los
Angeles has trained more than 100,000 adults in the VIRTUS
program. Nationwide, more than 1.7 million clergy, educators,
employees and volunteers have been trained in how to create
safe environments and prevent child sexual abuse. For more
information, please contact the Archdiocesan Safeguard
the Children Office 213.637.7650. |
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Is Your Family Prepared For A Natural Disaster?
News reports on the recent earthquake in Haiti have shown
how easily families can become separated during the chaos
of a natural disaster. The National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children offers the following recommendations
to all families potentially impacted by a natural disaster.
Know where your kids are at all times. Stay together; Take
photos of your children with you when evacuated. Give children
identification information to carry with them, including
the child's name, date of birth, address, phone numbers,
etc. E- mail digital photos of all family members to extended
relatives and/or friends. Photocopy important documents
and mail to a friend/relative in a safe location. Make a
plan with your children, so they know what to do if your
family becomes separated during an evacuation. For particular
help, you may call Assistance Ministry at 213.637.7650. |
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CyberTipline Fights Internet Crimes Against Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other government
agencies all work together to fight Internet crimes against
children. They've established a CyberTipline,
a reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation,
including child pornography, online enticement of children
for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family,
sex tourism of children, child victims of prostitution,
and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child.
Reports may be made- 24 hours per day, seven days per week
- online at www.cybertipline.com
or by calling 800.843.5678. For particular help, you may
call Assistance Ministry at 213.636.7650.
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Get Involved In Parish Safety Programs
Parents and guardians play a key role in the success of
parish programs for young people. Parents and guardians
who are involved in parish programs and events will be in
the best position to protect their own children as well
as all the children in the parish community. Involvement
and communication are important factors in helping to ensure
safe environments for all of our children. Contact the parish
office for more information on how you can become actively
involved in the safe environment training programs in our
parish. For particular help, you may call Assistance
Ministry at 213.636.7650. |
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Always Keep An Up-To-Date Photo Of Your Child
A good photo could save a child's life. One of the most
impor tant tools for law enforcement in the case of a missing
child is an up-to-date (take a new one every six months),
good quality photograph. The photograph should be a recent
head-and-shoulders color photograph of the child in which
the face is clearly seen. It should be of school-portrait
quality, and the background should be plain or solid so
it does not distract from the subject. W hen possible, the
photograph should be in a digitized form and available on
a compact disk (CD) as opposed to just a hard copy. This
minimizes the time necessary to scan, resize and make color
corrections before disseminating it to law enforcement.
The photograph should have space for accurate, narrative
description useful to identify the child, such as name,
nickname, height, weight, sex, age, eye color, identifying
marks, glasses and braces. For more information please visit:
www.missingkids.com.
For particular help, you may call Assistance Ministry
at 213.637.7650.
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Ensuring Your Child's School is Safe
Every teacher, coach and volunteer who works with children
in the Los Angeles Archdiocese's parishes and schools must
have a background check before he or she is permitted to
work in any school, or parish-related job or activity that
involves contact with children. But many of our children
attend non- Catholic private or public schools. W hat steps
do these schools take? Talk with school administrators and
find out what steps they take to protect children from harm.
Suggest that they review other abuse prevention programs
to ensure that their policies and practices are up to date.
And demand that all employees and volunteers who work in
the school be properly screened, including background checks,
before they are allowed to be near your children.. For more
information, please call the Archdiocesan Safeguard
the Children Office 213.637.7227. |
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What's Your Plan in the Event of an Emergency?
Did you know that every Catholic school in the Los Angeles
Archdiocese is required to have a written plan for emergency
procedures? The plan must include provisions for fire, earthquake,
disaster and evacuation drills and lockdown procedures that
conform to local, state and county requirements. Each school's
plan must be updated annually, and made available to parents.
Does your own family have a similar plan for what to do
and where to gather in the event of an emergency? City and
County disaster preparedness agencies are a good resource
to use for making your own emergency plan. For particular
help you may call Assistance Ministry at 213.637.7650.
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Five Tips for Safeguarding Children
The Archdiocese mandates that all people who work with
children and youth in our parishes and schools must undergo
child abuse prevention training through the VIRTUS program.
The training details five steps to prevent child sexual
abuse: 1. Know the warning signs of an
inappropriate relationship with a child. 2.
Control access to children by carefully selecting the
adults who work with children and youth. 3. Monitor
all programs for the safety of children and youth. 4.
Be aware and sensitive to what is going on in
the lives of children. 5.Communicate
concerns to the appropriate person in authority. For more
information, please call the Archdiocesan Safeguard
the Children Office 213.637.7227. |
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Know the 'Parent W arning Codes'
Text messaging is an increasingly integral part of the way
young people communicate with their friends. But like other
forms of communication, it can expose children to outside
threats and unwanted contacts, even from sexual predators.
That's why it is important for parents to monitor their
child's use of text messaging. Young people are aware of
their parents' supervision and have developed text codes
in response. These parent warning codes are codes that kids
use to let whomever they are talking to know that it is
not safe to talk. If you see these codes, you should instantly
be suspicious. For example, "MOS" means "Mom
over shoulder," and "PIR" means "Parent
in room." A helpful tutorial for parents is located
at www.mahalo.com.
Click HERE
for a direct link to the site's helpful hints. |
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TEXT MESSAGING: Know the Warning Signs
Monitoring
your child's internet browsing
and cell phone use are important and challenging aspects
of being a parent. In keeping track of your child’s
text messaging, with its dizzying array of coded abbreviations
and symbols, there are some codes that every parent should
keep his/her eyes open for. These are codes that kids use
to warn others that their parents are around or that they
use to talk about sex, drugs or to arrange a meeting. For
example, “KPC” means “keeping parents
clueless” and “LMIRL” means “Let’s
meet in real life.” A helpful tutorial for parents
is located at www.mahalo.com.
”How
to understand your kids’ text messages”
is the direct link to the article. For particular help,
you may call Assistance Ministry at (213) 637-7650. |
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Help
Reduce Abuse Statistics
Nationally, more
than 2 million reports of abuse or neglect of minors are
made each year. Only a small percentage of child abuse is
ever reported. Learn how to spot suspected abuse or neglect,
and how to report it to the proper authorities.For more
information, please contact those in your parish who are
in charge of programs to safeguard children. Or please call
the Archdiocesan Safeguard the Children Office 213.637.7227.
For particular help, you may call Assistance Ministry at
213.637.7650. |
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Keeping
Kids Safe After School
You
can help keep your children safe by knowing where they spend
their time after school. Get to know the adults who show
up at the various locations in the community where children
gather and where they play together. Be wary of any adult
who seems more interested in creating a relationship with
a child than with other adults. Pay attention when an adult
seems to single out a child for a relationship or special
attention. Warning signs include treats, gifts, vacations,
or other special favors offered only to one specific child.
For more information, call the Archdiocesan Safeguard the
Children Office 213.637.7227. |
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How
To Understand Your Kids’ Text Messages
If you’ve read your child’s text messages, you
might think he or she has learned a second language. Texting
has replaced email for most young people today. And, like
any form of communication, parents have a responsibility
to make sure that their children use texting as safely as
possible. As a parent or guardian, take time to learn some
of the texting lingo. Also, be alert that some predators
use texting to send sexually explicit messages to unsuspecting
young people. A helpful tutorial for parents is located
at www.mahalo.com.
:
”How
to understand your kids’ text messages”
is the direct link to the article. |
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Teach
Kids to Protect Themselves at Home
We consider our homes to be safe places for our children.
But being home alone can pose risks for children. Here are
a few tips to teach kids that will help keep them safe when
you are not with them at home: Never answer the door if
alone; Do not invite anyone in the house without the permission
of a parent or babysitter; Don't tell anyone on the phone
that your parents are not home; Instead tell them that your
parents can't come to the phone, and take a message. For
more tips, please visit www.kidsafe.com
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Getting
To and From School Safely
If your child walks to school, walk the route with him/her
to identify landmarks and safe places to go if he/she is
being followed or needs help. Create a map with your child
showing acceptable routes to and from school using main
roads and avoiding shortcuts and isolated areas. Make sure
young children are properly supervised going to and from
school, whether it is by you as a parent/ guardian, an older
sibling or another trusted adult. Remind older children
to always take a friend when walking or riding their bikes
to and from school. |
