Cayman Net News
September 27, 2007
http://www.caymannetnews.com/news-2284--1-1--.html
As part of Hedge Funds Care's commitment to raising awareness of, and supporting those addressing the issue of child abuse and neglect in the Cayman Islands, St Ignatius Catholic Church recognises recipients of its 2007 grants to show what strides have been made in the treatment and eradication of abuse in this community.
Since 2005, the St Ignatius Catholic Church has run a child abuse awareness and identification programme, 'Protecting God's Children' (PGC), a twice-annual workshop which teaches adults and children to identify the warning signs of child sexual abuse as well as ways to safeguard a community against potential abusers.
The programme is organised and administered by O'Neil Miller, Director of Religious Education at St Ignatius. He receives ongoing training for this programme through the Archdiocese of Detroit where the programme originated.
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| The St Ignatius Catholic Church in George Town. |
Prior to receiving the Hedge Funds Care grant, PGC was offered only to employees, members and students of the St Ignatius Church and School, making up part of the core induction process for teachers and volunteers who would have close contact with children.
With additional funding from Hedge Funds Care, it will be possible to expand the reach of the programme to the wider community, allowing more parents and children to receive training that will allow them to better identify and react to child sexual abuse before it can take place.
Hedge Funds Care (Cayman) has granted St. Ignatius US$10,000 in 2007 for the expansion of Protecting God's Children. With this grant, St Ignatius intends to raise awareness of the programme to motivate attendance outside of the church community; provide training for the programme director and forthcoming assistant; and procure audiovisual and other supporting materials for use in the 3-hour workshops.
This is the first year that the programme has received any external funding, and it is hoped that the planned expansion will allow the programme to reach a significantly wider audience; programme directors hope to educate at least 400 attendees this year.
'Protecting God's Children' uses various teaching techniques to present the facts about child safety, suspicious behaviors and abuse reporting.
Through videos, round table discussions and role-play, participants will learn to differentiate between safe and inappropriate interactions, to safeguard their communities so that opportunities for abuse are minimised, and to recognise signs of abuse.
The ultimate goal of the session is to encourage parents and guardians to speak up before an incident takes place, and to teach them how to empower children so that they may communicate openly about 'grooming' (the act of gaining the trust of children and guardians before abuse takes place), abuse or any interactions that make them uncomfortable.
The programme also highlights the effects that abuse can have on children, their families and the wider community, and includes a frank discussion of some of the myths about child sexual abuse.
These myths often contribute to a more permissive environment for abuse, and inhibit the ability of parents, guardians and children to identify 'grooming' behavior.
"People may wonder why this programme contains a component on abuse stereotypes, but disabusing people of pre-conceived notions is an important part of protecting children. Focusing on a stereotype may cause parents to miss characteristic warning signs, and leave children exposed to potential abusers who don't 'fit the mould'. If we cannot see beyond stereotypes, it is more difficult for children to come forward and for abusers to be punished," Mr Miller said.
Mr Miller is a teacher by training, whose core function at the church is to direct and coordinate the ongoing religious education programmes including workshops, Sunday school and Youth Ministry, and the first communion and confirmation programmes. Before taking up his current post, he was a teacher with the school, instructing children in Years 4 and 5.
He received his teacher training at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education in Jamaica, and spent two years teaching at the Mico Practising All Age School before moving to Cayman in 1998.
He has attended a number of training courses and workshops since joining St Ignatius, all focusing around leadership and skills for working with children and young adults, which makes him uniquely qualified to manage this programme.
Protecting God's Children strikes a particular chord with Miller, who said: "As a teacher and a parent I firmly believe that there is no substitute for the safety and security of our children.
"It grieves my heart when I hear that a child has been abused, whether physically, verbally, emotionally and even moreso, sexually. I am convinced that everyone can play a role in making sure that there is an awareness of abuse in all the forms that our children may experience. I want to pass on to others the importance of allowing our children to function in environments that are safe and where they can trust the adults in whose care they have been entrusted."
The next session will take place on Saturday, 29 September from 9:00 am to noon at the Loyola Hall at St Ignatius School. For more information on the programme, or to sign up, please contact O'Neil Miller at 949-6797.
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