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	Parishes Disagree over Abuse Prevention Program for Children By Nancy Reardon MetroWest Daily News March 6, 2008 http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/state/x513684147 BOSTON — Nearly a decade after the height of the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston, local parishes still disagree over the best way to implement an abuse prevention program for children. At issue among parents, pastors and religion educators is whether the ultimate responsibility to teach children how to recognize and report inappropriate sexual touching lies with the church or with parents. The archdiocese was expected today to release a list of 64 parishes that do not comply with its abuse prevention program, based on a nationwide curriculum called "Talking about Touching." The list coincides with a report from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the 2007 audit of the archdiocese's compliance with its Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, a policy adopted in 2002 that requires archdioceses to implement an abuse prevention program but allows them the autonomy to choose which one. Forty-eight of the 64 parishes are out of compliance because of issues such as teacher shortages, said Kelly Lynch, spokeswoman for the archdiocese. But the remaining 16 have defied orders from Cardinal O'Malley because either pastors or the majority of parents disagree with the curriculum. The audit includes 295 parishes. "Some people object because they think it is sex education. It is not," said Patricia Gomez, spokeswomen for the Protecting Our Children working group affiliated with Voice of the Faithful, a lay organization that stands up for the rights of victims of priest sex abuse. "Some parents say it is sexually explicit. I disagree with that." The program is designed for students in pre-kindergarten through third grade. It emphasizes general safety principles, working from car, traffic, fire and bike safety to the difference between "good and bad" touching and when to talk to an adult. In that way, it helps children connect different components of personal safety. The teaching method is story-based, presenting students with scenarios of inappropriate behavior, and the lessons repeat several times throughout the year. Since the program started in 2002, 400 children in the archdiocese have reported abuse at home or in their neighborhood to school officials, Doherty said. The curriculum is used in parochial schools and CCD classes. The program allows parishes to decide whether to explain inappropriate touch by using specific anatomical descriptions or with the phrase "private parts of the body covered by a bathing suit." Many parishes have opted for the latter, Dwyer said. "The curriculum is so well-researched and so well-documented by psychologists that it really works," said Marybeth Dwyer, a training specialist with the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund who coordinates training sessions for the archdiocese. "Often, parents react from a lack of information. The name 'Talking about Touching' sounds like sex education, but this is really a prevention program." But prevention or not, some Catholics say the church should leave these lessons to the home, not the classroom. William Germino, of St. Catherine of Siena's parish in Norwood, opted to keep his children -- ages 9, 8 and 6 -- out of the program. "We found a number of lessons in the course that we felt were not suitable for the age they were directed at. They were too explicit with how they described certain aspects of child abuse," he said. "The message that we've always supported is that the church should provide the resources for the parents to teach this themselves." The archdiocese allows parents to opt their children out of the program. All parents are invited to an information night on "Talking about Touching" that includes a video on how parents can address the issue. If parents do opt out, they are provided with materials for talking to their children, Lynch said.
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