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	Church Reviews Abuse Prevention Catholic Sentinel April 4, 2008 http://www.sentinel.org/node/8926 Child Abuse Prevention Month will be noted during April in Catholic parishes around the United States, including in Oregon. The publication of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has provided the path for the church on the issue. The charter seeks to promote healing and reconciliation with victims of sexual abuse of minors. It also aims to guarantee an effective response to allegations of sexual abuse. The charter was designed to ensure the accountability of church procedures and protect the faithful in the future. In 2007 and 2008 the Archdiocese of Portland stepped up its education and training programs for preventing child sexual abuse by using the Called to Protect programs from Praesidium, Inc., of Arlington, Texas. More than 350 leaders have been trained to provide education and training for clergy, lay employees and volunteers who work regularly with children as well as providing education to parents, children and youth. Clergy, lay employees and volunteers are all learning policies and procedures that help ensure a safe environment for children and youth. Parents, employees and volunteers are learning warning signs of potential abuse and also how to recognize signs that abuse may be happening to children and youth. Participants learn what steps offenders will use to gain the trust of children and the adults who care for them. Minors are receiving new training on personal boundaries, respect for one another and Internet safety. Hundreds of adults, children and youth will participate in these programs by the end of the school year in the Archdiocese of Portland. This training will be provided every year. Preventing child sexual abuse is possible. Parents in the Catholic schools and churches are learning about three ways to protect their children from sexual abuse: 1. Watch watch for signs of signs of violations of your child's boundaries and signs of unexplained changes in your child. 2. Act when you see something inappropriate happening with your child, speak to the leaders of the programs, speak to the person engaging in the inappropriate activity with your child. Don't just wait to see what else happens. 3. Teach your child about personal safety. Communication between parents and children is extremely important. The Archdiocese of Portland maintains a full-time Child Protection / Victim Assistance Office directed by Cathy Shannon. She can be reached for Child Protection issues at 503-233-8302, and for Victim Assistance 503-416-8810, or by email cshannon@archdpdx.org. Information is available on the Child Protection Office web page: www.archdpdx.org/cpo. To learn more about these programs, or to attend a presentation, check with your local Catholic school or parish. The schedule of current workshops is available on the Child Protection Office web site listed above. The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People is available on the Internet at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops www.usccb.org/bishops/charter.pdf. The national Catholic Office for Child and Youth Protection's web page is: www.usccb.org/ocyp/
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