Poll Shows: Yeshivas More Aware of Sex Abuse, in Need of Better Detection Skills, by Jerry DeMarco, Cliffview Pilot, September 24, 2010

Poll Shows: Yeshivas More Aware of Sex Abuse, in Need of Better Detection Skills

By Jerry DeMarco
Cliffview Pilot
September 24, 2010

http://www.cliffviewpilot.com/public-safety/1673-yeshivas-more-aware-of-sex-abuse-in-need-of-better-detection-skills

Although administrators at many Jewish elementary schools say they believe reporting sex abuse doesn’t violate their faith, a study shows they’re afraid they're not properly trained in recognizing it -- an admission that some say could lead to the kind of attention needed to root out the problem.

Yitzchak Schechter

As reported in The Jewish Star: A poll of 135 North American yeshivas and day schools found an overwhelming number of administrators who say they have policies in place to deal with sexual abuse. Nearly all agree reporting abusers to authorities wouldn’t violate halacha. Still, they didn’t feel confident in their ability to recognize signs of abuse.

“This represents a tipping point in recognizing abuse in the community,” said Scott Goldberg, director of the Institute for University-School Partnership at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education, which conducted the poll.

While the Catholic Church was garnering headlines for countless instances of sexual abuse by priests against children, the Jewish population was discovering similar acts. However, the community has been divided over reporting the abusers, making those in favor of it even more vocal.

It still could come as a surprise that the poll found 88 percent of respondents agreeing that abusers must be reported. The tide, as Goldberg noted, could be turning.

“We have a fundamental responsibility to provide a safe learning environment,” Rabbi Yona Reiss, dean of Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) told the Jewish Star. “Those causing irreparable harm ought to be eradicated from the community.”

SIDEBAR: The battle over sex abuse reporting in the Orthodox community is exploding worldwide, and one of the hubs is in New Jersey. State law requires anyone with reasonable suspicion to alert authorities. But rabbinical authority has ruled in Orthodox communities for thousands of years, mainly due to splits with secular law over civil issues (unlike the Catholic Church scandals). Victims have been threatened, ostracized and driven out. Yet, rabbinical and secular authorities in Lakewood, Passaic and other communities say they are trying to "bridge the gap."

Reiss and other said they trust secular authorities, rather than a beit din.

“Dealing with child protective services is necessary, and increased interaction can be effective,” added Yitzchak Schechter, a psychologist who helped prepare the report.

“Increasing training needs to increase confidence as well,” said Schechter, who heads the Center for Applied Psychology at the Bikur Cholim in Rockland County, and who, according to the Star, takes pride in his role as a bridge between authorities and the more insular Orthodox communities.

The Bikur Cholim conducts an estimated 15,000 training sessions a year, with 60 percent of clients coming from “yeshivish” communities, officials told the Star.

“The remarkable response to our survey from a diverse array of schools has provided us with a road map for the educational, clinical and policy work ahead,” Goldberg said.