PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
I appreciate that C4SO has put together this program to make sure that our children are safe. As a child sexual abuse victim, it means a lot to me! I am so glad to see that we as an organization of spiritual communities are tending to this challenge.
Can I just say how grateful I am that our diocese has this resource? I directed a Children’s Ministry program with hundreds of kids at a mega church in Orange County in Southern CA and even with their resources we didn’t have anything even close to what you all have put together. Thank you. Bless you for protecting the little ones.
As clergy in C4SO I receive training in how to prevent, identify, and report sexual abuse. This training helped me to recognize the characteristics of ‘grooming’ behaviors in those looking for victims, and see how the culture at large can exhibit ‘grooming’ patterns. After living overseas for more than a decade I returned to a much more sexualized culture. The media plays a part in this. It is shocking to see what children can be exposed to in their daily lives. As shepherds, we have a responsibility to be watchful on behalf of those in our care. This training is much needed.