A policy for the safeguarding and protection of minors and vulnerable adults

This handbook is the result of work by the international team of the Eucharistic Youth Movement (Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network) prepared between April 2019 and July 2020. Coordination Giulia Bianchi

The entire text may be copied and distributed freely, on condition that a reference to its origins is included. The digital version may be downloaded from www.popesprayer.va

Version 1.0 31 July 2020, Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Bibliography

This handbook has been prepared on the basis of the contribution of the EYM international team and other manuals developed by working groups linked to the Society of Jesus. Reference to these texts has been fundamental in the developing of our Policy. Below are the bibliographical references for the above mentioned manuals:

MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018);

Guia Básica de Prevención del Abuso Sexual Infantil (Corporación ONG Paicabí Gobierno Regional Quinta Región Servicio Nacional de Menores Quinta Región, 2002);

Policy for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults (Australian Province of the Society of Jesus, 2015);

Jesuit Procedures for Safeguarding Children (Irish Province of the Society of Jesus, 2017);

JRS Child Safeguarding Policy (Jesuit Refugee Service, 2017).

Declaration of intent

Every form of sexual abuse, abuse of power, abuse of conscience and gender-based violence constitutes a violation of the fundamental values of the Catholic Church, as affirmed by Pope Francis in his letter “To the People of God” (August 2018)1:

“No effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient. Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated. The pain of the victims and their families is also our pain, and so it is urgent that we once more reaffirm our commitment to ensure the protection of minors and of vulnerable adults.”

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (which includes the Eucharistic Youth Movement - EYM) fully adheres to the words of the Holy Father. Therefore both the PWPN and the EYM expressly forbid all their leaders, staff members and volunteers (see

1 Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the People of God:: http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2018/documents/papafrancesco_20180820_lettera-popolo-didio.html

Addressees) from engaging in sexual abuse, abuse of power or abuse of conscience (see Definitions) with Minors and Vulnerable Adults.

As indicated in the statutes (2020) 2 of this Pontifical Work, the “Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network”, the international director nominates all national directors and coordinators to the pastoral and spiritual mission entrusted to them. All other leaders, members of staff or volunteers are accountable to their national office from a legal viewpoint as well as regarding the dissemination of information on prevention, training and procedures relative to all forms of abuse.

2 https://www.popesprayer.va

Introduction

This handbook, along with the two subsequent companion texts (Procedural Overview and Formative Overview), has been created by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (which includes the Eucharistic Youth Movement) following the invitation of Pope Francis “of offering proposals and initiatives meant to improve the norms and procedures for protecting children and vulnerable adults” (2015)3. The Holy Father has highlighted the importance of this issue in two fundamental letters (see Appendixes 1 and 2 for the complete version of these letters), the first written in February 2015 and the second in August 2018.

« “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons. Crimes that inflict deep wounds of pain and powerlessness, primarily among the victims, but also in their family members and in the larger community of believers and nonbelievers alike. Looking back

3 http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2015/documents/papafrancesco_20150202_lettera-pontificia-commissione-tutela-minori.html

to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient. Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated. The pain of the victims and their families is also our pain, and so it is urgent that we once more reaffirm our commitment to ensure the protection of minors and of vulnerable adults.

Pope Francis (20 August 2018)4

« Last March I established the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, for the purpose of offering proposals and initiatives meant to improve the norms and procedures for protecting children and vulnerable adults. [...] I now ask for your close and complete cooperation […] through an exchange of best practices and through programmes of education, training, and developing adequate responses to sexual abuse. .»

Pope Francis (2 February 2015)5

4 http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2018/documents/papafrancesco_20180820_lettera-popolo-didio.html

5 http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2015/documents/papafrancesco_20150202_lettera-pontificia-commissione-tutela-minori.html

Consequently, Father Adolfo Nicolas did not hesitate to respond with a further letter, in May 2015, addressed to the entire Society of Jesus, as did Arturo Sosa in August 2018. Father General Arturo Sosa’s letter is included in the appendixes and should be read carefully by all those to whom this handbook is addressed (Appedix 3).

From now onwards, in these three overviews we will refer to the Eucharistic Youth Movement, since this is the section of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which works with minors. However, these texts are relevant to everyone who forms part of the Pope’s Worldwide Network of Prayer, including vulnerable adults.

A further point must be emphasised. Relations between directors, personnel, volunteers, Minors and Vulnerable Adults in the great majority of cases are not neutral , and are in fact characterised by special bonds, not only of affinity and harmony, but also of authority and dependency.

This handbook, therefore, does not intend to sterilise relationships or eliminate every form of proximity, insofar as it is recognised that aspects such as affection and acceptance, understanding and empathy are essential to all training, pastoral and accompanying processes. What is considered important is the development of practices which promote helpfulness and to detect and avoid

situations of mistreatment, ambiguity and lack of assistance in relationships

Knowledgeable theoretic grounding, experience assessment and ongoing improvement processes will help us proceed in this direction and the handbook presented here will be a useful tool in the mission to safeguard and care for all those whose positions are weakest, a mission that must be a priority for us all.6

Policy Structure

The Policy for the Safeguarding and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults has been drawn up in three sections:

1. A Policy for the Safeguarding and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults – Preventive Overview: promoting a preventive programme to put a stop to abuse of power and conscience and sexual abuse;

2. A Policy for the Safeguarding and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults – Procedural Overview: practices and strategies for dealing with concerns and allegations;

6This paragraph was written using material present in the manual: MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018; p. 18)

3. A Policy for the Safeguarding and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults – Formative Overview: training on this issue to develop best practice approaches.

These three sections are complementary and intended as a reference point for all Eucharistic Youth Movement groups working with Minors and Vulnerable Adults, to promote and help develop a culture of care and protection for them. This text may be adapted by each national office to every regional reality in order to be proposed to all members of staff and volunteers.

1. Methodological Basis

The Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM) recognises the issue of safeguarding Minors and Vulnerable Adults as a global challenge. This handbook provides the minimum standards and guidelines for best practices to be respected by directors, staff members and volunteers at global level, in order to guarantee that Minors and Vulnerable Adults are secure in all activities undertaken by the EYM in every country they are present.

The policy in this handbook must be implemented in accordance with the national laws of each country the EYM works in, thus all EYM directors, staff members and volunteers are expected to sign, at local level in accordance with national offices, the compliance and awareness form regarding “A Policy for the Safeguarding and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults” (see Appendix 4.A and 4.B) and subscribe to the recommendations herein.

1.1 Addressees

This handbook applies to the entire EYM, guaranteeing in this way a common standard of protection and care for children and young people (up to the age of 18), and vulnerable adults over 18 years of age. All EYM personnel, and in particular directors, members of staff and volunteers, and all those connected to this

Work including partners, contractors and consultants, must be familiar with and adhere to these three sections.

Occasional “visitors” to EYM groups will not be obliged to subscribe formally to the handbook, however any contact between these visitors and minors and vulnerable adults must be monitored at all times.

This policy document, available to all EYM national offices, should be adapted to each individual reality and inspire local documents which we recommend circulating through every means possible (brochures, digital platforms and so on). Furthermore it is important to raise awareness among minors, parents/legal guardians and everyone involved in educational and pastoral activities.

1.2 Some considerations regarding preventative work with Minors and Vulnerable Adults 7

The implementation of a preventive policy aimed at Minors and Vulnerable Adults must be accompanied by reflection and interiorisation of the following considerations:

7This paragraph was written using material from the manual: Guia Básica de Prevención del Abuso Sexual Infantil (Corporación ONG Paicabí Gobierno Regional Quinta Región Servicio Nacional de Menores

§ Talking about sexual abuse and the abuse of power and conscience, or sexuality in general, is not an easy task in our society and it is possible that such topics will generate resistance or questioning.

§ There will always be controversial elements associated with this work, which emerge due to differences in educational practices and values.

§ Clarity regarding the issues addressed is a key aspect, since sexuality in our society is saturated with subliminal innuendo and misunderstandings, which contribute to a state of ignorance and persistence of the problem.

§ When working with adults, it is always best to raise the issues chosen for discussion in the most transparent way. One departure point is to convey the message that abuse of minors and vulnerable adults is an issue which should interest all of us as members of society as a whole and is by no means exclusive to one specific group.

§ Discussing sexual abuse involving minors without previously dealing to some extent with the more general issue of sexuality is not appropriate for minors. If the initial contact with the sphere of sexual development for a minor is based

Quinta Región, 2002; par. “2.2. Respecto a la Decision Tematica de la Estrategia Preventiva”)

on experiences of abuse, this could lead to an erroneous understanding of sexuality and contribute to a condition of partial personal sexual development. Consequently it is advisable to prioritise sexual development educational experiences before proposing any kind of preventive measures directly referring to sexual abuse of minors.

1.3 Definitions8

Minor

The EYM adopts the definition of a “child” recognised at international level and established by the UNICEF Convention on the rights of children and adolescents (1989)9: “every human being below the age of eighteen years, unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier”. For the EYM minors include all young people under 18 years of age.

Vulnerable Adult

The term vulnerable adult refers to all those persons aged 18 and upwards who form part of the EYM, and are “in a state of infirmity, physical or mental deficiency, or deprivation of personal liberty which, in fact, even occasionally, limits their ability to understand or to want or otherwise resist the offence”10

8 Part of this paragraph was written using material from the manual: JRS Child Safeguarding Policy (Jesuit Refugee Service, 2017)

9 Unicef (1989), Convention on the Rights of the Child – CRC(art. 1) 10

http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/papafrancesco-motu-proprio-20190507_vos-estis-lux-mundi.html

Abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults

Violence and abuse of minors (or vulnerable adults) is understood to mean “all forms of violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse” (UNICEF Convention on the rights of children and adolescents, 1989)11.

The World Health Organisation provides a definition of violence and abuse on children, identified as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against children (or vulnerable adults) by an individual or a group, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s (or the vulnerable adult’s) health, survival, development or dignity ” (“World Report on Violence and Health”, 2002)12.

Exploitation

The use of a personal position of power, authority or a situation of trust in order to take advantage of minors and vulnerable adults by coercion, threats, force, instigation or any other means, with or without the promise of assistance to them or to their families or caregivers.

11 Unicef (1989), Convention on the Rights of the Child – CRC(art. 19)

12 World Health Organization (2002),World report on violence and health

Safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Adults

These are measures adopted by the EYM to ensure that minors and vulnerable adults in contact with the movement are not subject to physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse, deliberate or intentional, nor to exploitation or negligence by directors, staff members or volunteers. This implies correct risk assessment at EYM level and the implementation of systematic preventive measures to reduce the risk of harm to Minors and Vulnerable Adults.

Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults

These measures have been put in place to respond to all allegations and/or concerns regarding abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults. The protection and security of minors and vulnerable adults is of the utmost importance. Regional and National EYM centres are fully committed to taking any action necessary to guarantee that Minors and Vulnerable Adults receive the highest possible standard of assistance available.

Personnel

This term covers all those working and serving the mission of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (which includes the EYM) at local, national and international level (national directors and coordinators,

leaders, volunteers and consultants), along with everyone else considered to be legally employed in the national offices and international office of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (and the EYM). It is important to remember that each national office has its own legal structure independent of the international office. The Pope’s Worldwide Network of Prayer is not a single entity or organisation but a coordination of associations and groups.

Physical abuse

Physical abuse is the consequence of any action which is not accidental, either isolated or repeated by a caregiver or others which cause (or can cause) physical harm. This type of abuse includes physical punishment or the use of injurious force against a person, and can also lead to or directly cause a substantial risk of significant harm.

Psychological abuse

Psychological abuse stems from a deprivation of the safe surroundings and affective well-being indispensable for growth, development and balanced behaviour in the vulnerable adult or minor. This abuse includes different situations, from the precariousness of care or affection relevant to the age or personal condition of the victim, to complete emotional rejection, along with continual erosion of self

esteem, with frequent negative repercussions on behaviour, both psychological and emotional.

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse is the use which perpetrators of sexual violence, from a position of power or authority (parent, relative, caregiver, peer, unknown stranger, etc), make of a Minor and Vulnerable Adult in order to satisfy their own sexual desires or those of others,

NB: Consent given by a minor does not in any way represent a justification for abuse.

Sexual exploitation

This indicates abuse of a Minor and Vulnerable Adult by means of the use of a personal position of power or a relationship of trust, in order to achieve sexual profit. The Minor and Vulnerable Adult may feel impotent or hopeless, seeing no other way out but to accept. This refers also to the grooming of minors for financial gain.

NB: Consent given by a minor does not in any way represent a justification for abuse.

Negligence

This denotes an incapacity to satisfy Minors’ and Vulnerable Adults’ basic needs for security, hygiene, nutrition, affection, education and health, which are all essential for the full development of their potential and the exercise of their rights. In general the situation of neglect is ongoing and derives from an inability of the parents or caregivers to adequately meet these fundamental needs.

2. Promoting a culture of protection and care

All EYM staff are responsible for their own professional conduct with minors and vulnerable adults. This implies establishing and maintaining clear cut human and professional boundaries which are necessary to protect everyone from misunderstandings and violations of human and professional relationships.

The abuse and/or solicitation of Minors and Vulnerable Adults causes extreme harm and can often lead to serious long term consequences, above all for the minor or vulnerable person. They also affect the greater community of people who are aware of violations and reduce the integrity of the EYM contribution to the mission of the Church.

EYM personnel may also find themselves unable to maintain a professional code of conduct, operating beyond the responsibilities of their role and competence. Minors and vulnerable adults who raise significant personal concerns must be guided towards a professional with specialised skills, for example, a school counsellor, a psychologist and/or a pastoral coordinator.

EYM personnel must never, in any situation whatsoever, enter into an intimate, overly familiar or sexual relationship with a Minor and Vulnerable Adult. Incorrect behaviour of a sexual nature includes

every form of sexual activity, including kissing (see paragraph 1.3 Definitions).

2.1 Preventive Action13

Institutions working with Minors and Vulnerable Adults can often assume a privileged role in their protection and care, since many Minors and Vulnerable Adults attend their programmes regularly, for several hours a day and/or a time period of many years. Staff working in these institutions are in a preferential position to note and report any kind of behaviour or attitude that may reveal situations of danger. In particular the EYM must play an active role in the development of preventive action, with a positive impact on the prevention of situations of mistreatment. Below is a list of different types of input which can be developed within EYM groups. These activities can be directed at primary, secondary or third level prevention, according to the type of risk they are required to address.

a) Primary Prevention: programmes designed for all Minors and Vulnerable Adults and their families, without distinction, with the goal of promoting wellbeing and preventing incidents

13This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018; p. 38)

of potential risk. Examples of primary prevention programmes may include the following:

§ Programmes to promote “emotional intelligence”;

§ Programmes to prevent aggression and violence between peers.;

§ Programmes on health education;

§ Programmes to develop parenting skills;

§ Programmes to promote conflict resolution.

b) Secondary Prevention: programmes to increase prevention for Minors and Vulnerable Adults presenting risk factors by means of:

§ Programmes aimed at mitigating or compensating the vulnerability of Minors and Vulnerable Adults in risk situations;

§ Counselling and training for families and caregivers of Minors and Vulnerable Adults illustrating risk factors, providing appropriate information and raising awareness of best practices;

c) Third level Prevention: programmes aimed at Minors and Vulnerable Adults who have undergone any kind of mistreatment or other dangerous situations, with the goal of protecting them from any further harm. These programmes intend, insofar as possible, to reduce the impact of the

episode experienced and prevent any possible repetition or continuation over time with the risk of severe negative consequences for the minor or vulnerable adult. Examples are:

§ Psychological support for victims of mistreatment;

§ Programmes to support victims of bullying and procedures to monitor aggressors;

§ Integration measures and alternative study schemes for young people leaving school.

In the case of a national EYM office seeking to carry out one of the above programmes, support from the national service for youth pastoral work and other ecclesiastical or civil society organisations is available upon request.

2.2 The Two-Adult Rule14

General security practice in all activities recommends the application of the Two-Adult Rule, to ensure the safety of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, as well as the adults assisting them. Wherever

14This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: Policy for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults (Australian Province of the Society of Jesus, 2015; p. 10)

possible, no fewer than two adults should always be present at all activities or events involving minors and vulnerable adults. It is best if these two adults are not related.

Respect for this rule:

§ Dramatically reduces the risk of abuse, insofar as every potential abuser will lose interest if constant ly accompanied by another adult;

§ Protects adults from false allegations;

§ Reduces the possibility of requests for damages due to negligence;

§ Encourages the participation of volunteers since potential volunteers will be less wary of false allegations;

§ Sends out a clear message that minors and vulnerable adults are important and valued.

2.3 Best practices15

The principal conduct guidelines presented below are based on the promotion of best practices and avoidance of worst ones among EYM staff and a commitment to making services offered to

15This paragraph was written using material from the following manual MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018; pp. 4951)

Minors and Vulnerable Adults more transparent. The recommendations presented below should be observed as complementary to the other norms and policies valid in each national office.

Conduct with Minors and Vulnerable Adults to adopt and promote:

§ Provide, through our own personal behaviour, examples of best conduct at all times;

§ Respect the personal boundaries of others;

§ Promote healthy and integrated relationships which contribute to community life;

§ Help minors to develop awareness and understanding of their rights and those of others;

§ Provide minors with the necessary information regarding how, where and from whom they can seek help if they face serious problems;

§ Report abusive or potentially abusive behaviour;

§ Promote the development of a culture in which minors and vulnerable adults can speak openly about their interaction with adults and other persons.

Conduct forbidden with Minors and Vulnerable Adults:

• Adopting, promoting or consenting to the use of sexualised, aggressive, humiliating, offensive and/or discriminating language or conversations;

§ Using, promoting or endorsing sexual, aggressive, offensive and/or discriminating gestures and behaviours;

§ Developing preferential relationships or engaging in ambiguous, exclusive, dominating or discriminating gestures towards those who are not in a position of dominance;

§ Including in conversation or promoting vision of inappropriate contents (for example sexual, violent, offensive or discriminatory) in person or by means of information and communication technology (such as computers, tablets or mobile phones);

§ Any type of inappropriate physical contact (including any form of sexual contact or relationship);

§ The consumption or promotion of or the permitting of the use of illegal or dangerous substances and behaviours;

§ Involving Minors and Vulnerable Adults in meetings or activities not specifically linked to the work of the EYM (for example unauthorised activities with minors and vulnerable adults outside of the EYM, which may appear official to

Minors and Vulnerable Adults and their families or legal guardians);

§ Engaging in unauthorised emotional ties or professional bonds with Minors and Vulnerable Adults outside of the institutional framework. Any EYM personnel maintaining relationships with Minors and Vulnerable Adults outside of the institutional frame work must adopt a responsible conduct and observe the principles and procedures provided in this handbook.

2.4 Risk Map16

All EYM groups and national offices working with minors and vulnerable adults are requested to create a Risk Map (see Appendix 5). This section provides the methodology for this task.

The risk map is a useful tool for identifying and responding to the different risks of mistreatment identified. The map should be an internal document within each national office and subject to regular updates in an incremental way (that is, without cancelling the risks identified in the previous versions).

16This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018; pp. 4546)

There are many ways of creating the risk map, the important thing is that, at the moment of preparation of the map, all the most probable and/or serious high risk situations are identified, along with the relevant measures to be taken.

2.5 Rules for the use of images and communication and information technologies17

EYM staff working with Minors and Vulnerable Adults must never take inappropriate photographs or videos of minors. All media material must be relevant to the mission of the EYM offices or groups and never for personal use.

Insofar as possible, photographic or video equipment must not be used without the consent of the Minors and Vulnerable Adults involved and/or their parents or caregivers. If it is not possible to obtain such consent due to unforeseen circumstances, a general explanation to the family or the caregiver regarding the reason the photo or video was taken must be provided.

Any information provided by such media, including photos and videos, must absolutely respect the dignity of Minors and Vulnerable Adults.

17This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: JRS Child Safeguarding Policy (Jesuit Refugee Service, 2017)

EYM staff must never use mobile phones, emails or the internet to take, access or transmit inappropriate and/or indecent images of Minors and Vulnerable Adults

3. Code of conduct

The great majority of people who want to work with children, young people and vulnerable adults are well motivated, nevertheless, beyond the issue of motivation, it is necessary to assess the intentions and human abilities of all those who apply for such positions.

Good practices in recruitment and selection will help to distinguish those who are suitable and those who are not, increasing the chance of identifying the best person for each position. .

For this reason it is fundamental, in order to develop a deep-rooted and dependable protective culture, to do everything possible to prevent those representing a risk to Minors and Vulnerable Adults from becoming part of or working for EYM. This entails rigorous recruitment processes, followed by training programmes for those selected.

3.1 Selection and training of EYM staff

The director or coordinator of each national EYM office is responsible for observing the procedures for selecting and training staff. It is essential that all EYM personnel receive their own copy of “A Policy for the Safeguarding and Protection of Minors and

Vulnerable Adults”, read through it carefully and above all heed the instructions therein.

In all procedures of recruiting and hiring new staff members, the EYM commitment to the protection and care of Minors and Vulnerable Adults must be clearly evident.

3.2 Recruitment and election practices within the EYM 18

When new staff are recruited, the EYM will guarantee secure practices and proceed according to the following recommended phases:

§ Make reference to the EYM commitment to the protection of minors and vulnerable adults when publishing both employment and volunteering opportunities;

§ Provide a full description of the tasks for each of the positions to be filled;

§ Ensure that applicants receive and read “A Policy for the Safeguarding and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults” and sign a clause in their contract where they commit

18This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018; p. 55)

to observing the principles and procedures provided in this manual;

§ Ask appropriate questions in the course of interviews. In particular, ask the candidate to talk about previous experiences of contact with minors and vulnerable adults as well as systems of protection and disciplinary action while seeking the candidate’s views regarding protection and care for Minors and Vulnerable Adults;

§ Carry out detailed checks on references from previous employers;

§ Request (advisable) a police vetting certificate, in order to ensure the person is fit for working with Minors and Vulnerable Adults;

§ Complete the process of employing a new member of staff by providing an appropriate professional development programme and ongoing training;

§ Record personal details of staff and volunteers in a register;

§ Monitor and assess the way in which new staff relate to Minors and Vulnerable Adults.

3.3 Random onsite presence19

It is not possible for all visitors to EYM activities to be fully trained in the contents of this handbook. For this reason no unaccompanied contact with Minors and Vulnerable Adults is permitted, and an EYM representative must be responsible for monitoring visits at all times.

19This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018; p. 55)

Appendix 1

Last March I established the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which had first been announced in December 2013, for the purpose of offering proposals and initiatives meant to improve the norms and procedures for protecting children and vulnerable adults. I then appointed to the Commission a number of highly qualified persons well-known for their work in this field.

At my meeting in July with persons who had suffered sexual abuse by priests, I was deeply moved by their witness to the depth of their sufferings and the strength of their faith. This experience reaffirmed my conviction that everything

possible must be done to rid the Church of the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors and to open pathways of reconciliation and healing for those who were abused.

For this reason, last December I added new members to the Commission, in order to represent the Particular Churches throughout the world. In just a few days, all the members will meet in Rome for the first time.

In light of the above, I believe that the Commission can be a new, important and effective means for helping me to encourage and advance the commitment of the Church at every level – Episcopal Conferences, Dioceses, Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and others – to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, and to respond to their needs with fairness and mercy.

Families need to know that the Church is making every effort to protect their children. They should also know that they have every right to turn to the Church with full confidence, for it is a safe and secure home. Consequently, priority must not be given to any other kind of concern, whatever its nature, such as the desire to avoid scandal, since there is absolutely no place in ministry for those who abuse minors.

Every effort must also be made to ensure that the provisions of the Circular Letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith dated 3 May 2011 are fully implemented. This document was issued to assist Episcopal Conferences in drawing up guidelines for handling cases of sexual abuse of minors by clerics. It is likewise important that Episcopal Conferences establish a practical means for periodically reviewing their norms and verifying that they are being observed.

It is the responsibility of Diocesan Bishops and Major Superiors to ascertain that the safety of minors and vulnerable adults is assured in parishes and other Church institutions. As an expression of the Church’s duty to express the compassion of Jesus towards those who have suffered abuse and towards their families, the various Dioceses, Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life are urged to identify programmes for pastoral care which include provisions for psychological assistance and spiritual care. Pastors and those in charge of religious communities should be available to meet with victims and their loved ones; such meetings are valuable opportunities for listening to those have greatly suffered and for asking their forgiveness.

For all of these reasons, I now ask for your close and complete cooperation with the Commission for the Protection of Minors. The work I have entrusted to them includes providing assistance to you and your Conferences through an exchange of best practices and through programmes of education, training, and developing adequate responses to sexual abuse.

May the Lord Jesus instil in each of us, as ministers of the Church, the same love and affection for the little ones which characterized his own presence among us, and which in turn enjoins on us a particular responsibility for the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. May Mary Most Holy, Mother of tenderness and mercy, help us to carry out, generously and thoroughly, our duty to humbly acknowledge and repair past injustices and to remain ever faithful in the work of protecting those closest to the heart of Jesus.

From the Vatican, 2 February 2015 Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Francis

“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons. Crimes that inflict deep wounds of pain and powerlessness, primarily among the victims, but also in their family members and in the larger community of believers and nonbelievers alike. Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient. Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated. The pain of the victims and their families is also our pain, and so it is urgent that we once more reaffirm our

commitment to ensure the protection of minors and of vulnerable adults.

1. If one member suffers…

In recent days, a report was made public which detailed the experiences of at least a thousand survivors, victims of sexual abuse, the abuse of power and of conscience at the hands of priests over a period of approximately seventy years. Even though it can be said that most of these cases belong to the past, nonetheless as time goes on we have come to know the pain of many of the victims. We have realized that these wounds never disappear and that they require us forcefully to condemn these atrocities and join forces in uprooting this culture of death; these wounds never go away. The heart-wrenching pain of these victims, which cries out to heaven, was long ignored, kept quiet or silenced. But their outcry was more powerful than all the measures meant to silence it, or sought even to resolve it by decisions that increased its gravity by falling into complicity. The Lord heard that cry and once again showed us on which side he stands. Mary’s song is not mistaken and continues quietly to echo throughout history. For the Lord remembers the promise he made to our fathers: “he has scattered the proud in their conceit; he has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with

good things, and the rich he has sent away empty” (Lk 1:5153). We feel shame when we realize that our style of life has denied, and continues to deny, the words we recite.

With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives. We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them. I make my own the words of the then Cardinal Ratzinger when, during the Way of the Cross composed for Good Friday 2005, he identified with the cry of pain of so many victims and exclaimed: “How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to [Christ]! How much pride, how much self-complacency! Christ’s betrayal by his disciples, their unworthy reception of his body and blood, is certainly the greatest suffering endured by the Redeemer; it pierces his heart. We can only call to him from the depths of our hearts: Kyrie eleison – Lord, save us! (cf. Mt 8:25)” (Ninth Station).

2. … all suffer together with it

The extent and the gravity of all that has happened requires coming to grips with this reality in a comprehensive and

communal way. While it is important and necessary on every journey of conversion to acknowledge the truth of what has happened, in itself this is not enough. Today we are challenged as the People of God to take on the pain of our brothers and sisters wounded in their flesh and in their spirit. If, in the past, the response was one of omission, today we want solidarity, in the deepest and most challenging sense, to become our way of forging present and future history. And this in an environment where conflicts, tensions and above all the victims of every type of abuse can encounter an outstretched hand to protect them and rescue them from their pain (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 228). Such solidarity demands that we in turn condemn whatever endangers the integrity of any person. A solidarity that summons us to fight all forms of corruption, especially spiritual corruption. The latter is “a comfortable and selfsatisfied form of blindness. Everything then appears acceptable: deception, slander, egotism and other subtle forms of self-centeredness, for ‘even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light’ (2 Cor 11:14)” (Gaudete et Exsultate, 165). Saint Paul’s exhortation to suffer with those who suffer is the best antidote against all our attempts to repeat the words of Cain: “Am I my brother's keeper?” (Gen 4:9).

I am conscious of the effort and work being carried out in various parts of the world to come up with the necessary means to ensure the safety and protection of the integrity of children and of vulnerable adults, as well as implementing zero tolerance and ways of making all those who perpetrate or cover up these crimes accountable. We have delayed in applying these actions and sanctions that are so necessary, yet I am confident that they will help to guarantee a greater culture of care in the present and future.

Together with those efforts, every one of the baptized should feel involved in the ecclesial and social change that we so greatly need. This change calls for a personal and communal conversion that makes us see things as the Lord does. For as Saint John Paul II liked to say: “If we have truly started out anew from the contemplation of Christ, we must learn to see him especially in the faces of those with whom he wished to be identified” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 49). To see things as the Lord does, to be where the Lord wants us to be, to experience a conversion of heart in his presence. To do so, prayer and penance will help. I invite the entire holy faithful People of God to a penitential exercise of prayer and fasting, following the Lord’s command.[1] This can awaken our conscience and arouse our solidarity and

commitment to a culture of care that says “never again” to every form of abuse.

It is impossible to think of a conversion of our activity as a Church that does not include the active participation of all the members of God’s People. Indeed, whenever we have tried to replace, or silence, or ignore, or reduce the People of God to small elites, we end up creating communities, projects, theological approaches, spiritualities and structures without roots, without memory, without faces, without bodies and ultimately, without lives.[2] This is clearly seen in a peculiar way of understanding the Church’s authority, one common in many communities where sexual abuse and the abuse of power and conscience have occurred. Such is the case with clericalism, an approach that “not only nullifies the character of Christians, but also tends to diminish and undervalue the baptismal grace that the Holy Spirit has placed in the heart of our people”.[3] Clericalism, whether fostered by priests themselves or by lay persons, leads to an excision in the ecclesial body that supports and helps to perpetuate many of the evils that we are condemning today. To say “no” to abuse is to say an emphatic “no” to all forms of clericalism.

It is always helpful to remember that “in salvation history, the Lord saved one people. We are never completely ourselves unless we belong to a people. That is why no one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the complex fabric of interpersonal relationships present in the human community. God wanted to enter into the life and history of a people” (Gaudete et Exsultate, 6). Consequently, the only way that we have to respond to this evil that has darkened so many lives is to experience it as a task regarding all of us as the People of God. This awareness of being part of a people and a shared history will enable us to acknowledge our past sins and mistakes with a penitential openness that can allow us to be renewed from within. Without the active participation of all the Church’s members, everything being done to uproot the culture of abuse in our communities will not be successful in generating the necessary dynamics for sound and realistic change. The penitential dimension of fasting and prayer will help us as God’s People to come before the Lord and our wounded brothers and sisters as sinners imploring forgiveness and the grace of shame and conversion. In this way, we will come up with actions that can generate resources attuned to the Gospel. For “whenever we make the effort to return to the source and to recover the original freshness of the Gospel, new avenues

arise, new paths of creativity open up, with different forms of expression, more eloquent signs and words with new meaning for today’s world” (Evangelii Gaudium, 11).

It is essential that we, as a Church, be able to acknowledge and condemn, with sorrow and shame, the atrocities perpetrated by consecrated persons, clerics, and all those entrusted with the mission of watching over and caring for those most vulnerable. Let us beg forgiveness for our own sins and the sins of others. An awareness of sin helps us to acknowledge the errors, the crimes and the wounds caused in the past and allows us, in the present, to be more open and committed along a journey of renewed conversion.

Likewise, penance and prayer will help us to open our eyes and our hearts to other people’s sufferings and to overcome the thirst for power and possessions that are so often the root of those evils. May fasting and prayer open our ears to the hushed pain felt by children, young people and the disabled. A fasting that can make us hunger and thirst for justice and impel us to walk in the truth, supporting all the judicial measures that may be necessary. A fasting that shakes us up and leads us to be committed in truth and charity with all men and women of good will, and with society

in general, to combating all forms of the abuse of power, sexual abuse and the abuse of conscience.

In this way, we can show clearly our calling to be “a sign and instrument of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race” (Lumen Gentium, 1).

“If one member suffers, all suffer together with it”, said Saint Paul. By an attitude of prayer and penance, we will become attuned as individuals and as a community to this exhortation, so that we may grow in the gift of compassion, in justice, prevention and reparation. Mary chose to stand at the foot of her Son’s cross. She did so unhesitatingly, standing firmly by Jesus’ side. In this way, she reveals the way she lived her entire life. When we experience the desolation caused by these ecclesial wounds, we will do well, with Mary, “to insist more upon prayer”, seeking to grow all the more in love and fidelity to the Church (SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, Spiritual Exercises, 319). She, the first of the disciples, teaches all of us as disciples how we are to halt before the sufferings of the innocent, without excuses or cowardice. To look to Mary is to discover the model of a true follower of Christ.

May the Holy Spirit grant us the grace of conversion and the interior anointing needed to express before these crimes of

abuse our compunction and our resolve courageously to combat them.

Vatican City, 20 August 2018

Francis

[1] “But this kind [of demon] does not come out except by prayer and fasting” (Mt 17:21).

[2] Cf. Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Chile (31 May 2018).

[3] Letter to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (19)

Appendix 4.A

COMPLIANCE AND AWARENESS FORM REGARDING “A POLICY FOR THE PROTECTION AND SAFEGUARDING OF MINORS AND VULNERABLE ADULTS”

A POLICY FOR THE SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTION OF AND VULNERABLE ADULTS

Compliance and awareness Form

I have read, fully understood and will observe the principles and procedures of “A POLICY FOR THE SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTION OF MINORS AND VULNERABLE ADULTS” by the Eucharistic Youth Movement (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network), detailed in 3 manuals “Preventive Overview”, “Procedural Overview” and “Formative Overview”.

To be compiled if the signee is a national director or coordinator:

Full Name:

Place and date:

Signature:

Appendix 4.B

COMPLIANCE AND AWARENESS FORM REGARDING “A POLICY FOR THE SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTION OF MINORS AND VULNERABLE ADULTS”

A POLICY FOR THE SAFEGUARDING PROTECTION OF AND VULNERABLE ADULTS

Compliance and awareness Form

To be compiled if the signee is member of staff or a volunteer:

Full Name:

Place and date:

Signature:

This handbook is the result of work by the international team of the Eucharistic Youth Movement (Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network) prepared between April 2019 and July 2020 Coordination Giulia Bianchi

The entire text may be copied and distributed freely, on condition that a reference to its origins is included. The digital version may be downloaded from www.popesprayer.va

Version 1.0

31 July 2020, Saint Ignatius of Loyola

3.1The

3.1.3.

3.2.

Bibliography

Below are the bibliographical references for the above mentioned manuals:

MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultosvulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018);

Guia Básica de Prevencióndel AbusoSexualInfantil (Corporación

ONG PaicabíGobiernoRegional Quinta RegiónServicioNacional de Menores Quinta Región, 2002);

Policy for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults (Australian Province of the Society of Jesus, 2015);

Jesuit Procedures for Safeguarding Children (Irish Province of the Society of Jesus, 2017);

JRS Child Safeguarding Policy (Jesuit Refugee Service, 2017).

1. Legal Section

The Eucharistic Youth Movement Policy for the protection and safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Adults will be applied in accordance with the national laws of each country they work in. The legal basis of this prevention policy refers to the following international agreements which provide guidelines for different countries and regions.

International treaties and guidelines:

§ UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

§ Geneva Conventions (1949) and Protocols I and II (1989)

§ Minimum Age Convention (1973)

§ Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999)

§ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

§ Global Protection Cluster Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (2012)

Regional treaties and guidelines:

§ African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1999)

§ American Convention on Human Rights (1978) [OAS]

§ Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950 / as amended by Protocol No. 11 - 1998) [Council of Europe]

§ Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (2007) [Council of Europe]

§ Arab Charter on Human Rights (2004) [League of Arab States]

§ ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (2012) [Association of Southeast Asian Nations]

2. Canon Law Section

On 16 July 2020 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published an official “Vademecum on certain points of procedure in treating cases of sexual abuse of minors committed by clerics”22 in Italian, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish.

This document is “intended primarily for Ordinaries and other personnel needing to apply the canonical norms governing cases of the sexual abuse of minors by clerics”.

Despite the fact that the addressees of the Vademecum do not correspond exactly to the addressees of this EYM policy, we invite you to read this Vademecum carefully, in order to develop greater awareness and competence in the context of abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults. In fact the aim of the Vademecum written by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith is to provide «a sort of “handbook”, to assist and lead step-by-step […] those charged with ascertaining the truth in such criminal abuse cases».

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_ cfaith_doc_20200716_vademecum-casi-abuso_it.html

3. Procedural Section

3.1The Designated Liaison Person (DLP)

3.1.1. Selection of the Designated Liaison Person

Each national office linked to the Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM) will select a Designated Liaison Person (DLP) to be responsible for receiving and handling concerns and reports of mistreatment or abuse of any kind. The DLP can be selected from the national office (recommended) or be a referred liaison person for the protection and safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Adults from the country’s Bishops Conference or from the Society of Jesus, with whom the EYM has an agreement. In any case each national office must have an DLP.

3.1.2. Characteristics of the Designated Liaison Person

The DLP must be chosen carefully after a rigorous selection process and should possess the following skills set:

§ Excellent relationship capacities with Minors and Vulnerable Adults;

§ Well developed human qualities such as empathy, unconditional charity and the ability to stay calm in crisis situations;

§ Previous experience (professional or other) in the context of prevention and management of cases of abuse or mistreatment of minors (recommended);

§ Adequate formation in the field of psychology or pedagogy (recommended)

In general it is hoped that the DLP will be selected because s/he is considered capable of the task, characterised by important responsibilities and significant emotional requirements.

3.1.3. Responsibilities of the Designated Liaison Person

The DLP is responsible for receiving reports and responding to any concerns regarding the safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Adults. S/he is bound to follow up all claims in an efficient and effective way until the conclusion of the process, in conformity with the present EYM prevention policy, the Catholic Church and national legislation in the country they are operating in.

3.2. Guidelines for reported cases23

In order to manage the allegat ions reported in the best way possible, the following guidelines should be taken into consideration:

§ During the entire process, the security and wellbeing of the victim must be the first and most important consideration;

§ Any allegations received must be transmitted directly to the DLP. If it is the DLP who is suspected of abuse, a national office director or external coordinator should be contacted;

§ The confidentiality of the people involved must be respected throughout every moment of the process. Respondents must understand they cannot request the identity of the person who reported the concern;

§ In order to facilitate Minors and Vulnerable Adults or any other person so they can freely communicate any form of abuse, the national office will publish on their own website and/or newsletters/journals an email address and/or a whatsapp contact number, by means of which anonymous information and more specific details may be provided

23 This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018; pp. 5761)

directly to the DLP. If anyone should have difficulties contacting the office in their own country, they may contact the International Office by email at help@eym.va;

§ If a staff member suspects an abuse, or if a child or an adult makes a declaration of abuse, it is essential to avoid any hesitation whatsoever and refer the allegation or concern directly to the DLP.

From then on, the DLP will be responsible for managing the case through three main phases, as described below: Listening, Recording, Taking action.

Listening

When a person reports a concern or allegation to a staff member or the DLP it is important to:

§ Stay calm, take what the person says seriously and thank them for taking the first step and speaking out;

§ Listen carefully, allowing the person to talk at their own pace and in their own way. At the same time, it is important to be completely sure that the facts of the case have been fully understood, and if not, further details should be requested;

§ Make no promises which are difficult to maintain (for example, “I won’t tell anyone”). The information will be treated

confidentially, however other persons involved in the process will have access to these details.

§ Make no comments regarding the situation with the respondent, or doubt or debate the truth of the story. Simply accept what has been said, with attention and affinity.

§ In the event of an accusation of sexual abuse, ask no intrusive or leading questions, this will be the task of the technical experts to be contacted at the next stage, nor show a “shocked” or “disgusted” reaction, this could cause the person to feel uncomfortable or even decide not to continue her/his story. In the case where it is a minor making the report or signalling an incident, there should be a positive reinforcing of the fact that they asked for help and a strong emphasis that the victim is not at all at fault for what happened..

§ Explain the next steps to be carried out. When the victim is a minor, it is necessary to contact the parents/caregiver (unless this would place the victim in danger).

§ If the person contacted is not the DLP, the person contacted will communicate the case to the DLP as soon as possible.

§ No intimidation or coercion should ever be used by anyone to obtain information relative to the presumed violation or abuse.

§ The EYM will take all the necessary measures to guarantee that the entire process is impartial and free from coercion or

interference and will underline the fact that the staff member/s involved is/are presumed innocent until the entire process is complete.

Recording

§ The concerns/allegations received must be communicated in writing as soon as possible and the Report form (Appendix 1) compiled. If it seems inappropriate to take notes during the meeting itself, the information can be written out later on;

§ It is important to remember that the form contains sensitive and confidential data so therefore must be treated with the greatest possible confidentiality and privacy in accordance with the privacy legislation in place in each country. At a later stage, if necessary, the report will be examined more thoroughly in a specific context (such as disciplinary proceedings, questioning by specialised agencies or police authorities etc);

§ Special attention must be paid to anonymous accusations. Anonymity can make the entire process more arduous, but on the other hand, more protective towards the victim or the witness. Anxiety and fear can cause some people not to immediately reveal their identity. In such circumstances it can be difficult to take action on the basis of the information

provided, unless if at some point, the name of the person raising the concern or making an allegation is disclosed. If it is uncertain whether the information received is sufficient to press charges, it may be necessary to consult the statutory authorities (e.g. child protection services). The person raising the concern should be informed of the fact that anonymity could limit the ability of professionals to intervene to protect the complainant. The greatest openness possible should be encouraged24;

§ All the reports received by the DLP must be put down in writing and include the date, time and testimony signed by all those involved. The DLP will then be responsible for keeping all the relevant documents in a safe manner;

§ In specific cases, it can be useful to give some simple explanations to staff in the national office in order to allay rumours and accusations. Such explanations can be limited to a brief and objective description of the situation, without taking any position and without drawing any conclusions, just barely mentioning that the issue is under investigation. Maximum confidentiality with be requested from everyone and it will be explained that only one person (the DLP or

24Jesuit Procedures for Safeguarding Children (Irish Province of the Society of Jesus, 2017; par. 2.3 Guidance on responding to an anonymous allegation of abuse, p.34)

another appointed representative) will have the authority to speak outside the organisation with the press and other media;

§ Any information received in a confidential manner must be recorded on the basis of the fact that it will be shared with persons competent in the matter: the DLP (if not informed previously) and/or staff specialised in the protection of minors and local authorities. Parents and caregivers can also be informed (unless this would put the victim in danger). In all cases, the confidentiality of the matter must be scrupulously respected.

Taking action

One selected person, the DLP, will be the sole contact with the media and the reference person for managing reports, the inquiry process, communications with the authorities and the protection of the Minor or Vulnerable Adult. The DLP can avail of the support of the director or coordinator of the national office.

In this phase different possibilities may unfold according to the type of incident. Below we will indicate the various steps to be carried out in different possible situations. In order to gain a clear and systematic vision of this process, please take a look at the Procedural Strategy (Appendix 2).

1. In the case of a concern or allegation, first of all measures of protection for the Minor or Vulnerable Adult must be immediately put in place, including the preventive removal of the victim away from the suspected aggressor, while maintaining the principle of presumed innocence of the respondent. At that point the DLP will carry out, together with the director of the national office, and if necessary a work team, a PRELIMINARY

ASSESSMENT

on the basis of the information collected (and initiating, if necessary and with the utmost discretion, further investigations). There can be concerns/allegations, even in this preliminary stage, which do not correspond to reality, leading therefore to a conclusion of the inquiry process.

2. If it were necessary or prudent to investigate and take action in a more specific way, at this point an IN

DEPTH INVESTIGATION

will be set up. Below we indicate the questions to be asked in order to proceed with the inquiry:

§ Does the allegation/concern represent a violation of national legislation in this country?

If it is found that the allegation constitutes a violation of national laws in the country where the EYM is represented, the matter must be immediately reported to the agencies specialised in the safeguarding/protection of minors (or equivalent), the

ecclesiastical authorities, the statutory authorities and the police.

§ Is the victim in a situation of danger? If the answer is yes, the national EYM office must assess if it is capable of dealing with the situation:

- If the national EYM office is capable of dealing with the situation, they will inform the Church authorities and set up a plan of action (for example, contacting the family/caregivers, investigating the situation further, keeping contact with the witnesses and so on). The possibility of requesting assistance from external specialised agencies should be kept open, if the situation requires this.

- If the national EYM office is not capable of dealing with the situation, they must communicate this to the Church authorities as well as the national agencies responsible for the protection of minors and/or the statutory authorities as well as the police, in specific accordance with the reporting procedures in each country. In this case the office will seek

to be available to accompany and assist in every way necessary.

§ Is this episode external or internal to the EYM?

- INTERNAL EPISODE (a situation of mistreatment internal to the EYM and/or a violation of the code of conduct by a staff member or volunteer): if the respondent is a EYM member of staff or a volunteer, a decision must be made, by the director of the national office, to initiate a dialogue and/or effect a dismissal (in the case of a person receiving a salary from the national office) or remove the person in a temporary or definitive way, in accordance with the possible risk entailed for the minor or vulnerable adult and the seriousness of the incident. In the case where the respondent is not an EYM staff member or volunteer, the inquiry process will be concluded.

- EXTERNAL EPISODE (mistreatment outside of the EYM): the possibility of resorting to an external specialised safeguarding agency or statutory authorities and/or the police will be

weighed up. Following this the investigative process will be concluded.

In all cases it is important to respect the following general indications:

§ It is essential that the DLP keeps all relevant actors informed (the national director, the national team and the board of directors) regarding the development of the inquiry. The national director will be required to inform the international office;

§ The national office will activate all possible and available means to support the victim (medical care, psychological support, spiritual assistance, etc) in accordance with the family/caregivers during the course of the inquiry procedures;

§ It is crucial to cooperate fully with safeguarding agencies for minors and the statutory authorities throughout the investigations.

Furthermore after the process is resolved:

§ The documents must be compiled and kept by the DLP in complete confidentiality;

§ If an EYM staff member is involved in abuse against minors and vulnerable adults, s/he will be subject to

3.2.1

disciplinary action in accordance with EYM policies and national legislation. S/he will not be admissible for any future position or further collaboration with the EYM;

§ In the case the allegations should prove false, the EYM will work with the respondent in order to re-establish their good name and reputation and measures will be taken to promote a positive reintegration;

§ In the light of the situation experienced, it is useful to consider preventive action to reduce/eliminate the risk of other similar situations causing harm (cf. A Policy for the Safeguarding and Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults – Preventive Overview).

Deadlines to be respected

Although each situation is unique, this policy document indicates certain deadlines for dealing with concerns and allegations, as follows:

§ If there is the possibility of a crime and/or the victim is in danger, it is necessary to take action and responsibility for the case within 24 hours and, if possible, that very same day;

§ All other cases must be dealt with within a maximum of three working days;

§ The entire process should not last more than three weeks, to avoid it dragging on over time;

§ In the case of legal proceedings (disciplinary proceedings against the respondent, etc), the law enforcement terms of each country must be strictly respected.

4. Managing cases of abuse committed by a Jesuit

In the case where a concern or allegation regards a Jesuit, the EYM director or national coordinator will ensure that the issue is taken in charge by the relevant Jesuit Province.

The EYM director or national coordinator and the DLP are obliged to cooperate at all times with agencies specialised in prevention action for children, the statutory authorities and the police, assisting in the investigation of the facts. Moreover any kind of pressure on the victims or on their families must be absolutely avoided, even when close bonds exist with members of the Society of Jesus.

If the allegation is made against a member of a religious congregation, the issue will also be referred to their Superior or to the congregation leader.

Appendixes

Appendix 1

Report form:

Recording a concern/allegation of abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults25

Please refer to Appendix 2 (Procedural Strategy) for managing and reporting the concern/allegation.

INFORMATION REGARDING THE REPORTING OF A CONCERN/ALLEGATION

Date and time of the reporting of the concern/allegation

In what way was the report received? (e.g. by telephone, email, letter or in person) (Attach any written information)

DETAILS OF THE PERSON RAISING THE CONCERN/ALLEGATION

Is the reporting of the concern/allegation o Yes o No

25This is a CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT and must be compiled by the DLP or an EYM member.

anonymous? (if yes, do not compile the following section)

Name

Address

Telephone number

Email (if available)

Relationship to the victim (Minor or Vulnerable Adult)

DETAILS OF THE VICTIM (MINOR OR VULNERABLE ADULT)

Name

Date of birth

Gender

Address

Telephone number

Presence of disability or special needs

DETAILS OF THE PARENTS/GUARDIANS (as appropriate)26

Name

Address (if different from that of the victim)

Telephone number

Indicate if aware of the concern/allegation o Yes o No

DETAILS OF THE RESPONDENT

Name

Address at the moment of the concern/allegation

Telephone number

Relationship to the victim

Indicate if an EYM staff member or volunteer o Yes o No If yes, indicate the role/position

26 E.g. do not compile this part if the respondent is a parent/guardian

Current contacts with the Minor or Vulnerable Adult, if known (e.g. group leader, counsellor)

Additional information

INFORMATION REGARDING THE INCIDENT

Date and time of the incident

Place where the incident occurred

Indicate if the incident occurred outside or inside the EYM

Indicate the presence of any possible witnesses (Who? How many?)

Details of the incident

Is the victim aware that a concern/allegation has been raised?

ACTION TAKEN

Has the incident been reported to any others besides the DLP and/or the recipient of the allegation/concern?

If yes, to whom?

o Yes o No

If yes, date and place of the communication

If not, explain why

To whom has the report been made? (name of the person)

o EYM national director

o Agencies specialised in the protection of Minor or Vulnerable Adult

o Statutory authorities

o Police

o Others (indicate who)

Address

Telephone number

Email (if available)

FOLLOWING STEPS

What action was decided upon and by whom when the incident was reported to the competent authorities?

Are there immediate concerns regarding the protection of the MVA? In the case of an affirmative response, please record the concerns and indicate which actions were taken and by whom.

DETAILS OF THE PERSON COMPILING THE FORM

Indicate if it is the DLP compiling the form o Yes o No

Name

Telephone number

Address

Position within the EYM

Date and time of the

compilation of the form

Signature

N.B.: A copy of the compiled form must be archived in a secure place. In the case of an in depth investigation (see Appendix 2), another copy must be sent to the specialised agency for the protection of minors, the statutory authorities, the police and Church authorities.

Appendix 2

Procedural strategy

This entire text may be copied and distributed freely, on condition that a reference to its origins is included. The digital version may be downloaded from www.popesprayer.va

Version 1.0

31 July 2020, Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Bibliography

MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018);

Guia Básica de Prevención del Abuso Sexual Infantil (Corporación ONG Paicabí Gobierno Regional Quinta Región Servicio Nacional de Menores Quinta Región, 2002);

Policy for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults (Australian Province of the Society of Jesus, 2015);

Jesuit Procedures for Safeguarding Children (Irish Province of the Society of Jesus, 2017);

JRS Child Safeguarding Policy (Jesuit Refugee Service, 2017).

Introduction

The aim of this section “Formative Overview” is to help all Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM) staff members and volunteers understand the different types of abuse and increase capacity to identify (and act on) abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, both in and outside of EYM premises and/or activities.

The handbook also indicates some risk and protection factors, as well as types of “preventive action” which can prevent or attenuate the effects of abuse. In addition we will discuss the myths linked to different types of “abuse”, aiming to reduce their impact with more objective information.

1. Definition, signs and examples of different types of abuse27

Violence and abuse of minors (or vulnerable adults) 28 is understood to mean “all forms of violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual

27This section was written on the basis of material from the following manual:

JRS Child Safeguarding Policy (Jesuit Refugee Service, 2017)

28See the definition of “Vulnerable Adult” in the “Policy for the Protection and Safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Adults – Preventive Overview”

abuse” (UNICEF Convention on the rights of children and adolescents, 1989)29.

The World Health Organisation provides a definition of violence and abuse of children, as follows, “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against children (or vulnerable adults) by an individual or a group, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s (or the vulnerable adult’s) health, survival, development or dignity” (“World Report on Violence and Health”, 2002)30.

Abuse is generally divided into the following categories:

§ Physical abuse;

§ Psychological abuse;

§ Sexual aggression;

§ Negligence (a passive form).

A Minor or a Vulnerable Adult may be subjected to more than one form of abuse at the same time. Incidents of abuse usually take place in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust and/or power.

Please note that the existence of one or more of the indicators listed in the following definitions is not sufficient in define a situation of abuse (normally it is the task of specialists to determine this); however their

29UNICEF (1989), Convention on the Rights of the Child – CRC (art. 19)

30World Health Organization (2002),World report on violence and health

presence can be and must raise concern. Many victims may also present indicators of different types of abuse.

1.1 Definition of physical abuse

Physical abuse is the consequence of any non accidental action, either an isolated occurrence or repeatedly, by a caregiver or others, that cause (or may cause) physical harm. This could be a physical punishment, the use of detrimental force, and even causing or permitting a substantial risk of significant harm.

1.2 Definition of psychological abuse

Psychological abuse occurs when a person is deprived of the secure environment and affective wellbeing indispensible for the growth, development and balanced behaviour of a Vulnerable Adult or Minor. This kind of abuse includes different situations, from fluctuating care and lack of the affection necessary for the age and personal condition, to a complete affective refusal, by means of continuous erosion of the victim’s self worth, with frequent negative repercussions at many levels, including behavioural, psychological and emotional.

1.3 Definition and recognition of sexual abuse

1.3.1 Definition

Sexual abuse is the use that a perpetrator of sexual violence (a parent, relative, caregiver, peer, unknown person, etc) makes of a minor or vulnerable adult to satisfy their own sexual desires or those of others, from a position of power or authority.

These are types of situations in which the victims:

§ Do not have the capacity to understand they are being mistreated;

§ Realise they are being mistreated, but do not have the capacity to communicate the sexual abuse to others;

§ Are incapable of giving their free and informed consent.

NB: Consent given by a minor does not represent in any way a justification for abuse.

Two types of sexual abuse can be distinguished:

§ Sexual abuse without physical contact: this includes inappropriate sexual language, incidents of exhibitionist behaviour, the visualisation of pornographic material, exposure of sexual organs, masturbation or intentional execution of the sexual act in presence of the victim in order to obtain sexual gratification, etc;

§ Sexual abuse with physical contact: sexual contact taking place with intentional touching of the erogenous zones of the victim; or forcing, encouraging or permitting the victim to touch the erogenous zones of the perpetrator; or with penetration (vaginal or anal) by the male sexual organ or other objects, or by means of oral sex.

1.3.2 Recognition

The existence of specific relationship dynamics between the victim (particularly in the case of children and young people) and the respondent can complicate the diagnosis and identification of abuse, contributing to the perpetuation over time of such acts of sexual violence.

Below we indicate examples of obstacles and difficulties which can prevent the identification/reporting of experiences of sexual victimisation:

§ The absence of medical evidence (for example physical lesions) and biological proof (for example body fluids) associated with sexual violence;

§ Fear of the aggressor due to an existing physical or psychological power difference;

§ A previous relationship with the respondent;

§ Feelings of shame and self-blame on the part of the victim;

§ The fear of being discredited and/or previous unsuccessful attempts at disclosure;

§ Fear of social stigmatisation;

§ Fear of separation from the biological family or the disintegration of the family.

The aggressor, moreover, may use strategies to keep the situation of violence secret, by delaying or impeding disclosure of the situation of violence and repetition of the abuse. Examples of these strategies include:

§ Creating bonds of affection with the minor or vulnerable adult, by means of which the acts of sexual violence are understood as natural demonstrations of affection (for example, placing the minor in their lap, kissing them and hugging them for comfort);

§ Providing Minors or Vulnerable Adults with access to material goods they could not otherwise obtain, to convince them to carry out acts of sexual violence and/or guarantee their silence and compliance with the victimisation and violent behaviour (for example toys, electronic gadgets, clothes, sweets, ice cream, money);

§ Resorting to the element of surprise, with unexpected behaviour where the minor or vulnerable adult has not got the time to react or defend themselves (e.g. sneaking into

the bed or telling the minor not to make any noise in order not to wake those sleeping nearby);

§ The use of threats, brute force or psychological aggression to coerce the Minor or Vulnerable Adult to partake in acts of sexual violence (for example, “if you don’t do this, I will harm your parents/brothers/sisters” or “nobody likes you”).

1.4 Definition of sexual exploitation

This indicates abuse of a Minor or Vulnerable Adult through the use of a personal position of power or a close relationship of trust, in order to gain sexual benefit. The Minor or Vulnerable Adult may feel impotent and fear they have no other choice but to accept. This refers also to the grooming of minors for financial profit.

1.5 Definition of negligence

Negligence denotes an incapacity to satisfy a minor or vulnerable adult’s fundamental needs of security, hygiene, nutrition, affection, education and health, necessary for the full development of their potential and the exercise of their rights In general, the lack of care is ongoing and derives from an inability of the parents or caregivers to meet these basic needs.

2. Risk and protection factors31

The risk of perpetuating abuse is associated with a series of individual, family and social risk factors linked to both the victim and the aggressor, which increase the probability that the latter will resort to abuse in the relationship. These factors alone do not demonstrate the existence of an abusive situation, but indicate only a greater probability of possible abuse.

On the other hand, there are also protection factors, at individual, family and social levels, which support and favour the development of minors and vulnerable adults and can reduce or even eliminate the impact of risk factors.

Furthermore there are also aggravating factors, such as new events or circumstances in the lives of minors and vulnerable adults, or in the lives of the family or caregivers, which alter the dynamic between risk and protection factors, and can trigger incidences of abuse.

All staff members are advised to observe the evolution of risk and protection facts attentively and at the same time implement

31 This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: MANUAL SPC: Sistema de Proteçao e cuidado de menores e adultos vulneráveis (Provincia Portuguesa da Companhia de Jesus, 2018; p. 37)

counselling, training and support activities for families and/or caregivers.

On the following page in Table 1 a series of risk, protection and aggravating factors are indicated to provide assistance in recognising them.

Table 1 - Risk, protection and aggravating factors

RISK FACTORS

For the victim:

§ Being born undesired;

§ Premature/underweight at birth;

§ Dissatisfaction of parental expectations (sex, state of health, temperament, etc)

§ Behavioural problems (aggressiveness, antagonism, lying, skipping school, etc)

§ A difficult disposition;

§ Lack of sex education;

§ Low self esteem;

§ Need for affection and/or attention;

§ Passive attitude;

§ Difficulties in behaving in an assertive way;

§ A tendency to submission

§ Low decisional capacity;

§ Isolation/social withdrawal or shyness;

§ Chronic illness or development disorders;

§ Excessive dependency or traumatic detachment.

In a family/social context:

§ Lack of competence on the part of parents;

§ Residence in a care centre or institute;

§ A caregiver victim of abuse as a minor;

§ Emotional, mental or physical issues which prevent caregivers recognising and responding adequately to the needs of the minor;

§ Discipline overly rigid and authoritarian or incoherent;

§ A history of violent and/or antisocial behaviour;

§ Psycho-social/behavioural disturbances which create dependency (drug abuse, criminality, prostitution, etc);

§ Prolonged absence of other caregivers;

§ A dysfunctional family;

§ Conflictual family relationships;

§ Lack of social and extended family support;

§ Absence of habitable conditions;

§ An inability to seek/use community resources;

§ Economic insecurity/poverty.

For the victim:

PROTECTION FACTORS

§ A good level of overall development;

§ A good disposition;

§ Secure bonds with the family or caregiver;

§ The capacity to resolve problems and/or ask for help when necessary;

§ Academic success;

§ A desire for independence and explorative behaviour;

§ Belonging to a peer group.

In a family/social context:

§ Good parenting capacities;

§ An organised family, with rules and good practices in education and accompaniment;

§ A good network of family and social support;

§ Good integration with the local community;

§ Possibility of access to community support services (social services, education, health care, etc);

§ Economic security.

AGGRAVATING FACTORS

§ Family break up and reorganisation (separation, divorce, etc);

§ Serious or sudden illness;

§ Bereavement;

§ Assistance to non self sufficient persons;

§ Sudden change in employment /economic situation;

§ Unemployment;

§ Migration;

§ Institutionalisation;

§ Detention/prison;

§ Natural disaster;

§ Social conflict.

3. Signs and factors linked to abuse32

In this chapter we will identify the signs and factors linked to abuse and the myths associated with them, with information to help put the myths into perspective.

What type of minor can become a victim of abuse?

Every minor can become a victim of sexual abuse. There is no specific profile or determining characteristics which lead to abuse of one type of minor and not of others. Sexual abuse of minors takes place in all social classes, every religion and at all socio-cultural levels and harms minors of all ages. Nonetheless, certain characteristics perceived as risk factors have been identified (see Table 1 in the previous chapter) and these can lead to sexual abuse of minors.

What happens to a minor who becomes a victim of sexual abuse?

A minor who is a victim of sexual abuse will suffer multiple consequences. These consequences will vary from one minor to another, according to their personal characteristics. Nonetheless, Table 2 summarises some of the main ones.

32This paragraph was written using material from the following manual: Guia Básica de Prevención del Abuso Sexual Infantil (Corporación ONG Paicabí Gobierno Regional Quinta Región Servicio Nacional de Menores Quinta Región, 2002; par. 1.(“Fundamentos conceptuales”)

Who sexually abuses minors?

There is no “typical” child sex offender, however most minors are victims of sexual abuse carried out by persons found in the child’s own environment, such as family friends, neighbours, relatives and at times the parents or caregiver themselves. Generally the abuser is a person close to the victim and has a relationship of authority with the minor, characterised by a sense of respect and trust.

Which mistaken convictions exist relative to sexual abuse of minors? In many cultures a series of myths contributes to the invisibility of sexual abuse of minors, and favour ongoing incidence of this type of abuse. We will examine some of these below.

Sexual abuse occurs only when there is an incidence of rape or penetration by the abuser.

False

The term sexual abuse implies a range of sexual type behaviour with minors, including rape, however there are many other forms of abuse, all considered as sexual abuse.

False

Sexual abuse of minors happens infrequently or does not exist at all.

Sexual abuse of minors is a form of abuse that is highly prevalent in our society. However, the very fear of the victim relative to reporting the abuse, just like the fear of concerned parents/caregivers when they suspect a situation of abuse, means the

Only alcoholics, drug users and people with mental disorders mistreat minors.

amount of cases reported is much lower than the real number of cases.

False

The assumption that behind every aggressor there is some kind of psychiatric pathology or dependency is mistaken; everyone is capable of mistreating a minor, according to the circumstances. Not all persons with problems of dependency or mental health issues mistreat minors.

False

Abuse is easy to identify.

The conviction that abuse is easily identified is mistaken. There are multiple reasons which prevent the discovery of abuse, such as; the fear of punishment on the part of the minor, threats to the minor by the abuser, the belief of the minor that s/he will not be believed or will be blamed for what happened, as well as the fact that generally we are ill prepared to face a reality such as this. It becomes simpler to believe this is not really happening, thus we do not see what is before our eyes, feel there must be some mistake, or that we are simply exaggerating when we suspect something is wrong.

Minors are usually lying when they say they are being mistreated.

False

The probability of a minor inventing a situation of sexual abuse is very low. Therefore, when a child recounts that something like this has taken place, it is most likely that the issue is a genuine case of abuse.

False

Abuse of minors occurs only in situations of poverty.

Sexual abuse of minors happens in all social classes and at all socio-cultural levels. What happens is that social classes with greater economic resources tend to hide the situation more, and it is for this reason fewer formal or informal charges are made.

False

Abuse is caused by the victim.

Any type of behaviour of a minor who is a victim of abuse can be interpreted by an aggressor as a provocation, or a way of justifying their own behaviour. Consequently, this conviction is just a front to blame the victim for their own abusive behaviour

False

Abuse of minors takes place covertly and in solitary places

Most cases of sexual abuse where the victims are minors are committed by persons known to the victim and therefore generally occur within family spaces inside the child’s own environment and at any time of the day.

Sexual abuse affects older children and adolescents.

False

Sexual abuse can harm minors of all ages. The most vulnerable group are children aged under twelve, with cases of sexual abuse even involving children under the age of two.

Table 2 – The consequences of sexual abuse

EMOTIONAL CONSEQUENCES

A brief period of abuse or in the initial phase of the abuse occurring

§ Change in behaviour;

§ Feelings of sadness and impotence;

§ Sudden mood swings;

§ Irritability;

§ Rebellion;

§ Various fears;

§ A sense of shame and guilt;

§ Anxiety.

Medium term effects

§ Disguised or manifest depression;

§ Anxiety issues;

§ Sleep problems (sleep terror; insomnia);

§ Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, obesity);

§ Altered sexual development;

§ Fear of sexual expression;

§ Suicide attempts or suicidal thoughts.

Long term effects

§ Sexual dysfunction;

§ Low self esteem and poor self concept;

§ Stigmatisation, feeling different to others;

§ Depression;

§ Various emotional disorders.

COGNITIVE CONSEQUENCES

A brief period of abuse or in the initial phase of the abuse occurring

§ Low school achievement;

§ Attention and concentration difficulties;

§ Lack of motivation regarding school work;

§ Lack of motivation in general.

Medium term effects

§ Loss of the school year;

§ Learning disorders.

Long term effects

§ Failure at school.

BEHAVIOURAL AND PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES

A brief period of abuse or in the initial phase of the abuse occurring

§ Aggressive behaviour;

§ Refusal of adults;

§ Social withdrawal;

§ Hostility towards the aggressor;

§ Fear of the aggressor;

§ Early pregnancy;

§ Sexually transmitted diseases.

Medium term effects

§ Running away from home;

§ Dropping out of school;

§ Drug and alcohol abuse;

§ Criminal activities;

§ Excessive interest in sexual games;

§ Compulsive masturbation;

§ Early pregnancy;

§ Sexually transmitted diseases.

Long term effects

§ Prostitution;

§ Sexual promiscuity;

§ Alcoholism;

§ Drug addiction;

§ Delinquency;

§ Social maladjustment;

§ Conflictual family relations.

4. Practical workshops33

Training and awareness raising regarding the protection and safeguarding of minors and vulnerable adults for as many people possible in the community is an essential factor in generating an efficient network of protection against every type of abuse.

In this chapter we will provide examples of formative workshops relative to the protection and safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Adults.

Each country will be responsible for training their own staff members, parents and caregivers on the issues of prevention of abuse and safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, and adapting the content to each relevant culture. Thus, every EYM national office will work, insofar as possible, with Church institutions and organisations specialised in the protection and safeguarding of minors.

33This chapter was written on the basis of material from the following manual:

Guia Básica de Prevención del Abuso Sexual Infantil (Corporación ONG Paicabí Gobierno Regional Quinta Región Servicio Nacional de Menores Quinta Región, 2002; par. “2. Fundamentos metodologicos para un programa preventivo en abuso sexual infantil”).

4.1 Selecting workshop facilitators

First of all it is important to select a Facilitator who possesses the following characteristics, so that these workshops will be genuinely efficient.

§ The facilitator must be trained and well informed regarding the issues to be explored (sexual abuse, childhood sexuality, the rights of minors and self protection practices for minors), depending on which preventive strategy is to be developed;

§ The facilitator must have the capacity to manage groups, of both children and adults, and a good understanding of the ethical principles of the issues to be discussed, so as to foster an atmosphere of intimacy, in which respect for the privacy of the experiences shared will be guaranteed;

§ The facilitator must promote the learning experience of all participants, in a non-directive manner and focussing on an active listening approach which encourages participation within the group;

§ The facilitator must have the communicative competence to promote free expression for all participants, avoiding value judgements which could inhibit freedom of expression for the workshop attendees.

4.2 Planning the workshops

Planning the workshop is fundamental in order to provide a clear framework for each working session and facilitate the motivation of the participants. This task requires careful preparation for each section, as well as follow up assessment. However it is necessary to keep the planning flexible, in order to respect the particular processes of each group and adapt easily to their requirements.

It is advisable to carry out, especially with adults, a brief diagnosis of the level of awareness of the issues to be proposed (see Appendix 1.A). This task contributes to facilitating the planning of working sessions and optimising the time available. This should be a smooth and useful process, not a test or a mere assessment and can be done in the first working session or at a meeting before the workshop begins.

The planning and implementing of any workshop, therefore, must be adapted to the specific context in which the topics will be developed, so it is very important to be aware of the specific characteristics of each group as well as their interests and motivation. It is furthermore essential to embrace the vision of the participants themselves, whether they are children or adults, by promoting ample spaces for opinion and expression, so that preventive action translates into a true

communicative dialogue between participants and not a sort of monologue by an expert directed at a group of observers.

A further element requiring attention is that participation in the workshops is optional and not obligatory, meaning the issues to be discussed and the methodology used should be explained clearly from the start.

4.3 Workshop themes

Possible issues to be dealt with in the workshops are suggested below:

Child sexual abuse (designed for parents, caregivers, staff members, leaders, etc)

This issue includes the descriptive, social, psychological and legal aspects of the phenomenon of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults, all of which must be taken into consideration in order to promote the prevention of this problem.

Specific content which should be covered includes: a) reporting sexual abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, b) the types of abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, c) indicators which favour the identification of abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, d) awareness of the consequences for victims, e) the legal framework relative to the abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults, f) ways and means of dealing

with cases. The fundamental goal of discussing these important issues is to raise awareness within the group regarding the problem and facilitate early diagnosis of possible cases of abuse, as well as to support the setting in motion of the first steps for dealing with such cases.

Self care for minors (designed for minors)

The aim of this workshop is to help form and reinforce self protection strategies for minors in their development context. These strategies imply recognition and development of the necessary skills to confront threatening or dangerous situations and their differentiation from experiences of personal safety. The contents of this training are: a) self care; b) identification of situations of personal threat, c) self protection behavioural guidelines. Furthermore, the aim is to encourage minors to identify threatening or personally vulnerable situations and to develop efficient behavioural strategies for their own safety and protection.

Childhood sex education (designed for minors)

This issue deals with training relative to childhood sexual development (within the framework of respect for human body) and the visualisation of sexuality as a fundamental part of human development, integrated into the process of affective learning. This

includes the following specific contents: a) basic identity, b) basic sexual differentiation, c) roles associated with sexual differences and d) sexual development.

The fundamental aim of sex education is to integrate awareness and familiarisation with the child’s own physical identity in learning processes and facilitate the child’s contact with his/her own experiences and body structure. As previously explained, it is known that sex education for minors represents a protection factor against the perpetuation of abuse (in this case sexual).

In the appendixes at the end of this document you will find sample workshops relative to the first two issues presented, “Sexual abuse of minors” and “Self care for minors”. We do not offer specific material relative to the third issue “Sex education”; therefore it will be the task of each national office to choose the best approach to dealing with this issue.

The reason for this decision is that every country, on the basis of their own socio-cultural context and their EYM group, can contact their ecclesiastic associations and competent civil agencies to select the most appropriate methodology to handle this issue.

Appendixes

Workshop One “Understanding sexual abuse of minors34

Goal Promoting awareness of the reality of sexual abuse of minors

Attendees

Parents, caregivers, directors, group leaders

Duration 4 sessions lasting 90 minutes each

Unit 1: “Getting to know one another…”

Sections Agenda

Welcome Meeting and greeting of participants

Introductions

§ Introduction of the workshop facilitators.

§ Explanation of the general characteristics of the workshop.

§ The participants form into pairs, asking each other their names, what they do, what they like, what their personal qualities are, and so on.

§ Each pair of participants in turn comes together to the centre of the group and introduces each other. Each one will present the greatest information possible about the other.

34This workshop has been taken from the handbook: Guia Básica de Prevención del Abuso Sexual Infantil (Corporación ONG Paicabí Gobierno Regional Quinta Región Servicio Nacional de Menores Quinta Región, 2002; par. “3. Unidad didáctica: prevención del abuso sexual infantil”).

“What do you expect from this workshop?”

Conclusion of the unit

When all the participants have been introduced in this way, the entire group can then ask questions.

Duration: ten minutes (to be adapted according to the number of participants)

Each response provided by the participants is acknowledged and noted down on the board. Goal: identifying the expectations of the group and sharing them to set up an agreement regarding the methodology of the workshop.

Participants are briefed regarding the goals set for the workshop and the issues to be dealt with, integrated with their ideas resulting from the earlier question session.

Materials A large sheet of paper or board. Pens or felt tips.

Unit 2: What is sexual abuse of minors?

Sections Agenda

Greeting participants

Identification of sexual abuse

§ The participants are divided into smaller groups of 5-8 people each.

§ Each group identifies which situations are considered sexual abuse and which are not, using a series of worksheets (Appendix 1.B Set of worksheets)

§ Each group, after choosing a representative, presents their two lists, one stating the situations considered sexual abuse and the other those which are not. The facilitator will record the principle elements on a board (Appendix 1.C Identifying situations of sexual abuse of minors).

§ After recording all the elements, the facilitator then initiates a discussion regarding situations where the groups do not agree in their analysis, requesting them to express their doubts and the reasoning behind them.

Goal : acquiring expertise in identifying which risk situations could lead to an abusive situation and distinguishing them from those which would not.

Summary The facilitator gives back to the group the elements which emerged in the previous

Conclusion of this unit

section on the basis of the contents of chapter one of this handbook.

The participants are briefed regarding the goals set for the workshop and the themes that will be dealt with, integrated with their ideas issuing from the earlier question session.

Materials Sheets of paper or cardboard Pens or felt tips

Printouts of the definitions listed in chapter one of this handbook

Set of worksheets A for each group (Appendix 1.B: Set of worksheets)

Unit 3: What happens to a child who is sexually mistreated?

Sections Agenda

Greeting participants

"Adela’s story"

§ Smaller groups of 5-8 participants are formed

§ On the basis of “Adela’s story” (Appendix 1.D Identifying the consequences of sexual abuse of children “Adela’s story”) each group is given the task of answering the following questions: What happened to Adela? What could Adela have felt? Why do you think she felt like that? What do you think could happen to her in the future?

§ Each group, after choosing a representative, presents their responses to the above questions to the whole group. The facilitator records the principle elements of every reply on a board.

§ Subsequently the facilitator initiates a discussion relative to the most important points of the story and the responses of the participants.

Goal : identifying the emotions a child can feel following sexual abuse and the conflicting situation in which they find themselves.

Summary The facilitator presents the principal emotional, cognitive and behavioural consequences for a minor following the experience of being a victim

of sexual abuse (cf. Table 2– The consequences of sexual abuse).

Materials Printouts of Table 2 – The consequences of sexual abuse Sheets of paper Pens or felt tips

A copy of “Adela’s story” for each group (Appendix 1.D Identifying the consequences of sexual abuse of children “Adela’s story”)

Unit 4: What can we do regarding a situation of sexual abuse?

Sections Agenda

Greeting participants

"Seeing underwater”

In this section it is important that the facilitator illustrates the themes discussed in the previous sections and provides a brief summary, to motivate the participants to put these into practice in this section

§ The participants form into small groups. Each group is invited to read carefully the case proposed to them (Appendix 1.E: "Seeing underwater” Activity) and to respond as a group to the following questions

What is happening to the two children? What is their attitude? Who is involved in the situations described?

Which attitudes or actions are correct and which are not?

What did each of the participants do? What would you do in one of these situations?

§ Each group representative stands up and reads out what the group has answered. The leader takes note of the key points, asks questions and initiates a discussion if the responses differ.

Goal : facilitating identification of the indicators of sexual abuse regarding minors and most useful action to be taken in dealing with a case of sexual abuse.

Summary The facilitator concludes the section underlining the importance of the role adults can play as agents in the protection of minors and provides information regarding organisations or institutions to be consulted in the case of participants facing a situation of suspected abuse.

Assessment of the workshop

Participants are invited to assess the workshop overall, as well as give their opinion on specific elements (Appendix 1.F Workshop assessment survey).

Materials Worksheets (Appendix 1.E: "Seeing underwater” Activity Worksheet) Board

Pens or felt tips Assessment sheets (Appendix 1.F Workshop assessment survey).

Materials Workshop One “Understanding sexual abuse of minors”

Appendix 1.A: Questionnaire to get to know workshop participants

The aim of this questionnaire is to get to know you and your interests regarding your possible participation in a training workshop for parents and caregivers. The information you supply will be very important for us, so we thank you for your cooperation. All information supplied will be highly confidential and accessed exclusively by the organisers of the activities

Gender o Male o Female

Education

Age Profession

Would you be interested in participating in a workshop raising awareness of the reality of sexual abuse of minors? (tick one of the boxes below)

Have you ever taken part in a workshop, lecture or course on the issue of sexual abuse of minors?

o No

o Yes When Where

How would you consider your awareness of the issue of sexual abuse of minors? (tick one of the boxes below)

Very good Good Average Minimum

Any other comments:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!

APPENDIX 1.B: Set of worksheets

1. A neighbour invites a group of teenagers over to his house to look at pornographic magazines.

2. A neighbour asks a nine year old girl to go shopping with him and at the shop buys tobacco and alcohol.

3. A father and mother hug and kiss in front of their children.

4. A mother talks to her children aged 13 and 15 about sexual education. She tells them that above all they must respect themselves and other people.

6. A mother sleeps in the same bed as her sons aged 10 and 12.

5. A father looks at the naked body of his 15 year old daughter as she takes a shower.

7. Two classmates aged under 14 go the school bathroom and touch each other’s penises.

8. A mother undresses in front of her children.

9. A teacher shows her class of 12 year old students a manual on the human body and points out the different parts of female and male bodies, including the genital organs.

10. A teacher tells a female student that she is very pretty.

Indications for the workshop facilitator

Below we offer some possible explanations/guidelines for the facilitator regarding the situations presented in the previous worksheets.

These indications are merely suggestions and absolutely not the only correct responses to the questions. The important thing is that the participants think through their own responses and a debate can be initiated among them in order to acquire new perspectives and ideas.

1. A neighbour invites a group of teenagers over to his house to look at pornographic magazines.

This is a form of sexual abuse, since this content should not be available to minors, and especially if it is an adult encouraging them. Furthermore, the adult could fantasise sexually about the children, even if he does not touch them physically.

2. A neighbour asks a nine year old girl to go shopping with him and in the shop buys tobacco and alcohol.

3. A father and mother hug and kiss in front of their children.

This is a form of abuse since the adult is exposing the child to unhealthy and harmful habits, which could influence her in a negative way in the future.

This situation depends very much on the way in which the parents are demonstrating their affection for one another and the cultural context of each country. In general, a father and mother who show affection in an appropriate way in front of their

4. A mother talks to her children aged 13 and 15 about sexual education. She tells them that above all they must respect themselves and other people.

children represent a positive example for their children.

Sexual genital acts or similar in front of children are not considered appropriate, since they could provoke a distorted vision of sexuality.

This situation depends on how the mother (or father) handles this issue and if they explain it in a way that is appropriate for the age of their children and use language suitable for their age group.

In any case, talking about respect for ourselves and for others in the context of sexual education is important and positive

5. A father looks at the naked body of his 15 year old daughter as she takes a shower.

A father should not look at a naked daughter but respect her privacy. If the attitude of a parent looking at one of his children naked should persist, the motivation for this behaviour should be carefully assessed.

6. A mother sleeps in the same bed as her sons aged 10 and 12.

Unless this is a case in which no other solution is possible due to a lack of material means, it is not appropriate for a mother or father to sleep with their children after they reach a certain age, even though this situation should not

7. Two classmates aged under 14 go the school bathroom and touch each other’s penises.

necessarily be linked to the risk of abuse.

In this case there needs to be some reflection on why the boys acted in this way.

In any case, it would be good to be able to talk to the boys to discover the reasons and accompany them, if this were necessary.

8. A mother undresses in front of her children.

9. A teacher shows her class of 12 year old students a manual on the human body and points out the different parts of female and male

The implications of this situation depend on the cultural context and each individual case.

For example in some families full body nudity is accepted in a very natural way and without inhibitions. A criterion to be kept in mind is if the child feels ill at ease or intimidated by the nudity. In this case it would be good if caregivers handle nudity tactfully and discuss the issue openly with their children.

It can be very useful for children under 12 years of age to learn to become aware of their own bodies, including their genital organs. The way in which the information is imparted and how the teacher treats the material is undoubtedly important. The use of inappropriate methods or language

bodies, including the genital organs.

10. A teacher tells a female student that she is very pretty.

could have a negative impact on the students.

In general, a teacher, or any adult, should not comment on the attractiveness of younger people, except in particular situations. In this particular situation, teachers, who have a relationship of authority relative to students, can use such authority to express their own feelings of sexual attraction towards a student, which would be absolutely inappropriate

Appendix 1.C: Identifying situations of sexual abuse of minors

Situations of sexual abuse of minors

Situations not associated with sexual abuse of minors

Appendix 1.D: Identifying the consequences of sexual abuse of children “Adela’s story”

My name is Adela and I am nine years old. I live in a town called Campito, a very beautiful place where I have many friends. I live with my father, my mother and my brother and sisters, Claudia, aged 11, Viviana, aged 15 and Sergio, aged 6. My grandmother Rosa, my mother’s mother, also lives with us. I am in third class at school. The truth is I am not doing very well in school. I had to repeat the year last year and I improve my marks almost always at the end of the year but what happens is I am not very good at studying and everyone says that so they give me low grades and at times I have been suspended from school.

At home it is Viviana who gets punished the most, because she goes out and doesn’t say where she is going. I am also punished but less, most of all because of school. The one who gets angriest is my father, because if we annoy him he hits us and beats us. My mother too is often angry but she doesn’t beat us, she just shouts and says she will punish us, but then she forgets, and in the end we can go out to play anyway.

I have a lot of friends, some at school, like Juan and Denis, who I play and paint with. My other friends live in my district: Rocio, Julio, Susi and Pedro. I have known them since I was small because we live close by. What I like most is to play hide-and-seek and sometimes we stay up late to play.

At home I get on very well with my grandmother Rosa, I tell her everything I do and tell her the truth when I don’t behave well, and she tells me stories of when she was young and about grandad Raul when he was still alive. My grandmother is elderly and so cannot go out

alone since she could fall, my mother says. So I go with her to the market and to buy bread.

About a month ago something happened to me that I have not told anyone about and which I am ashamed of. There is a man called Mario who lives two doors down from us, he is a friend of my father’s. He lives with Mrs Pilar who works at the kiosk. This man is a bit strange, when saw us girls altogether he said strange things like “what beautiful girls” or asked if my parents were at home. One day he said to Susi that if she went to his house with him to look at some magazines, he would give her a present, but Susi was afraid and didn’t go.

One day Susi and I went to the kiosk when Mrs Pilar wasn’t there and then we ran away.

The other afternoon I was going by myself to buy eggs, my father wasn’t home yet and only my mother was there and sent me to buy eggs. On the way home I met Mario, he was a bit drunk, it seems, because he was talking in a strange way. He told me to go with him to his house because my father was there and would have come with me later. I was a bit scared but I went to his house. When we got there my father was not there and I wanted to leave but he got angry and told me we would wait for him there. I didn’t say anything, he took me by the arm and threw me on the couch. He sat down beside me and began to say obscene things.

I was very scared because I thought he would hurt me and he pulled up my dress and began to touch me, I began to cry but he held my arm so tight that he left me a bruise. He told me not to cry and not to be afraid because there was nothing wrong and nobody would know about what happened but I was still afraid and I cried. So I told him I was going to go and tried to leave, he got angry and hit me, he pushed me and began to hug me, to touch me and move me in a strange way, he also said obscene things. Then he calmed down and told me that

if I told anyone what had happened my father would be very angry and he would beat me, then he let me go. I was still crying. When I got home I said I had fallen and that this was why I was dirty and the eggs were broken and since I knew I would be punished I didn’t want to go home. My mother and my father punished me and sent me to bed.

That evening I had a lot of bad dreams about Mario. The next day I pretended to be sick so as not to have to go to school. I didn’t even want to play with my friends. From that day on, I hardly go out any more to play with the other children and I ask the girls have they seen Mario. Sometimes, when I am at home and there is a knock at the door I hide for fear that it is him. My mother says I am behaving in a strange way and that if I continue like this she will punish me. The other day Susi told me there was something not right in me, that I didn’t want to play any more with her and the other girls, that I was angry. But I don’t dare tell anyone because they would not believe me and would beat me, and I don’t want to go to school because I could meet Mario along the road. At times I dream of telling my granny Rosa and she doesn’t scold me. But I will never say anything about it to anyone.

Group activities relative to “Adela’s story”

1. What happened to Adela?

2. What could Adela have felt?

3. Why do you think she felt like that?

4. What do you think could happen to her in the future?

Indications for the workshop facilitator

Below we offer some possible explanations/guidelines for the facilitator regarding the questions relative to Adela’s story. These

indications are merely suggestions and absolutely not the only correct responses to the questions. The important thing is that the participants think through their own responses and a debate can be initiated among them in order to acquire new perspectives and ideas.

1. What happened to Adela?

2. What could Adela have felt?

Adela has been subjected to physical sexual abuse by her neighbour Mario. The shame Adela is feeling and Mario’s threat that her father would punish her and beat her if he found out have led her not to tell anyone about the abuse she experienced

We can only imagine what Adela is feeling. Most likely shame, self refusal, fear of being submitted to further abuse and a sense of impotence relative to what happened.

3. Why do you think she felt like that?

4. What do you think could happen to her in the future?

Adela’s emotional state is linked to the serious trauma she has been subjected to, the consequences of which could become much more acute in the absence of emotional and psychological support from her parents who do not seem to be paying any attention whatsoever to the psychological distress of their daughter.

In order to understand the seriousness of sexual abuse and all the relative emotional, cognitive, behavioural and physical consequences it could be of helpful to consult Table 2 in this section.

Appendix 1.E: “Seeing underwater” activity

CASE 1: PAULA

Paula is twelve years old and one day in school she begins to behave in a different way to usual. Before she was organised and enjoyed studying, now if the teacher gives her work to do she refuses to cooperate with the teacher. She has also started to get low grades in school.

So the teacher rings her mother to see what could be reason for this change of behaviour. The mother tells her that it must be because a new brother is on his way and that perhaps this has had an effect on her.

That week the teacher punished her almost every day, not allowing her outside at break time, because she has begun to fight with her classmates. At home too she has been punished and her mother has begun to hit her because she tells her she no longer knows what to do with her.

One day the maths teacher discovered her in the school bathroom touching herself with another younger girl. She was brought to the principal’s office and suspended from school for two days. Paula denies doing this, but other girls in her class tell the teacher they have seen her doing “things” with other girls. The principal asks her mother to take her out of school and says she will not renew her enrolment for the following year.

CASE 2: MARCELO

Marcelo is seven years old. His mother is concerned because he has started to wet the bed more and more often. She has begun to hit him and complains he is too old to wet the bed. Marcelo doesn’t play with

the neighbouring children any longer and doesn’t take part in break time at school as he used to. His teacher has tried to talk to him. Marcelo began to cry and begs not to be punished. The teacher begins to pay more attention to him and decides to ring his mother to talk about what is happening to her son. The mother has had a partner for t wo years and Marcelo has always had a good relationship with him. For some time now Marcelo has been avoiding talking to him and doesn’t want to go out with him anymore, which he often did before. His mother rebukes him and tells him he must go out with him because he was like a father to him and must be obeyed. They brings Marcelo to the doctor’s to try to find out what is going on, but the doctor just tells his mother that it is “nothing at all”, that Marcelo is very lazy and “sometimes children need to be treated with an iron fist”.

Group activities “Seeing underwater”

1. What is happening to the two children?

2. What is their attitude?

3. Who is involved in the situations described?

4. Which attitudes or actions are correct and which are not?

5. What did each of the participants do?

6. What would you do in one of these situations?

Appendix

1.F: Workshop assessment survey

Please mark with a cross the option selected.

1. How would you assess the general organisation of the workshop?

2. How would you assess the issues addressed in the workshop? VERY ADEQUATE ADEQUATE AVERAGE INADEQUATE VERY INADEQUATE

3. How would you assess the treatment of the issue of sexual abuse of minors?

4. How would you judge the atmosphere in which the workshop was conducted?

5. How would you judge the group work?

6. How would you judge the workshop?

7. What did you find interesting in the workshop? :

8. What would you improve in the workshop?

9. Comments:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!

Workshop Two “Self care for children” 35

Goal Promoting awareness of the notions of self care and safety for minors

Attendees Minors aged from 10-12, staff, parents and/or caregivers

Duration Four weekly sessions of 90 minutes each

Unit 1: Getting to know children

Sections Agenda

Welcome Meeting and greeting of participants

Introductions § The participants are invited to form into pairs.

§ Each participant will choose an animal or an object to represent themselves and explain what motivated their choice.

§ Back in the general group, each partner will introduce the other on the basis of the animal or object chosen.

“What do you expect from this workshop?”

Every response provided by the participants is acknowledged and noted down on the board. Goal: identifying the expectations of the group and sharing them to set up agreement regarding the working methods of the workshop

35 This appendix has been taken from the handbook: Guia Básica de Prevención del Abuso Sexual Infantil (Corporación ONG Paicabí Gobierno Regional Quinta Región Servicio Nacional de Menores Quinta Región, 2002; par. “3. Unidad didáctica: prevención del abuso sexual infantil”).

“When we were children”

Summary

§ The group is divided into two parts.

§ Each group receives a set of “When we were children” worksheets (Appendix 2.A). Everyone in each group will pick out a sheet and share with the others their own experience on the basis of the question they receive.

Duration: enough time should be allotted so that each participant gets the chance to share and the workshop facilitator can supervise the process.

§ The facilitator reunites the two groups and asks the question: How did you feel remembering your childhood?

Goal: to facilitate contact between the participants and the world of the child in order to feel closer to the child’s experience.

§ The facilitator asks the group the question What are children like?

§ Writes the opinions of the participants on the board.

Goal: to construct a common vision of what children are like, emphasising their positive characteristics.

Conclusion of the unit

Materials Board to write on “What do you expect from this workshop?”

“What are children like?

Set of worksheets “When we were children” (Appendix 2.A)

Unit 2: How can we take care of children?

Sections Agenda

Welcome Meeting and greeting of participants

Identifying approaches to caring for and protecting children

§ The group is divided into two smaller groups (max 8 participants).

§ Each group is given a “situation” to be brought to life as an example of family conflict (Appendix 2.B) and asked to prepare a short role-play illustrating the “situation”. Enough time should be allotted to give the groups the chance to complete the activity.

§ Each group presents the “situation” to the rest of the group.

§ Once both episodes have been presented, the facilitator asks the group to identify the behaviour and approaches of care and protection that the participants have shown in every situation. The facilitator records on the board all the opinions expressed by the participants.

Goal: helping participants to understand the notion of protection of minors on the basis of incidents that can happen in family situations, encouraging the identification of vulnerability caused by a mistaken approach taken by an adult.

Summary The facilitator illustrates the basic protection approaches for parents and caregivers on the

Conclusion of this unit

basis of the information provided in Appendix 2.B and 2.C.

Materials Copies of Appendix 2.B

A board

List of approaches to caring for and protecting children by parents and caregivers (Appendix 2.C)

Pens or felt tips

Unit

3: Regarding sexual abuse

Sections Agenda

Welcome Meeting and greeting of participants

Who is the victim?

§ The group is divided into two and each smaller group is assigned a case of sexual abuse to study. (Appendix 2.D: Who is the victim?

§ The groups are invited to read the case carefully and respond to the work template within each small group (Appendix 2.E). Each group should suggest specific actions in the empty column on the sheet.

§ One group will complete the inappropriate behaviour column and the other group the appropriate behaviour column.

§ The facilitator should ask each group to be as specific as possible in their suggestions, indicating the precise behaviours or approaches to be adopted.

§ Finally, the facilitator will write both columns up on the board, and complete them on the basis of what each group has expressed.

Summary The facilitator points out to the group the significance of early action undertaken by adults regarding the first concern or indication of sexual abuse of a minor (cf. Indications for the facilitator in Appendix 2.D).

NB: the facilitator can also discuss the consequences of sexual abuse on children (cf. Table 2 – The consequences of sexual abuse).

Conclusion of the unit

Materials Copies of Appendix 2.D Who is the victim?

Group work template (Appendix 2.E)

A board Pens or felt tips

Unit 4: Teaching self care

Sections Agenda

Welcome Meeting and greeting of participants

Teaching self care

§ The group is divided into two smaller groups.

§ Each group receives a set of worksheets “Let’s learn how to care” (Appendix 2.F). Each participant will take a card and indicate if they are in agreement or not with what is written on it. The group discusses this and selects which declarations they agree on and which they do not.

§ Finally each group presents their own work to the entire group. The facilitator collects the opinions of each group and puts the cards in the positions decided on by each group.

Goal: identify behaviours that educate minors in care and protection.

Summary The facilitator shares with the group which behaviours educate minors in the context of their rights and presents the fundamental rights of the child on the basis of the Board template “Rights of Minors” (Appendix 2.G).

Conclusion of the workshop

The participants are invited to give an overall assessment of the workshop and feedback on specific elements. Please use the questionnaire in Appendix E.

Materials Set of worksheets “Let’s learn how to care“ (Appendix 2.F)

A board

Appendix Board template “Rights of minors”

Appendix 1.F: Workshop assessment survey (Workshop One) Pens or felt tips

Materials Workshop 2 “Self care for children”

Appendix 2.A: Set of worksheets “When we were children”

My favourite toy when I was a child was... …

The best birthday I can remember as a child was...

The best Christmas present I received as a child...

My best friend when I was a child was.....

What I was most ashamed of as a child...

When I was a child I was scared of....

The worst mischief I did as a child was....

A lie I told as a child....

What I liked to play most as a child ...

The worst trouble I got into as a child....

When I was young school was for me......

When I was a child on my school holidays I loved.....

Appendix 2.B: Identifying approaches for caring for and protecting children

Situation Nº1

Maria is nine years old. When she comes home from school she doesn’t want to have lunch, but her mother rebukes her and tells her to eat anyway. After lunch Maria closes herself in her room, her mother hears her crying and asks her what is wrong. Maria tells her there are children at school who make fun of her, giving her nicknames and that, even though she told the teacher, nobody did anything about it. This morning, as they are annoying her, Maria responds with an insult. The teacher hears her and punishes her. Maria’s mother gets angry with Maria, threatening her that she will tell her father what happened and tells her that at school she will have to explain her bad behaviour. Maria shouts at her mother stating she doesn’t want to go to school and shuts herself up in her room all afternoon.

Situation Nº2

Carlos is 11 years old and has ongoing behavioural problems at school. His mother is called into school because the teacher wants to speak to her. The teacher, the school principal, the mother and Carlos are all present at the meeting. The teacher and the principal say there have been thefts during the school year and Carlos is suspected of stealing, so he will be temporarily suspended from school. His mother rebukes him in front of the teacher and the school principal. Carlos tries to make her understand that he did not steal anything but does know who the thief really is. When they ask him to tell them, Carlos refuses because he is afraid of being considered a

“spy”. The principal gives Carlos an ultimatum, that he will be suspended from school until he reveals the name of the thief. At home Carlos’ mother punishes him, forbidding him from watching television and going out. Carlos tries to explain to his mother that it is not his fault, but his mother doesn’t believe him and will maintain the punishment until he gives back the things that he has stolen. When Carlos’s father comes home and his wife explains what has happened, he gives him a cuff and confirms his punishment.

Indications for the workshop facilitator

In order to help participants understand the significance of this activity, it is important the facilitator helps them realise that children are worthy of trust and have the right to be respected just as adults do. Successfully transmitting this message will give children the necessary assurance to confide in others, share their feelings and tell somebody if they are going through a difficult time. This is an important factor which contributes to a healthy psychological and relational development. Some key presuppositions which transmit care and protection to children include:

§ A child who experiences relationships of trust will learn to tell the truth much more quickly.

§ A child who feels respected is a child who learns to respect others.

§ A child who feels protected and cared for has a greater chance of becoming a child who feels sure of her/himself.

§ A child who has permission to express his/her feelings is a child who will find it easier to recognise what is happening to her/him.

Appendix 2.C: Identifying approaches to caring for and protecting children

§ Listen carefully to the child, without interrupting her/his story.

§ Do not challenge his/her story.

§ Keep calm in situations of conflict.

§ Provide alternatives to the problem at hand.

§ Reaffirm to the child that there are people who will protect and take care of her/him.

§ Thank the child for telling what happened.

§ Give emotional support if the child is terrified, confused or irritable..

§ Do not underestimate or tease the child when s/he expresses what s/he is feeling.

Appendix 2.D: Who is the victim?

CASE: PAULA

Paula is 13 years old, and her parents separated two years ago, after her father, in a drunken state, tried to beat up her mother and Paula. Her mother reported him and a court order instructed him to leave the house. Since then the father has attempted to see Paula as she comes out of school and follows her as she returns home. When Paula told her mother about this, she said to ignore him. The father asked the court for the right to see her and was awarded a visit each alternative weekend. After one of these visits, which consisted of a walk lasting about three hours, Paula came home in tears and told her mother her father had taken her to a dark place near the house, he was drunk and tried to touch her. When she resisted he hit her and told her not to tell anyone. Her mother reacted with cries of desperation to her daughter’s story and ran to tell it all to Paula’s grandmother who lives with them. The grandmother reprimanded Paula and hit her because she had gone out with her father despite of all the warnings they had given her about her father’s duplicity. Paula cries in fear; her mother tells her they will not say anything to anyone about what happened.

Indications for the workshop facilitator

§ An experience of sexual abuse for a child is extremely complex and harmful.

§ A child who is subjected to sexual abuse is a “victim” with no responsibility whatsoever for what has happened.

§ If a child reports a situation of sexual abuse, there should be no doubt at all about what they have described since it is very difficult for a child to lie about this.

§ All children need protection from adults who will take care of them and we are all responsible for their safety as members of the same society.

Appendix 2.E: Group work template

Appropriate behaviour Examples

§ Keeping calm

§ Believing the child

§ Emphasising that a solution will be found

§ Telling the child that s/he will be protected

§ Thanking the child for telling the truth

§ Being affectionate

§ Other

Inappropriate behaviour Examples

§ Becoming agitated

§ Doubting the child

§ Over-reacting to the situation

§ Insulting or underestimating the child

§ Blaming the child for what happened

§ Rebuking or punishing the child

§ Silencing the child

§ Other

Appendix 2.F: Set of worksheets “Let’s learn how to care”

1. There are children who tell lies all the time, therefore we need to doubt what they are saying until we are sure it is true.

3. There are children who love winding up adults.

5. When a child ends up in trouble, s/he should be able to resolve the problem by him/herself.

7. When a child behaves badly it is usually only to seek attention.

9. When children don’t want to go to school it is because they are lazy.

11. Children need to be taught to resolve their problems so that they can learn before becoming adults

13. Family problems should not be discussed in front of

2. Children seek out danger.

4. Children feel safe and confident if they are well looked after at home.

6. When a child cries it is usually due to a temper tantrum.

8. When a child suddenly changes their way of being it is because something is happening.

10. There is an age at which children can take care of themselves.

12. Children always know what they are doing.

14. Children need to be informed when there is a

children because they can’t understand.

15. When children ask questions it is only to annoy adults.

problem at home with words they can understand. .

16. Children should be always told that adults are there to protect them and take care of them.

Indications for the facilitator

As already explained, children are persons worthy of trust and respect just as adults are. It is essential that minors are listened to, respected and considered. This will give them the security to be able to open up and express what is happening to them. In this activity, it is not so important that the facilitator indicates which are the positive examples and which are the negative ones, but that all participants exchange ideas and impressions on which attitudes are positive for children and which are not. Below we offer some indications on how to interpret the different examples.

§ Attitudes 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 15 do not provide a positive or genuine reflection of what children are like and how they behave;

§ Attitudes 4, 8, 11, 14, 16 are positive for children and contribute to healthy psychological, emotional and cognitive development;

§ Statements 5, 7, 10, 12 e 13 will be illustrated below; since they can be either positive or negative according to the viewpoint they are examined from.

5. When children end up in trouble, they should be able to resolve the problem by themselves so they learn. It is good that when children are in difficulty, parents do not replace them in order to solve the issue. On the other hand it is very important that children feel supported by their parents and other educational figures when problems do arise, in a way that they can feel self efficient and capable of solving their own problems.

7. When children behave badly it is usually only to attract attention. When children behave badly, the easiest thing is to punish them and think that they deserve it because they are “bad”. However the child is communicating there is something wrong. Therefore it is very important to be able to talk to children in a calm and trustful way, in order to understand why they are assuming a determined negative attitude, and be able to support them in moments of difficulty.

10. There is an age at which children can take care of themselves. As they grow up and mature, children become increasingly autonomous in making their own decisions and taking care of themselves. On the other hand a child should not bear the full responsibility of self care, which should still be entrusted to parents or caregivers.

12. Children always know what they are doing. Children of a certain age (from two years onwards) develop the capacity to understand how things work and the consequences of their actions. However, there are some aspects which they are not fully aware of until adulthood, therefore it cannot be assumed that a child is always completely conscious of what s/he is doing.

13. Family problems should not be discussed in front of children because they can’t understand. Children are very sensitive to what is happening around them, especially with regard to their parents and their family. In general it is good to be able to explain to them if there are difficulties in the family using reassuring language they can understand, because in this way the space for their imagination and fears can be reduced and their sense of security increased

Appendix 2.G: Board template “Rights of Minors”

Minors have the right:

§ To life

§ To protection

§ To be cared for physically and emotionally

§ To being able to study

§ To live in a house

§ To play and have fun

§ To give their own opinion

§ To have a healthy diet

§ To be protected from any form of physical, emotional or sexual abuse