VIRTUS Brochure – For VIRTUS Participants
VIRTUS Touching Safety Guide – For Parents
Child abuse awareness & prevention programs
The Diocese of Tulsa is among the nation’s leaders in responding to the child sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church and is well on the way to fully implementing the Protecting God’s Children™ programs and other elements of the VIRTUS® programs. These programs were developed by The National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc. (National Catholic), a not-for-profit organization that provides risk control services to approximately one-third of the Catholic dioceses across the country.
Unbeknownst to many, the Diocese of Tulsa has had an inside track in the effort. The AGOS GROUP, LLC, a Tulsa-based risk management company has overseen development of National Catholic’s program dating back to 1997. In 1998, the National Catholic board appointed an ad hoc committee to work with the nation’s premier child sexual abuse experts to develop prevention and response programs. Sharon Doty, a long-time Tulsa resident and lifelong Catholic is a consultant on the project and has organized and directed the work of these experts for the last four years.
The Diocese implemented this VIRTUS program in February, 2003, and since then more than 10,500 people from around the Diocese have attended a session.
"What Do I Say Now? "
In compliance with Article 12 of the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Diocese has a parish-based Parent Education Program to help answer questions many parents have asked when attending a VIRTUS session, "How do I talk to my child/children about sexual abuse?"
The program features the video, What Do I Say Now?, as well as additional materials to aid in this difficult discussion including how to teach your child key touching safety rules and how to respond to a child's disclosure of abuse.
Self Safety Guidance Program for Children & Youth
Bishop Slattery approved the VIRTUS “Touching Safety” Curriculum, Grades K-12, to be implemented in all parishes and schools in September of 2008. The new curriculum replaces the Self Safety Guidance Program, implemented in October, 2004. This will assure our compliance with th Charter.
The job of ensuring children’s safety is a challenging undertaking. The prevention of child sexual abuse requires more than adult awareness, education, and training about the nature and scope of the problem. We must also give our children the tools they need to overcome the advances of someone who intends to do them harm.
The Touching Safety Program Lessons are organized in a three year cycle for four specific age groups: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12. Each of the six themes taught during the three year cycle are covered in an age-appropriate way. Prior to each lesson, an Introductory Video lays the groundwork by “breaking the ice” on the sensitive subject if sexual abuse.
This program and each included lesson are founded on the principles of appropriate relationship boundaries in the broader context of Christian values. All lessons help children and young people develop the vocabulary and boundary distinctions necessary to empower them to begin to recognize inappropriate behavior by others. It also helps children and young people develop their own decision-making process to use in these situations.
Coordinators of Religious Education , Catholic School Teachers, Youth Ministry, Catechists and Parents must realize this program: is not an option for any parish or school; it is not a sex education program, but rather a safe environment program to educate children on keeping themselves safe; is strongly recommended for all children and youth, but parents have the option of removing their children from these classes.
Differences Between Educational Programs
The goal of VIRTUS "Protecting God's Children" Training Session and "What Do I Say Now?" Parent Session is to inform and educate adults on what steps need to be taken to provide a safe environment for our children.
Most parents who have attended the VIRTUS Training comment on the new insights they have learned regarding how they need to be instruments in protecting children from sexual abuse in all the environments in which our children participate. The program for parents, What Do I Say Now? reinforces what they learned from VIRTUS and provides parents the safety rules and tools needed to discuss sexual abuse with their children.
VIRTUS and What Do I Say Now? are programs that do not educate parents on how we talk with our children about human sexuality. The parent program does have a handout, "Children’s Principal Stages of Development" for parents. This handout provides parent’s answers to some of the questions children may ask about sex at different age appropriate levels of their development.
Parents equate talking with their children about sexual abuse is the same as talking with their children about human sexuality. Certainly, talking with children about sexual abuse may lead to additional questions from the child dealing with human sexuality/sex. One of the most difficult tasks for many parents is knowing what and when to talk with their children about the gift of human sexuality, or how to give an age appropriate response to their questions.
For more information about these programs, or additional resources, contact the Office of Catechetical Services at (918) 307-4933 or email Carol Robinson at carol.robinson@dioceseoftulsa.org.
