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Diocese of Tucson
Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct
Read on-line | Download as PDF

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ARS 13-3620 -- Duty to report abuse, physical injury, neglect and denial or deprivation of medical or surgical care or nourishment of minors; medical records; exception; violation; classification; definitions

Diocesan Policies

Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct
Read on-line | Download as PDF

Code of Conduct for All Who Minister in the Diocese of Tucson

Código de Conducta Por Todos Aquellos Que Desempeñan Ministerios en la Diócesis de Tucson

Summary Statement of Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct

Sumario de la Declaración -- Pautas para la Prevención y la Respuesta a la Mala Conduct Sexual

Education of Children and Youth and their Parents in Personal Safety

Education of children and youth should be integrated into the curriculum, held during a regular class period, and repeated at least annually. Parents should be involved with a class of their own in which they learn what will be taught to their children and how they can maintain a safe environment in the home.

Parents should be invited to observe educational programs in which their children participate. All parents have the right to decline participation by their child in programs of the parish or school, but this decision should be communicated in writing for the parish or school record.

The following programs have been reviewed and found to be effective in the experience of local personnel or others who have shared resources with the diocese. However, parishes and schools are free to select other programs on the basis of local needs. These programs should be submitted to the pastoral center for review.

Additional information regarding the education of children and youth is contained in the report from the USCCB, Safe Environment Training of Children in the Catholic Church
(http://www.usccb.org/ocyp/OCYP_SafeEnvironmentWorkGroup.pdf)

Recommended Programs

Children

Personal Safety Curriculum for Children and Youth PDF
Curriculum Appendix: Education Log PDF
Curriculum Appendix: Code of Conduct PDF

This program is a component of the Safe Environment Education Program of the Diocese of Tucson. Although it is now the recommended program for the education of children and youth in personal safety, parishes and schools are still free to retain or develop other programs that are found to be more appropriate for the local community, so long as they are approved by the Office of Child, Adolescent and Adult Protection (OCAAP) and reported on annually in terms of their successful implementation.

This curriculum provides pedagogical material for each grade from Pre-K through 8. There is a general outline for the education of high school age students, based in part on the book, Creating Safe and Sacred Places: Identifying, Preventing, and Healing Sexual Abuse (see Other Programs). There is a general outline for parent education. The underlying principle is that children can play a role in their own safety if they understand the basic concepts of recognize, resist and report in a manner appropriate for their age and maturity.

The Personal Safety Curriculum for Children and Youth is now available in Spanish, as translated by Evelia Villegas of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Yuma. Contact Evelia directly at 928-782-1875 for further information regarding content, format and price.

La Materia de Seguridad Personal para Niños y Jóvenes está disponible en Español, traducida por Evelia Villegas de la parroquia St. Francis of Assisi en Yuma.  Comuníquese directamente al 928-782-1875 para información adicional acerca del contenido, formato y precio.

Keeping Kids Safe: P.S. It's My Body!

The Southern Arizona Children's Advocacy Center (SACAC) offers a Community Outreach and Education Program entitled Keeping Kids Safe. This comprehensive, school-based child abuse prevention, awareness & intervention program is designed to:

1) Teach children to reduce their vulnerability to abuse (particularly sexual abuse)
2) Assist parents, school staff and child care providers in recognizing risk factors and signs of abuse, and in developing child protection strategies
3) Promote mandated reporting of suspected abuse.

Training sessions are available, in both English and Spanish, for staff and volunteers, parents, and students from pre-kindergarten through the 7th Grade) throughout Southern Arizona.
Typical training sessions include the following.
1) Staff and Volunteers: "Recognizing and Responding to Suspected Child Abuse," mandated reporter training.
2) Parents: Parental involvement and participation is an integral part of P.S. It's My Body! (see below). Parents are informed as to what their children will learn and also receive important information about how to keep their children safe
3) Students:  P.S. It's My Body! is a research-based curriculum that utilizes age-appropriate lessons, activities and presentations to teach children the three "Rs" of personal safety: "Recognize," "Resist," and "Report."

To schedule, call Enrique Aviles at 520-319-5511. There is no cost for the training but donations, to cover time and travel, are very much appreciated.

Teens

Personal Safety Curriculum for Children and Youth PDF
Curriculum Appendix: Education Log PDF
Curriculum Appendix: Code of Conduct PDF

This program of the Diocese of Tucson is described above. It contains a general outline for the education of high school age students, based in part on the book, Creating Safe and Sacred Places: Identifying, Preventing, and Healing Sexual Abuse (see Other Programs).

Parent Education

Personal Safety Curriculum for Children and Youth PDF
Curriculum Appendix: Education Log PDF
Curriculum Appendix: Code of Conduct PDF

This program of the Diocese of Tucson is described above. It contains a general outline for the education of parents. The basic principle is that parents are the primary educators of their children. It is important for parents to know as much as possible about the dangers their children face so that they can provide appropriate information and supervision. At the same time, no parent raises a child independent of the larger community. It is equally important that parents know about the resources available from parish, school, law enforcement and other civic agencies. Together, community, parents and children weave the most effective web of safety.

Guidelines for Parents: Maintaining a Safe Environment for Your Children
MSWord | PDF

Guía para padres: Cómo mantener un entorno seguro para sus hijos
MSWord | PDF

The name of the parish or school can be entered on the MSWord document.

Parent Education Program: Personal Safety

This program is delivered by Catholic Social Services. Presentations, in Spanish or English, may be offered as a parent-based alternative to the education of children in personal safety or as an adjunct to the personal safety education provided to children and youth. Call Mr. Michael Ponce (520-623-0344) for more information.

Internet Safety

Law Enforcement Agencies in the state of Arizona, together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its local offices have united against Internet child predators with a coalition called Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children (AZICAC). To access valuable information related to speakers, videos and other resources or to find out if your community law enforcement agency is in partnership with AZICAC, visit their Website at http://azicac.org/

In addition to investigating on-line child pornography cases, the FBI office in or near your community provides Internet Safety Training for children and parents. The Tucson FBI's Cyber Squad is headed by Agent Robin Andrews. They have prepared presentations targeted at middle-school-age children that they will bring to your school or parish. To locate your local FBI office, go to www.fbi.gov

An excellent publication on the FBI Website is the Parents Guide to Internet Safety which can also be downloaded as a PDF document: http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm.

Det. John Taylor is a member of the Pima County Attorney's staff who is an expert in crimes against minors using the Internet. He has provided programs on this subject to youth and adults with great impact. Contact information is available through OCAAP.

The Department of Catholic Schools has identified two articles available on line. The articles taken together address the range of abusive behaviors that are part of the "dark side" of the Internet experience. You may find there material that will be useful in preparing your own class for children and youth or for parents. The addresses are: http://www.bullying.co.uk/pupils/safeonline.php
and
www.bewebaware.ca/english/eprint.aspx?content=CYBERBULLYING.

The former web site has many other relevant articles that may be of use to you.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (www.missingkids.com) sponsors two web sites that provide particular information on internet dangers and solutions. One is www.netsmartz.org. The other is www.GetNetWise.org.

www.internetsafety.com
This site is the home of "Safe Eyes," a parental controls program that has been recommended by some safe environment coordinators in other arch/dioceses. The program can be used in homes or in offices to prevent inappropriate use of internet connections. The site also includes useful materials for parent education in this important area.

www.netsmartz.org
This site is a resource for educational materials that can be used with students, parents and staff to make all more aware of how to use the Internet safely. There is a wealth of information at this site that can be used freely.

Preventing Elder Abuse

"Safey is for all ages," Dr. Paul Duckro's column in The New Vision, January 2007.

Another article that may be helpful is Elder Abuse: Types, Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Help at www.helpguide.org/mental/elder_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm

Adult Protective Services has useful information and can provide speakers. Read about them at www.azdes.gov/aaa/programs/aps

Local law enforcement jurisdictions have elder abuse teams. You can find a team in your area by accessing www.elderabusecenter.org/pdf/commu/arizona.pdf

The Pima County Elder Abuse Task Force can be accessed through Det. Jim Williamson of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-628-6885 or Sgt. Robert Webster of the Tucson Police Department at 520-628-6625.

Resource Materials

Videos (Download PDF)

Print (Download PDF)

Web Sites (Download PDF)

Employees and Volunteers: Education/Screening/Supervision

Videos

Diocese of Tucson Safe Environment Program (Mandatory Reporting Law)

This video, issued in August, 2007, replaces the Protecting Our Children: Our Common Commitment video.

This video can be used both as an orientation for new personnel and for the annual re-education of personnel.

It should be accompanied by the Code of Conduct (English PDF / Spanish PDF), the Summary of the Guidelines (English PDF / Spanish PDF), and the Handout on the Mandatory Reporting Law (English PDF / Spanish PDF). Viewing of the video should be followed by discussion and signing of the parish or school Attestation (English PDF / Spanish PDF). A User’s Guide is provided to assist in leading the discussion.

The video is available in English and Spanish on a single DVD. Copies have been distributed to all parishes and schools. Additional copies are available for $10 from Julieta Gonzalez, Executive Assistant (OCAAP) at 520-838-2513 or julietag@diocesetucson.org

Other

Most local Police Departments, County Sheriffs, and County Attorneys will offer some form of training.

Internet pornography and solicitation of minors constitute an increasingly important area. The Pima County Attorney's Office and the Tucson Police Department, among others, have experts on the subject who may be contacted to present to the parish or school.

Documents Online and/or for PDF Downloading:

Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct
Read on-line | Download as PDF

Code of Conduct for All Who Minister in the Diocese of Tucson PDF

Código de Conducta Por Todos Aquellos Que Desempeñan Ministerios en la Diócesis de Tucson PDF

Protecting Our Children Card for Employees and Volunteers PDF

Summary Statement of Guidelines for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct PDF

Sumario de la Declaración -- Pautas para la Prevención y la Respuesta a la Mala Conduct Sexual PDF

Forms for Human Resources Administration: Application, Annual Attestation, Permission to Obtain Information for Criminal History and Background Checks :