Recognising how widespread abuse of children has been—and how vital it is to respond with both honesty and vigilance—is a responsibility that rests with all of us, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. This National Child Protection Week (7–13 September), together with Catholic Child Protection Sunday (14 September), calls us to safeguard children from harm, confront cultures that allow abuse to flourish, and commit to rebuilding trust through transparency and care.
National Child Protection Week (September 7-13) and the Catholic Child Protection Sunday (September 14) address concerns that are central to us at Jesuit Social Services. We accompany young people, many of whom have suffered from violence and sexual abuse. In responding to what they have suffered we have become aware of how extensive abuse is and how important that culture that breeds it.
Safeguarding and protection are not rivals but two parts of the same commitment to children. They are often used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, Child Safeguarding focuses on preventing the abuse of children, Child Protection on dealing with such abuse. Both events are dedicated to making the world safe for children and to identifying and responding to any abuse that occurs. They set out to make us attentive to the signs of child abuse and faithful in responding to it.
Until recently, the sexual abuse of children was identified largely with the Catholic Church. It is particularly evil and shameful there. Ministers of the Church who were trusted to help children in their personal and religious group took advantage of their access to them to abuse them. In doing so, they blighted their lives and destroyed their faith. Church authorities who concealed their actions and allowed them to continue abetted them. The responsibility to safeguard and protect children lies especially heavily on Catholic Church.
We are now aware how many children are abused in different contexts. They are abused by close relatives in the home, by teachers in schools both public and private, by employees of child-minding centres and orphanages, and are often abused by other children. To this abuse cultural influences through pornography and social media contribute. Our program, The Men’s Project, has pioneered much of the research and programs that have sought ways of changing the attitudes and behaviour of young men.
If trust is to be rebuilt, it has become clear that children must be kept safe and any suspicions of abuse must be dealt with transparently and effectively. Children must be safeguarded and protected.
The theme of National Child Protection Week this year Every Conversation Matters – Turning Conversation into Action shows where protection must begin – in listening carefully to children so that they will be confident in speaking of matters that maybe frightening or embarrassing. The habit of conversation in which we listen to children makes it more likely that they will disclose actions that may lead to abuse. The call to turn conversation into action ensures that the warnings seen in conversation will lead us to protect children and report suspicious behaviour to school authorities and, if appropriate, to police.
