By Rebecca Rakoczy, Staff Writer

ATLANTA-As archdioceses around the nation - and the world - reexamine their policies on handling pedophile priests and sexual abuse in their respective archdioceses, Atlanta's archdiocese has a unique program in place that provides direct education to these groups on identifying child abuse.

Project Aware grew out of the Atlanta archdiocese's own problems of handling pedophile priests in the late 1980s and early 90s, when two cases rocked the archdiocese, and began reforms in this area.

"Our goal is to provide an educationally based ministry and awareness to the archdiocesan community, catechists, priests, deacons and to parents," said Katie Fortunato, program director. "Child abuse is a cycle that often continues because people are afraid to break silence," she said.

"One in four girls, and one in five boys before age 18 will experience some form of sexual abuse," she continued. "While we often associate abuse with a neglect demographic, these statistics do not have all the demographic patterns that neglect does. Sexual abuse is non-discriminatory in who it affects, and it is important for parents and people surrounding the lives of children to know what to look for."

Fortunato makes presentations on a monthly basis throughout the archdiocese; in the past few months she has talked to more than 500 people about Project Aware.

"This is now a required element of the catechist certification," she said. Among the topics discussed are boundaries in the ministerial relationship, sexual harrassment, exploitation and abuse, and how to maintain appropriate relationships, and who is responsible for the integrity of that relationship. "It is obviously the minister or ordained clergy acting in the ministerial role," she said.

Another component of Project Aware beyond its basic message of recognizing child sexual abuse is also how this abuse affects someone's faith and spirituality. "We are helping our brothers and sisters have a good relationship with God ... but if someone is abused, it affects how they pray. They may ask 'why did God let this happen?' These are relevant questions for survivors of abuse who are trying to practice their religion ... and it's important for them to know what the church's response will be. We must recognize what our call is as a Christian people, and protect those who are vunerable and innocent."

Fortunato added that "we need this program in every diocese."

For more information about Project Aware, call Fortunato at (404) 885-7459.