One lesson doesn't fit all in child sex abuse education

Published: 2004-04-12

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In teaching minors how to keep from falling prey to child sex abusers, one lesson plan doesn't fit all. Minors range from pre-schoolers unaware of the physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions of sex to streetwise 17-year-olds. So, organizations helping dioceses and other church organizations set up child sex abuse prevention programs have age-appropriate instruction for use in Catholic schools and parishes. Another important aspect is not isolating child sex abuse instruction from other issues of child safety, said Marist Brother John Cummings, superintendent of the 53 Catholic schools and pre-school centers in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Fla. Brother Cummings said sex abuse prevention for the 16,000 students in his system is integrated into the larger program of stopping all types of abuse and harassment.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .