{"id":307,"date":"2012-06-14T22:35:00","date_gmt":"2012-06-14T22:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/report-finds-success-urges-continued-vigilance-in-sex-abuse-prevention\/"},"modified":"2012-06-14T22:35:00","modified_gmt":"2012-06-14T22:35:00","slug":"report-finds-success-urges-continued-vigilance-in-sex-abuse-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/report-finds-success-urges-continued-vigilance-in-sex-abuse-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"Report finds success, urges continued vigilance in sex abuse prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Atlanta, Ga., Jun 14, 2012 \/ 04:35 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The Catholic Church in the U.S. has made significant improvements in preventing and addressing clergy sexual abuse and should continue its work to increase transparency, trust and accountability,\u00a0according to\u00a0a new report.<\/p>\n

\tAl Notzon III, chair of the National Review Board that has helped advise the U.S. bishops on clergy sex abuse, said that there has been \u201cstriking improvement\u201d and \u201cchildren are safer now\u201d than they were several years ago. However, there is still work to do in order to \u201cprotect children and restore trust,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\tNotzon spoke to the U.S. bishops gathered at their spring meeting in Atlanta, Ga. on June 13.<\/p>\n

\tHe delivered a 10 year progress report on the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which was adopted by the bishops in Dallas in 2002 as part of their response to the sexual abuse scandal.<\/p>\n

\tHe also offered recommendations based on a recent study conducted by the independent research institution John Jay College of Criminal Justice, entitled \"The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010.\"<\/p>\n

\tThe Church has taken \u201cserious steps towards understanding and reducing\u201d sexual abuse of minors by priests, Notzon said.<\/p>\n

\tHe noted that there has been a steady decline in new cases of abuse and that all 195 U.S. dioceses and eparchies now have policies and procedures in place to prevent and handle abuse, as well as a Victim Assistance Coordinator to help in responding to allegations.<\/p>\n

\tDioceses across the country have instituted review boards comprised of both laity and clergy to advise on alleged abuse cases and are actively cooperating with legal authorities when such accusations arise, he said.<\/p>\n

\tAdditionally, confidentiality agreements have been abolished, except when requested by victims.<\/p>\n

\tEfforts have also been made to offer pastoral assistance to victims, and written codes of conduct have been implemented for clergy and other adults who work around children, Notzon added.<\/p>\n

\tDespite these significant improvements, dioceses must continue working to restore trust, he said, emphasizing that the work \u201cis not finished and may never be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWe must never let our guard down,\u201d he stated, cautioning against \u201ccomplacency\u201d or reduced vigilance.<\/p>\n

\tHe offered recommendations for the future based on the independently-conducted \u201ccauses and context\u201d study, which he observed may be useful for other organizations, since child sexual abuse is a problem in the broader community and not just the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

\tEducation is one important factor in working to improve the protection of young people in the U.S., said Notzon.<\/p>\n

\tHe encouraged dioceses to train \u201call segments of parish life,\u201d including diocesan personnel, parents, children and school staff members.<\/p>\n

\tNotzon also stressed the need for situational prevention. He encouraged bishops to measure, monitor and report on the effectiveness of safe environment programs in their dioceses, as well as to develop a system of clergy evaluations.<\/p>\n

\tBishops should maintain regular personal contact with priests and should work to address their need to develop fraternal bonds through small clergy faith groups, he said.<\/p>\n

\tNotzon also recommended developing programs to help international priests adjust, because certain behaviors may be culturally acceptable in one country but not in another.<\/p>\n

\tIn addition to continuing work to respond promptly to allegations, relieve offenders, comply with civil law and reach out to victims, adopting these recommendations will help \u201censure confidence and transparency,\u201d Notzon said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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