ISSUE

SPRING 2019

PROTECTING CHILDREN

A SUCCESSION OF MEDIA REPORTS have described a deeply disturbing history of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. Amid the headlines, little attention has been paid to the significant changes made to the U.S. Church’s child protection practices since the late 1990s, leaving many Catholics wondering about the safety of Catholic programs today. To find some answers, Archways spoke with Edward Mechmann, a former assistant district attorney in Manhattan and director of the Safe Environment Program for the Archdiocese of New York.

Archways: What is the Safe Environment Program?

Edward Mechmann: The Safe Environment Program got its start with the U.S. bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002, which mandated that every diocese set up a child protection program. This was prompted by the horrifying revelations about crimes committed against children by clergy over the course of several decades. In our office, some of what we do is retrospective, as part of the archdiocesan process to investigate past errors and offenses and offer support and compensation to survivors – but the Safe Environment Program itself is focused on protecting children now and in the future.

AW: What would you say to parents who are fearful that sending their children to a Catholic program might expose them to a risk of being abused?

EM: In the Archdiocese of New York, our programs today are very safe. All of our staff who interact with children are trained in identifying and reporting incidents, and we have very tight policies and codes of conduct. We have had only one substantiated case of sexual abuse by a priest that occurred in the last decade. Of course, even one case is unacceptable, but compared to the incidence of abuse in American society in general, this is very low.

AW: How does the Safe Environment program work?

EM: The first pillar of the program is screening. Every person whose duties involve contact with children has to be screened, whether they are clergy, staff or volunteer. As part of this process, they undergo a criminal background check and a sex-offender registry check. We renew background checks periodically so that we don’t miss any new information.

The second pillar is training, to make people aware of the reality of child sexual abuse and what to watch out for. The statistics are horrifying: One national study estimated that, in our society generally (not just the Church), one in five girls and one in 20 boys experience some form of sexual abuse, running the gamut from improper touching to outright rape. We want people to be aware of the extent of the problem.

We also train them in our codes of conduct, including policies about things like Internet use, Facebook communications, physical contact. We want to make sure people know what the boundaries are, what the rules are. We let them know they’ll have to follow these rules if they work or volunteer in our programs, and that it’s their job to report to their supervisor if they see someone else violating the code. We teach them what to watch out for. It’s the classic case of “If you see something, say something” – but you’re not going to see it unless you know what to look for.

The third pillar, and a crucial part of the program, is supervision and response. The pastors, principals and religious education directors are the ones who enforce the rules and policies and respond properly to any problem brought to their attention. If someone is violating the letter of the code, even if there’s no sign of actual abuse – let’s say they were seen in a room alone with a child – then the supervisor must impose the appropriate disciplinary action, which may be immediate termination or termination after an initial warning.

These supervisors also have to make the official report in cases where there is a suspicion or allegation of abuse. [All reports of abuse, new or old, are promptly referred to law enforcement.] At this point, because of the success of the Safe Environment Program, virtually all reports of child abuse that we receive deal with events that took place at the child’s home or [public] school. For example, if a child tells a teacher about something that happened at home, we have to respond.

WARNING SIGNS

The following may indicate that a child has experienced abuse:

Fear of a certain person or place
Sudden awareness of genitals and sexual acts and words
Sexual promiscuity or behavior inappropriate for a child’s age
Drawings that show sexual acts
A reversion to bedwetting in a child who had outgrown it
An unexplained drop in grades or self-esteem
Self-harm or suicidal ideas
Bruising, STDs, or other physical effects noticed by a pediatrician

AW: What challenges do you face in keeping the program effective?

EM: One of the dangers for a program like this is complacency. When the scandals break, as they did over the summer, it reminds people, “Oh yes, that’s why we do this.”

Also, in a diocese the size of this one, with so many people, and with a constant flow of volunteers in and out of programs, it’s a big challenge to keep the training fresh. We have thousands of people working in our programs, including something like 22,000 volunteers, and we need to be sure they’re all up to date on the current training and screening. Managing a database of that size is a big job – people may move around or work in multiple programs or even use different versions of their names – but it’s essential.

AW: What can parishioners do to help prevent sexual abuse of children?

EM: One important thing is to know the symptoms of an abused child and what constitutes appropriate adult behavior toward children. You need to have a good sense of the kind of boundaries that we put around our children to protect them. For example, an adult should never be alone with a child who is not theirs. There should be very limited physical touching, and never in the bathing suit area.

Anytime anybody asks a child to keep a secret from their parent, that’s a danger sign. Gift-giving should set off alarms, or any other indications that an adult is trying to form a special relationship with a child.

Pay attention to what’s happening digitally. “My child’s getting texted by a teacher at 12 o’clock at night”? There’s no legitimate reason for that. And keep a special eye on social media chats; many sexual abuse cases across the country these days involve Snapchatting, Facetiming and so forth.

So awareness is the most important. And then: reacting. If you see any of these signs, come forward. Don’t overlook it.

For more information on the Safe Environment Program, go to archny.org/safe-environment-program
To report sexual abuse by a priest, bishop or deacon:
Call Eileen Mulcahy at 646-794-2949
Email [email protected]
Go to archny.org/report-a-complaint
Mail your report (in a sealed envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL) to Victims Assistance Coordinator, 1011 First Ave., New York, NY 10022