Virtus Training

Today I attended a required training class about protecting children from sexual abuse. It's sad to learn that about 40 millions Americans are victims of abuse, or about 1 in 10 males and 2 in 10 females. And that's only counting the known victims of sexual abuse. And, most abusers are not strangers; they are usually well known and even well like by the victim and the victim's family and play lots of convincing and manipulating games to get what they want. Of course the Catholic church had it's share of scandals involving priests, and as a parent I am very glad to see the strict requirements for this sort of training for all adults who want to work with youths.

We saw two videos that feature victims, their family members as well as abusers. These videos are powerful in conveying the seriousness of this abuse including the impact, as well as thoughts and methods that were shared by the abusers. Eye-opening. Sick.

The skinny to help prevent sexual abuse:

1. Know the warning signs.
2. Control access to children.
3. Monitor programs involving children.
4. Be aware of what's going on in children's lives.
5. Communicate concerns.

After the class, there is one more step to complete. We all need to register online (status=completed) to receive continued monthly updates for the next 24 months (first monthly update completed 12/21/09). This will help ensure this important subject gets the ongoing attention it deserves.