I attended a VIRTUS Training on Protecting God's Children, which emphasized the importance of creating safe environments for all children and youth. The training was very informative, highlighting key warning signs to play close attention to and the need to monitor all environments, such as classrooms, parish facilities, off-site events, and online interactions/technology (social media, messaging apps, and digital communication patterns).
It reinforced the importance of being attentive and present with all children, maintaining open communication, and practicing active listening. The training underscored our shared responsibility to helped understand not only what signs to watch for, but also how much of a difference caring adults can make simply by being attentive, observant, and willing to speak up to make every place safer for children and to stay vigilant in protecting the children from sexual abuse. read more