'Protecting God's Children'
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October 29, 2015
FAMILY PORTRAIT Eric Wilsusen, Deputy Chief of Police in Jefferson Township, with his wife, Kristine, and two daughters, Karly and Katelyn. They are parishioners at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Lake Hopatcong. Deputy Chief Wilsusen is a presenter for the Diocese’s “Protecting God’s Children” program. [See sidebar below.]Diocese is committed to the safety of its young people
Deputy Police Chief among the trained volunteers teaching Diocese's child protection program
LAKE HOPATCONG Because of the Paterson Diocese’s ongoing commitment to keeping youth safe and preventing sexual abuse, a team of volunteers is needed to ensure those who work with children and teen-agers at diocesan schools and parishes are trained properly in the “Protecting God’s Children” program.
Ranging from teachers and religious sisters to law enforcement officers, 23 adults volunteer to present “Protecting God’s Children,” the Diocese’s training program to inform employees and volunteers of the diocese about preventing child sex abuse.
Eric Wilsusen, a parishioner at Our Lady Star of the Sea here who works in law enforcement, has been training new employees and volunteers for seven years traveling all around the diocese.
“I remember seeing an article in The Beacon that the Child Protection Office was looking for new volunteers. I thought this would be a perfect fit for me,” said Wilsusen, who is Deputy Chief of Police in Jefferson Township and has served in law enforcement for 30 years. “I knew Tom Barrett (diocesan coordinator of special projects), who also volunteers. For most of my career I was involved with teaching community programs, crime prevention and also taught at the Morris County Police Academy. I really enjoy teaching and this was something that I could do to serve my Church.”
Wilsusen, who is a married father with two teen-age daughters, said, “Child abuse is more prevalent than people think. Most of what many police departments deal with is domestic violence calls.”
In the three hours, Wilsusen spends teaching “Protecting God’s Children,” he always makes sure that he gives those attending as much information as possible. “There is so much to learn about this subject and it’s such an important topic because we are being entrusted with children and this is all for their benefit,” he said.
Education is key to protecting children, according to Wilsusen. “Sometimes you can see whether a child is being abused physically because they might come to school with bruises or other visible marks. With sex abuse, it’s a lot different,” said Wilsusen. “We educate people what to look for and the behavioral signs a child may have if they are being sexually abused.”
“The more people we have (trained in ‘Protecting God’s Children’), the more eyes and ears are out there observing the behavior of those children who are possibly being abused and also those who may be predators. They aren’t always the person who came straight off the street. They can be someone close to the child who has really taken months to prepare to harm the child. This is known as grooming,” he said.
For Wilsusen, teaching the classes continues to be an overwhelming positive experience for both the attendees and most importantly, the children. “Programs like this have helped save children. People know the warning signs and it has gone a long way toward people reporting abuse and reducing it,” he said.By CECILE SAN AGUSTIN, ReporterCLIFTON Evangelizing and educating youth are important missions of the Catholic Church. And just as teaching young people about Jesus, protecting them from harm and creating safe environments is also an important part of the Church’s mission. So much so, that last year alone in the Diocese, several thousand people were educated in how to prevent child sexual abuse. There are now more than 40,000 active employees and volunteers who have been trained. They work with tens of thousands of children and teens who have gone through the safe environment program.
For more than a decade in the Paterson Diocese, parishes and diocesan schools have ensured the safety of young people through several child sexual abuse prevention policies and programs. Every employee and volunteer in the Paterson Diocese who has any role with children is required to undergo an extensive online criminal background check, sign a code of conduct and attend the Diocese’s child abuse prevention training program, “Protecting God’s Children.” This year almost 70 training sessions were held across the Diocese, in both English and Spanish. [For a list of upcoming sessions, see page 11.]
“The Catholic Church has been watching out for children through sexual abuse prevention programs. The Church in the U.S. has probably trained more people in the prevention of child abuse than any other organization,” said Thomas Barrett, diocesan coordinator of special projects. “In the Paterson Diocese, we have a terrific program and we know that it is protecting kids. We are also continually looking at ways to improve what we offer in the program so that the latest information from experts in the field are incorporated into our training.”
In addition to employees and volunteers, every child attending a diocesan Catholic elementary and high school receives lessons two times a year to become aware of possible danger. Students in parish religious education programs also receive lessons to add onto the information they receive through their public schools on child abuse.
Because the Diocese is so strongly committed to keeping children safe, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has affirmed in its audits the immense amount of work the Church of Paterson has done in preventing child abuse. In November, the USCCB’s audit team will once again visit the diocese for its audit to ensure total compliance with the U.S. Bishop’s 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”
Joan Valk, diocesan director of human resources and child and youth protection who travels throughout the diocese to make sure parishes and schools have created safe environments, said, “Our children are taught that they have the right to let someone know if they ever feel unsafe or are in danger of being abused.”
According to Barrett, it is important for everyone to realize the possible danger signs for children that are now posed through the Internet. “We are now into the third generation of the program and while society has learned a lot about preventing abuse, sexual predators are determined to find a way to solicit new victims,” he said. “It’s important to attend these training sessions because often, someone who seems harmless can actually be harmful. And many times, nowadays, they may be hiding behind a computer screen interacting with children who do not know the danger that is lurking.”
Several volunteers, including law enforcement personnel, present the Protecting God’s Children for Adults, in a three-hour program [see box at right]. Attendees learn about sexual abuse prevention, children who have been affected by abuse and the warning signs to spot possible predators and molesters in their communities.
“Many people come in not knowing what to expect and have their lives changed because they didn’t realize this is so common in the neighborhoods we live in. One out of five girls and one out of 20 boys are abused by their 18th birthday,” Barrett said.
Just recently, Sister of Christian Charity Joan Daniel, diocesan vice chancellor and delegate for religious, attended a training session again to update her knowledge on this important societal issue. “I attended several years ago but with my new ministry at the Diocese I thought it was important to renew my knowledge. I learned so much and you can never say you have learned enough. One thing that struck me was the possible dangers with technology and social media. Some teenagers create different social media accounts that their parents don’t know about giving predators an opportunity to take advantage of young people. With this new information and much more, I encourage those who have attended years ago to go again.”
In addition, the diocesan Child and Youth Protection Office assists those who have been abused and their families, who are suffering in the aftermath of the abuse. Peggy Zanello, the office’s Victim Assistance Coordinator, provides support and offers therapeutic services to victims of sex abuse. Anyone who sees a child facing any kind of abuse must report it to the local prosecutor’s office immediately. The Diocese is committed to making prompt and effective responses to allegations and assisting the prosecutor’s office in its investigation of any reports made to them of abuse involving any diocesan personnel.
During his visit to Philadelphia last month, Pope Francis spoke with victims abused by family members and clergy. He said to them, “Words cannot fully express my sorrow for the abuse you suffered. You are precious children of God who should always expect our protection, our care and our love. I am profoundly sorry that your innocence was violated by those whom you trusted. In some cases, the trust was betrayed by members of your own family, in other cases by priests who carry a sacred responsibility for the care of soul. In all circumstances, the betrayal was a terrible violation of human dignity.”
Participation in the Diocese’s safe environment programs are important, according to Barrett, because a key aspect of such programs is providing adequate supervision of children and educating adults to be aware of the signs of abuse and what to do in response.
Barrett said, “All the effort by the Church is working and making a difference. Everyone needs to get involved — from the priests and the religious to the laity, the children and their parents. If we work on this together, we can stop this horrific crime before it happens.”For more information: www.rcdop.org/child-protection.
