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Scottgun
Guest
I attended the training way back. One of the issues is that it was claimed that one of it’s developers was Planned Parenthood. I couldn’t confirm that, but I found the program to promote suspicion rather than common sense awareness. I also got the sense they were playing a numbers game with the instances of homosexuals and abuse and the pedophile/ebiophile thing. I had to show their video to a special class and the teens saw it for the junk it was. So for the rest of the time I talked about the Church’s teaching on sexuality.
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hilde_the_dog
Guest
I went through it and don’t remeber much of it. Now in two weeks all adults who work with and around children in our parish will have to see a twenty minute video updating us. Oh I can’t wait
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Eilish_Maura
Guest
I have taken it, as well as the BSA Youth Protection program.
I believe many people do not appreciate the different view this program takes over other programs (even BSA YP).
VIRTUS focus so much more on spotting possible predators than reacting to possible victims. It is proactive rather than reactive.
Both kinds of training are needed but VIRTUS can be so much more important.
I believe many people do not appreciate the different view this program takes over other programs (even BSA YP).
VIRTUS focus so much more on spotting possible predators than reacting to possible victims. It is proactive rather than reactive.
Both kinds of training are needed but VIRTUS can be so much more important.
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kell0618
Guest
My sentiments exactly. I have taken the NY state mandated reporter’s training and we were basically taught how to spot abuse after it has happened. The VIRTUS training is a pro-active approach to preventing it from happening in the first place. People need to realize that this training is useful for anyone, and considering that in the US 1 in 4 women will be sexually abused at least once in their lifetime, and approximately 1 in 10 men will have the same experience, this is a very important tool in the war against sexual abuse. An article appeared in a non-Catholic and well known magazine, Christian Science Monitor and it is stated by a very well documented source that abuse is widespread and knows no boundaries. It also notes that the majority of sexual offenders are volunteers in church programs. Food for thought anyway.
Peace
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puzzleannie
Guest
I also have taken both and the BSA program, as well as similar programs through GSA and other orgs. BSA is superior to anything else out there, and much easier for volunteers and program administrators. Virtus however is mandated by the diocese so I implement it. Yes, most abusers in youth programs have historically been volunteers, so yes, that is why volunteers who work with children under Catholic auspices are required to take child safety training in almost every diocese of the country. Virtus is the program chosen by most. If you have questions on content first look at the website linked above.
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PaixGioiaAmor
Guest
Right. In other words it teaches us that everyone is a predator.
The program is junk. It’s stupid, a waste of time, and a waste of money.
It is a knee jerk reaction by the bishops to show that they are “doing something” so that we don’t get jackpotted again. It’s nothing more, nothing less.
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Filius99993
Guest
PaixGioiaAmor is right. It inspires unnecessary paranoia.
I dislike VIRTUS, because my parents use it to justify their inaccurate beliefs that a friend of mine who helped out at our High School Youth group was trying to seduce me… but I’m really not sure of all the details of VIRTUS, so I couldn’t have a completely unbiased opinion on it.
I dislike VIRTUS, because my parents use it to justify their inaccurate beliefs that a friend of mine who helped out at our High School Youth group was trying to seduce me… but I’m really not sure of all the details of VIRTUS, so I couldn’t have a completely unbiased opinion on it.
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Eilish_Maura
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If you got that from attending the program you did not pay much attention to it.
Some things about predators are predictable and the rest of us need to know what to look for.
A very simple way to look at it is if an adult prefers to spend time alone with your child more than you do - then it is likely this person is a predator.
An adult who regularly breaks the rules regarding behavior around youth (like teachers giving students rides home without other adults present) is likely to be a predator. Same with invitations over to an adults house without other parents there.
What good is looking for the changes in behavior and grades etc once a young person has been molested when the warning signs of who is looking for a victim to use are clear as day??
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ABostonCatholic
Guest
Actually, it was developed before the current crisis broke.
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Br.Rich_SFO
Guest
I went to the training “Protecting God’s Children” several years ago. It was good but the BSA Child Protection training was more in depth. The follow up Web based training every month was just a bit too much and became very irrelevant very quickly. It became more corporate ethics training then something pertaining to the Church.
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Eilish_Maura
Guest
I forget - is “Protecting God’s Children” the shorter version?
I took the first outing of the training and it was shortened not long after I went to it.
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puzzleannie
Guest
the Protecting God’s Children safe environment orientation for employees and volunteers should take about 3 hours if done properly, if both videos are seen and discussed, and the workbook study guide completed. there should also be a thorough review and presentation on code of ethical conduct before it is signed, and instruction on how and when to report in your jurisdiction, and rules of the road for your local situation.
the orientation for parents uses only the 2nd video and takes about 1.5 hours.
I don’t have any particularly negative things to say about VIRTUS and I’m not acquainted with other programs.
My concern about VIRTUS is the same as it is for any other corporately required program. It doesn’t do much for the Church unless it inspires parish or school sponsored programs to change the way programs are set up.
My parish has made some changes. If we don’t have at least two adults available to teach/run/chaparone a program then it is cancelled. At least one of those adults must have gone through the VIRTUS program. (Normally both must have done so but allowances are sometimes made for subs or someone who is waiting for the next training session.) Anyone who works with young people on a regular basis has to be fingerprinted.
But I question whether or not such practices are the norm for most parishes.
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PaixGioiaAmor
Guest
Yeah - those as well as a few hundred other charicteristics that are present in ANY AND EVERY single adult who actually cares about children vs. seeing them as their “job”.
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THurifer2
Guest
OHHHH MY! Paix you and I are on the SAME PAGE!!!
WHOOOHOOOOOO!!!
I drove an hour on a cold winter night through snow because I was MANDATED to take this “class”
I am a dumber person for having to take it.
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PaixGioiaAmor
Guest
For sure!
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Eilish_Maura
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Those people who actually care do not break the rules repeatedly re being alone with a child/young adult.
The major warning sign is wanting to be ALONE - be their SPECIAL friend etc - do things with them their parents won’t do etc.
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THurifer2
Guest
The BSA program is better and it doesn’t take a 3 hour seminar to figure out that a person who wants to be a “special” friend is suspect.
When I was in 5th grade I had a camp counselor who wanted to be my “special” friend…I remember it like yesterday…huge red flag went up. I was an ornry kid…I told him that he needed to buzz off or I would knock his lights out and then tell my dad. I was an ornry kid…but had some street smarts…I ended up telling my dad anyways…never saw the guy again.
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Eilish_Maura
Guest
The BSA program does not spend any time on spotting possible predators - just goes over the BSA rules for ‘safe Scouting’.
Some think they go overboard where it says adults and youth should not be in the rest room at the same time.
VIRTUS does speak much more about spotting predators.
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