Church raises the bar

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

The child sexual abuse problem, which the Catholic Church has been dealing with on the national stage since 2002, has had both positives and negatives.

On the negative side, it's been hard for many Catholics to see the headlines and stories in the media or to watch a diocese go through bankruptcy.

On the positive side, the removal of this small minority of problem priests has been reassuring and the right thing to do. A new concern for the survivors of abuse, the institution of training programs, background checks for employees and volunteers, and greater awareness also are positive outcomes.

Plus, the church response has raised the bar on sex abuse prevention for all U.S. organizations that serve children, said Monica Applewhite, an expert in abuse prevention strategies in America (9/25), a national Catholic magazine published by Jesuits.

"Formerly unwritten rules, like not allowing a sexual offender to work with children and defining specific boundaries for ministry relationships, were now clearly articulated - not just for the Catholic Church, but for everyone," she wrote.

But vigilance is still needed. As Applewhite noted, an estimated 29% of child sexual abuse is by relatives and 60% of child sexual abuse is by a non-family member acquaintance - a teacher, baby sitter, minister, neighbor, schoolmate or adult volunteer working with youths. It's up to each of us to remain alert.