Because We Care... Diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Young People
April is National Child Abuse Awareness
A Safety Net for Social Networking Ravenous sexual offenders stalk technology looking for innovative ways to prey upon our vulnerable young people. Social networking sites provide better, faster and costeffective ways of interacting at home, school and business. Every day there seems to be a new site developed to improve our ability to connect with one another: Twitter, Facebook, Skype, instant messaging, and texting are a few that come to mind. The task is to explore how to take advantage of these technologies without sacrificing safety.
Diocese of Rockville Centre
Consider these facts:
William F. Murphy Bishop of Rockville Centre
95% of arrests for Internet sex crimes cents. 99% of the were considered non victims are 13-17 violent. years of age. The older youngster enWhat that figure gages in more intertells us is that ofactive Internet use fenders want to which puts them at develop a relationgreater risk. ship and they will work at it. Offenders use the Internet to “groom” children.
Many of the targeted youngsters are having other problems and are On-line offenders engaging in high typically target risk online behavolder children who iors such as sex are experiencing talk, visiting porn difficulty. Rememsites, and sending ber the offender in personal informathe Virtus training tion to strangers session? The ice skating rink worker they meet on line. would always try to Go to www.drvc.org allow the youngster to review the many to do what was for- helpful suggestions bidden by the parfor addressing ents. these issues with young people. On-line offenders target older adoles-
Protection Prayer - Let us pray for our children and young
people
Jesus, who invites the children to come to him, protect our children. Strengthen them in time of danger, heal them in time of sorrow Give them laughter and delight, restore their innocence For such is the kingdom of heaven.
April 2011 Issue 9 Special points of interest: • This is the 9th in a series of educational newsletters that the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Office of the Protection of Children and Young People provides for parents and volunteers. • In October 2010, the Gavin Group, Inc. an independent audit team found the Diocese of Rockville Centre in full compliance with Charter of the Protection of Children and Young People. • For the 2011 audits the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have selected a new independent audit firm, The StoneBridge Business Partners to inspect each diocese for compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
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Because We Care...
From the Desk of Eileen F. Puglisi, Director Office for the Protection of Children and Young People
FYI
A few months ago, Oprah Winfrey had a two part series television show featuring 200 men who were there to speak out about the trauma of their own childhood sexual abuse and the affects that the sexual abuse has had on their relationships. This show opened the door to freedom for every man who has been abused, so that he realizes that he is not the only one. It is estimated that one in six men have been molested as a child.
As parents we are surrounded by messages about child sexual abuse. Talk shows, and news programs, bombard parents with dangers at school, in the home and on the Internet. Despite all the media coverage, parents don’t seem to get much solid advice about how to talk with their kids about sexual abuse and how to prevent it. Please take a minute to go to www.drvc.org and review the Talk 2 Us program on how to talk to your children about sexual abuse and how to prevent it.
Because We Care by Rev. Msgr William Hanson, Pastor
St Gerard Majella Church, Port Jefferson Station, NY
“ Because we care” about our young people we began to focus on ways for our Confirmation students to “ belong more deeply” to God. Our goal was to help our students answer the question which was put so well in the Broadway musical Shenandoah: “Why was I born When was I born Who was I born to be Why was I given the body I’m livin’ in..”
The most effective tool we found is the book Living Your Strengths, by Albert L. Winseman. It contains an on-line instrument which the student love, and which uses 40 years of research with 6 million people to discern the unique patterns of talent in each person. These innate patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting are immediately recognized by the students and their families! They are engaging indicators of what The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls “the gratuitous gift of his life that God makes to us; [ i.e., to make us holy or whole].”
(n.2023-2024) As one father said to me, pointing to his son’s talent report, “This is an xray of my son...and I am building my relationship with him on this!”
“ But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person.” 1 Corinthians 12:11
Volume 1, Issue 1
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Talking to Kids About The Digital World By Carl Semmler, Prinicipal McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School Technology is a tool that is quite unique. This makes teaching your kids about the digital world difficult at best. Like other tools, technology can be used properly or improperly. Like other tools it can be dangerous if not handled with care. However, unlike many tools which kids are familiar with, the digital world has a “memory” and “scope” that few other tools have. Your kids must understand this in order to navigate through the digital world. There was a time when, if a kid messed up catching a fly ball at a team championship, the moment of embarrassment would pass. Not so with out new world. It is very likely that someone at the game caught this moment in the digital world
Character is the essential ingredient. Technology is an accessory. and will post it on Facebook.com or Youtube.com It is this memory that makes the digital world so unforgiving. There was a time when, if an unflattering photo of a kid was taken at a birthday party, it remained in the family photo album. Now, it can be shared with almost anybody, at a click of a mouse. It is this sense of “scope” that makes the digital world so dangerous. Realistically, it is impossible to control every aspect of your child’s world. What can we do? Knowledge is
power. Your child needs to understand that photos, voice mail, text messages, videos and the like can be shared with almost anyone online. They may not be able to control every piece of technology, but they can at least control what they choose to be a part of and what they choose to send to others. What can you do? Communication is power. Talk with your children. Speak to the parents of all your child’s friends. Come to an agreement as a group about the rules of technology for your kids. The important thing is to begin these conversations early in order that your child has an informed respect for the beauty and danger of the digital world.
What Kids Need To Know 1) What is abuse.... 2) How to report abuse.... 3) What kids can do to protect themselves... To read more, please go to www.drvc.org and click on the tab Protecting Children. Look for the Talk 2 Us program.
A New Secret Language Come gather round people, wherever you roam, and admit that the waters around you have grown...For the times, they are a changing’. Bob Dylan
There has been a new shorthand language created for frequent users of text messaging and social media sites. Talk 2 your children about the internet acronyms listed below. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
182 I hate you 420 Marijuana ADR Address ASL Age/Sex/Location F2F Face to Face GNOC Get Naked on Cam HAK Hugs and Kisses I&I Intercourse & Inebriation ILU I Love You IMEZRU I Am Easy, Are You? IWSN I Want Sex Now KOTL Kiss On The Lips KPC Keeping Parents Clueless LMIRL Let’s Meet In Real Life MOOS Member of the Opposite Sex
16. MOSS Member of the Same Sex 17. MorF Male or Female 18. MOS Mom Over Shoulder 19. NAZ Name, Address, Zip Code 20. NIFOC Nude In Front Of the Computer 21. PAL Parents Are Listening 22. PAW Parents Are Watching 23. PIR Parents In Room 24. POS Parents Over Shoulder 25. RU/18 Are You Over 18? 26. RUMORF Are You Male Or Female? 27. S2R Send to Receive 28. TDTM Talk Dirty To Me 29. WYCM Will You Call Me? 30. WYRN What’s Your Real Name?
Fuzzie’s Corner Our diocesan website is a great resource.
WWW.DRVC.ORG Click on the tab PROTECTING CHILDREN to read more.