Safeguarding during Covid-19:
A Victim’s Perspective
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| A child at Indira Gandhi International Airport |
Almost 500 people from 70 countries registered for a webinar
sponsored by the International Safeguarding Conference on the theme “A Safer
Church” on Friday afternoon.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
Hundreds of people predominantly from North and South
America registered to join the International Safeguarding Conference (ICS)
online on Friday. They represented 70 countries, making it an international
webinar.
This was the first in a series of webinars on the theme “A
Safer Church”. Participants heard the experiences of five people who reflected
on Safeguarding during Covid-19 from a victim’s perspective.
Children and Covid-19
Judi Fairholm, Senior Expert, Alliance for Child Protection
in Humanitarian Action, presented the impact of Covid-19 on children.
Their world has been turned upside down in many ways.
Exposure to Covid-19 is not the only danger they face. Some no longer have
access to other adults in schools and other support systems who advocated for
them. They are experiencing greater vulnerability to violence at home, and are
open to a higher risk of online exposure to people who prey on children. Those
caught in the web of child labor will most likely increase with the economic
downturn.
Judy reminded the Safeguarding professionals participating
in the webinar about some priorities, which included providing continual care
and protection to children in vulnerable situations, creating safety plans,
engaging government to protect children, the need for safeguarding
professionals to work together, to document what is happening and to build on
protective factors that exist in every facet of children’s lives.
Safeguarding focus in Scotland
Tina Campbell, National Safeguarding Coordinator for the
Episcopal Conference of Scotland and on steering committee of ICS, pointed out
that Pope Francis himself spotlighted the suffering of those suffering domestic
violence during a time of lockdown.
She reminded everyone that those in the safeguarding
ministry will need to be prepared to deal with those issues once people begin
to emerge from lockdown. She acknowledged that because of the pandemic,
safeguarding will need to be able to respond to new challenges. This means
developing resources for those trying to remain connected to their faith during
lockdown, as well as advising Church authorities on the safe reception of the
Sacraments.
“So much is unkown”, Tina emphasized, but the imperative
that victims come first and that resources be dedicated to the most vulnerable
needs to remain a priority.
Survivor's Wisdom
Child Protection Consultant Barbara Thorpe spoke from the
perspective of those who have been grappling for years with abuse suffered at
the hands of clergy in the Church.
She shared a letter from one survivor who described the
conditions of being in rehabilitation, which is very similar to the lockdown we
have been experiencing due to Covid-19. We now have a glimpse of their
experience. Yet their experience was silenced and they have had to deal with
the consequences in isolation.
Barbara said that these survivors possess a “wisdom” that
can now help us deal with the residual effects of our own experiences of being
locked down. She encouraged those safeguarding professionals present not to let
the lockdown impede their efforts but that it be an impetus to discover new
opportunities to open their hearts to “listen to them, to honor their stories
and to seek renewed trust on the path of healing”.
Jesuits respond in Africa
Beatrice Mumbi, Safeguarding Coordinator for Jesuit
Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM), presented how the Jesuits have
responded to the issue of safeguarding during the coronavirus pandemic in
Africa.
Their focus shifted from parish and school settings to
family settings because that is where children are now. She emphasized how
abuse is “aggravated in families who are no longer able to provide basic
needs”. Thus, JCAM’s safeguarding efforts are aimed at providing basic
necessities to families in need to lower the risk of abuse within the family.
In response to the need for alternative educational
programs, the Jesuits in Zambia are now providing education programs through
the radio. They are developing messages directed toward children regarding the
Covid-19 pandemic.
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