Webinars aim to strengthen
Church’s safeguarding best practices
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| Experts voice concern that COVID-19 pandemic could put safeguarding programmmes at risk |
A new series of web seminars is intended to strengthen
safeguarding good practice throughout the world, and to help safeguarding
professionals reach out to victims.
By Vatican News
The International Safeguarding Conference (ICS) Steering
Committee is hosting a series of “webinars”, entitled “A Safer Church”, that
will focus on sharing safeguarding best practices, especially in the wake of
the Covid-19 pandemic.
The series will begin with a web seminar on the topic
“Safeguarding during Covid-19: A Victim’s Perspective”.
Keeping safeguarding as a priority
One of the goals of the “Safer Church” webinars is to
encourage the Church and other faith-based organizations to keep safeguarding
children and vulnerable adults as a priority.
“I think this is a concern that pertains to the whole
society,” says Father Hans Zollner, SJ, the President of the Centre for Child
Protection (CCP) at the Pontifical Gregorian University, who serves as a member
of the ICS Steering Committee. “Civil society has also a huge question mark behind
the continuation of safeguarding efforts, and deployment of resources and
personnel to this vital area of society’s life.” He adds, “The same is true
also for the Church”.
Abuse on the rise during pandemic
In an interview with Vatican News, Fr Zollner identifies a
number of issues that have arisen precisely in the context of the Covid-19
pandemic. He notes that victims often find themselves in situations of
restraint that recall the situations of abuse that they have faced.
He also points to a rise in domestic abuse, including
physical violence as well as sexual and psychological abuse. In situations of
lockdown, victims can find it difficult or impossible to seek help. Online
abuse, whether in the form of “grooming” victims or the sexual exploitation of
minors is also a growing concern.
Vital for the health of society
As society prepares to move forward in the wake of the
coronavirus emergency, it is important to remember that safeguarding against
abuse “is a vital aspect of the health of society”, says Fr Zollner. Efforts to
fight the coronavirus are necessary, he continues, but society must realise
“there is also another virus, and this virus is sexual violence and physical
violence and psychological violence against those who are very much at risk”.
Assisting safeguarding professionals
These are some of the concerns that safeguarding
professionals are addressing in light of the unprecedented situation of the
Covid-19 pandemic. Father Zollner also identifies the formation of safeguarding
personnel and the effects of the lockdown on formation as topics that will be
considered in upcoming seminars.
“We are overwhelmed with the interest that this webinar has
created, and we are very happy that so many people will participate”, Father
Zollner says. “And we certainly pledge to continue our input with the help of
many of our friends and collaborators”.
For more information on the “Safer Church” webinar
series, and to register for the webinar, you can visit the website of
the Centre for Child Protection of the Pontifical Gregorian University.
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