VIRTUS: Protecting God's Children
As
part of its efforts to protect children and young people, the Diocese of Cleveland has implemented a multi-faceted national
program called VIRTUS that is training thousands of individuals "clergy, religious, staff, youth program volunteers,
teachers, parents and other adults" about the dangers of child sexual abuse and ways to recognize, report and ultimately
prevent it. The Charter to Protect Children and Young People enacted by the U.S. Bishops in 2002, and the subsequent Church
norms approved by the Vatican, give every diocese the mandate to establish educational and training programs that will help
everyone to recognize and deal effectively with the problem of child sexual abuse. To fulfill this requirement, the Diocese
has chosen the "Protecting God's Children" component of VIRTUS, which is aimed at establishing and maintaining a
safe environment for all children. The VIRTUS programs have been developed by The National Catholic Risk Retention Group,
Inc. of Lisle, Ill., a non-profit organization that provides risk control services to one-third of the Catholic dioceses in
the U.S., including the Diocese of Cleveland.
VIRTUS, derived from the Latin word meaning moral strength and excellence, represented a behavior and way
of life in ancient times that aspired to the highest moral code and appropriate human interaction. The modern-day program
which carries its name aspires to uphold these values. The program is in place in a number of other dioceses in the U.S. The
training sessions include videotaped presentations with sexual abuse offenders who bluntly reveal how they groomed their victims.
Victims appearing on the videos were abused by a teacher, a camp counselor, a neighbor and a priest. In addition, victims
and their families relate the devastation they faced at the hands of their abusers. The second part of the training includes
a video that presents a plan on how to create a safe environment. This plan empowers people and gives them hope that there
are indeed ways to prevent sexual abuse.
All
SPPS clergy, staff, and teachers have been trained in ways to recognize and report child sexual abuse.
