In a darkened high school classroom, a
video plays with moody music. Police, teachers and students share frightening statistics
on screen. One such statistic — “Each year in the United States, as many as
100,000 minors under the age of 18 are at risk of being trafficked for
commercial sex.”
The video, “Tricked: Inside the World of
Teen Sex Trafficking,” is one of the options offered to high school students as
part of the youth training programs by the Office of Child Protection and
Safety.
The diocese requires these programs for
students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
For first- through eighth-graders,
Formation in Christian Chastity is rooted in the lives of the saints,
storytelling and morals. Students are taught about virtues, relationships and trusted
adults. First-graders are taught in class, while second- through fourth-graders
are taught at home.
The diocesan website
includes the course material for grade school students. The website includes
letters to parents about what to expect from each year, lesson plans and more. Parents
of third-graders get teaching points on how to present the concept of the
triune God which reveals the first community.
Older grade school students are given
tips for creating a safety plan, including always being with a group when
outdoors, being aware of their surroundings and not daydreaming, using well-lit
streets and walkways, having a list of emergency phone numbers when home alone,
and walking with authority.
David Conroy, principal of All Saints
School in Manassas, said like a fire drill, the training programs are another
way the school practices keeping students safe.
“This program offers another layer
because it helps students understand the things they do to keep them safe,” he
said. “Hopefully, it empowers them to understand if something makes them
uncomfortable, they will know how to respond to it.”
In the high school training, students
are taught about emotional, physical and community boundaries through the
video-based “Called to Protect for Youth” or “Tricked: Inside the World of Teen
Sex Trafficking.” It is the principal’s decision as to which video the students
watch.
The teachers are mandated to offer the
program by December of the school year and offer a makeup session for anyone
unable to attend.
“At the end of the day it is not the
child’s responsibility to protect themselves,” said Deacon Marques Silva,
director of the Office of Child Protection and Safety. “We need to give them
the tools to communicate with their parents and Formation in Christian Chastity
does that as developmentally appropriate.”
Deacon Silva said chastity for Catholics
“is about appropriate relationships, not just about sex.”
Find out more
To learn more about how the Diocese of Arlington provides
opportunities to report abuse, heal from abuse, and find support through the
Office of Child Protection and Victim Assistance, go to ArlingtonDiocese.org/ChildProtection.
The Diocese of Arlington encourages anyone who knows of
misconduct or abuse on the part of any cleric or employee of the diocese, to
notify civil authorities and reach out to Frank Moncher, victim assistance
coordinator, at 703/841-2530.
