Predators lurk everywhere

There's been quite a conversation lately in "Letters to the Editor" concerning the Catholic church's response to child molestation accusations.

Good. Conversation and debate is the best way to bring a controversy into the light, where it can be properly addressed.

Unfortunately, the conversation segued into a debate about the Catholic church's decision to address the ordination of women as a crime punishable by excommunication and whether that is fair. While both sides of the argument are valid and worth discussing, it's time to get the conversation back to the original problem: child molestation and what the church is doing about it.

I wrote several weeks ago that I was upset with what I saw as a lack of concern from the Vatican. I felt the pope could have done more to address the issue of child molestation by priests, and Catholics should expect more from their pope. I still feel that way, but it got me thinking: what are adults in general doing to protect children?

Truth is, there is no one place where children are absolutely safe from predators. Predators infiltrate every aspect of society, including our own families.

According to childhelp.org, 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know their molesters; 68 percent are violated by members of their own families.

Because of that, there are a slew of laws on the books to help adults keep children safe, and to give children a way to escape their attackers.

In 2006, Pennsylvania legislators signed into law Senate Bill 944, which sets a minimum 10 years in prison for anyone over the age of 18 who is convicted of sexually assaulting a child younger than 16. The minimum sentences for second and third time offenders are 25 years and life in prison, respectively. The bill is also known as Jessica's Law, named for Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old Florida girl who was raped and murdered by her neighbor, a convicted sex offender.

Pennsylvania also requires medical personnel, law enforcement, teachers and school administrators, clergy members, social workers and child-care providers to report any instances of child abuse they may suspect. Failure to do so could result in a summary offense or a misdemeanor charge.

As a result, local schools have set up policies to identify victims of child abuse to get them the help they need. Mount Carmel Area has set up a Student Assistant Program, consisting of teachers, the school nurse and psychologist and other administrators trained to work with students at risk for physical and sexual abuse, among other concerns, according to the school's student handbook.

Given state laws, I'm confident each local district has policies on how to handle suspected abuse, and may even have response teams of their own. I urge parents to check with their respective schools to find out what measures have been put in place to protect their children at school.

I urge them to check out any place their children spend time, including churches. I've leaned pretty heavily on the Catholic church lately, and still think the pope has dropped the ball, but it's no secret that Protestant churches have been hit by child molestation scandals as well.

While approximately 13,000 cases of child molestation by priests have been reported in 57 years, which is 228 per year, three companies that insure a majority of Protestant churches in the United States said in 2007 that they received as many as 260 reports of child molestation by clergy, church staff and volunteers a year for more than a decade, according to a 2007 Associated Press article.

In fact, some believe the numbers are even higher because Protestant churches are not as centralized as the Catholic church, and many independent churches simply don't report to a higher conference.

Thankfully, many Protestant churches have enacted policies directing staff, volunteers and clergy of their obligations when they suspect child abuse.

In my research, I was happy to find that the Harrisburg Diocese has taken it upon itself to set up a youth protection program as well as other ground rules and policies to make sure the children of local Catholic churches are safe and that members of its clergy and congregation know what to do if they learn a child has been molested. More information can be found at www.hbgdiocese.org.

Given federal and state laws on reporting child abuse, the Harrisburg Diocese can't be alone in its approach.

I feel much better knowing that churches, schools and laws of our land take child molestation seriously and are doing what they can to protect our kids. I pray that every state and country does the same. I also urge everyone to do what they can to protect kids who are at risk. Remember, molesters are not boogeymen or strangers. They often fly under the radar in our own community, so if you have concerns, ask questions, and don't be afraid to call the police or the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD.

(Nicolov, an assistant editor at The News-Item, writes "Don't Get Me Started" for each Friday edition. Contact her at julie_n@newsitem.com.)

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