1. Diocese of St. Petersburg Safe Environment Program for Children and Youth
Parish Faith Formation and Youth Programs
Parent/Guardian Education Session
August 2006
Introductions and acknowledgment of those who have prepared for the program.

2. Implementation of the Curriculum within the Parish Faith and Youth Programs of the Diocese of St. Petersburg
Mandated and approved by the United States Conference Catholic Bishops and the Bishops of Florida
Required implementation July 2006
Approved by Diocese of St. Petersburg Safe Environment Advisory Committee
Approved by the Faith Formation Advisory Board
Explain the purpose of this gathering, and the reasons that it is being offered. Explain that this parent segment has a threefold purpose:
Information will be provided as to the steps taken by the Diocese of St. Petersburg, its parishes and Catholic Schools to comply with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and the Florida Bishops’ Policy for Safe Environment Education for Parents and Children.
To provide parents, students, families/households with information to allow them be proactive in protecting children from harm.
To provide a heightened culture of protection for children based on our Catholic teachings and the best advice of those who work in the field in order to raise awareness and establish appropriate behaviors on the part of all who collaborate, parents and Church ministers, for the formation of children.

3. Components
Standards and Benchmarks, Curriculum, and implementation strategies developed by a committee of parish faith formation leaders & catechists and Catholic school/center administrators & teachers and youth ministry leaders
Developmentally appropriate instruction at all grade levels
Explain that the program has been developed collaboratively by the Office of Evangelization & Lifelong Faith Formation, the Office of Catholic Schools and Centers and the Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

4. Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum and Instruction
Purpose
To assist the parent/guardian in providing an awareness level for children in Safe Environments
What is a safe environment?
Who really keeps a child safe?
Recognizing unsafe situations
Recognizing those who might harm

5. 2. To provide tools to help children respond to an unsafe environment
Avoiding unsafe situations
Talking to trusted adults
Sharing information, questions and concerns
Saying No!

6. Who will instruct? Responsibility for overseeing the program
Collaborative model:
Administrators/Faith Formation Directors/Youth Ministers
Classroom teachers/catechists
Parish and Community Resources (e.g. counselors, medical professionals)
Parents

7. What will be taught? Standards Three strands of concentration
Cognitive Development
Spiritual Development
Behavioral Development
Pre k through 12 specific benchmarks for instruction

8. Curriculum Pre K through grade 12 instruction Introductory points
Enhancement
Age appropriate activities & discussions
Parent/guardian follow-up information and resources

9. Safe Environment Education Curriculum for Students
Understands-
EC 3
EC 4 K 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
the difference between good and bad touch I
A sense that individuals are loved by important people in their lives
basic elements of emotional grooming
there are good and bad choices
It is alright to say ”no”
how to say “I’m sorry”

10. What is happening in our Parish Programs?
Implementation Strategies
Programming?
Echoes basic health and safety education provided in county schools
Policy explanation in parent/student handbooks
Alignment with Harassment and Conduct Policies
Across the curriculum instruction in parish faith formation classes and youth ministry sessions
Annual Intergenerational Education Event
Take-home Family Resource Packets
Who oversees this program at our Parish?
Pastor-Faith Formation Leaders-Youth Ministers
What is happening in our Parish Programs?
Explain that Safe Environment policies comport with other behavioral, conduct and discipline policies, Harassment policies and the like. Explain that the program is multi-tiered as listed above and emphasize the complementary nature of these six levels of policy/practice.

11. 4. Resources? Published Programs Materials Instructional strategies:
Children’s Literature Selections
Instructional strategies:
Power point, video
Creative activities
Discussion
Role play, theatre, presenters
Puppets, stories, songs
Teachable moments

12. Sample Lesson Plan Safe Environment Education
Grade Level
EC3 – 2nd Grade

13. Lesson Aim To think about how and why we care for our bodies
To identify and practice ways to handle unsafe/uncomfortable situations
To help students know they can say No
Strand 1: Cognitive Development
Benchmark: b, c and d
Curriculum #2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10

14. Key Concepts My body is a gift from God God wants us to be safe
Some things and people can hurt me
I can stop and think
I can say no
I can tell others when I was hurt or uncomfortable.

15. You Can Help Stay Safe
No one should touch you in places covered by your bathing suit except your parents and your doctor.
Discuss with students their right to be safe, to be cared for and their right and responsibility to help themselves stay safe.
Talk with them about keeping their bodies safe, not only from harm (accidents etc.) but also from people touching or treating them in a way that can make them feel sad, bad, unhappy, angry etc.
Emphasize that touching in good ways, like hugging your parents, siblings and friends is a good thing but everyone should have parts of their body that are covered and protected.
Emphasize the caption and understanding of this concept with the students.

16. You Can Say No!
Say no if someone is hurting you or makes you feel uncomfortable!
NO!
Talk with students about using the word no. Emphasize the difference between saying no when a parent or teacher or other adult in authority asks them to do something, behave in a particular way or cooperate in a proper manner. Emphasize however, a firm no when someone is hurting you, making you uncomfortable or embarrassed is OK and within their rights to protect themselves.

17. Don’t Agree to Keep Secrets That Make You Feel Ashamed.
Talk about fun secrets (like a surprise party) and differentiate them from secrets that cannot be kept if the information is about harm that can come to oneself or others.
Talk about it being wrong for someone to ask the students to keep a secret about something that was done to them that hurt or made them feel ashamed.

18. You Can Tell Someone You Trust! They Can Help You!
Help students to understand that telling someone secrets about someone who hurt or embarrassed them is OK and necessary.

19. You Can Ask God to Help You Feel Better!
Discuss with students the fact that besides telling a trusted adult and getting help, God is always available to hear their prayers and can help them feel better and give them comfort.

20. Message Books Videos Catie the Caterpillar Benzinger Family Life
Who is a Stranger and What Should I do
Berenstain Bears Learn about Strangers
My First Body Book
Working Together Building Social Skills Through Folk Literature
Videos
Get Street Smart: A Kids Guide to Stranger Dangers
Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie

21. Discussion Questions
If you are in a dangerous situation, what should you do?
If a person makes you uncomfortable, what should you say right away?
When is it right to say no?
Who should you tell if someone has made you feel uncomfortable?

22. Sample Lessons
Grades 4 and 5

23. Life, at any stage, is sacred.
God loves you, and wants you to be happy, healthy, and safe.

24. First…Taking good care of yourself is a top priority!
Good health habits show respect for the gift of life!

25. PRACTICE GOOD HEALTH HABITS EVERYDAY FOR HEALTHY “PHYSICAL” GROWTH:
Take a shower or a bath.
Brush your teeth.
Comb your hair.
Wear deodorant.
Wear CLEAN clothes.
Exercise
Eat a balanced diet.

26. Practice good habits for healthy “spiritual” growth.
Keep a close relationship with God.
Make time to pray each day.
Attend church on Sunday.
Model your faith by having good character and being a good friend.
“Love thy neighbor as thy self”

27. Boundary
Defined...
Something that indicates a border or limit

28. All Relationships Have Boundaries…
parent – child
Teacher – student
husband - wife
neighbor to neighbor
friend to friend
babysitters to child

29. External Boundaries Be Smart: Protect Your Body
Keep your body safe and healthy.
You have body parts that are private and personal.
You have the right to protect your privacy.
No one should touch you wear your bathing suit covers, except a doctor.
Children have the right to say “No” to adults.
Being older doesn’t always mean being wiser.
Listen to your conscience
What would Jesus do?

30. External Boundaries
Children should understand age-appropriate relationships.
Is a 19 year old teenager starting to hang out with the 12 and 13 year olds in the neighborhood? RED FLAG!
Is one of your 11 year old girlfriends talking about dating a 17 year boy? RED FLAG!
You should object when someone uses offensive or sexual language in your presence.
Someone may be using offensive language to see how you react!
Usual offensive language can be part of the “grooming” process – be careful!
You should have “personal fences” or boundaries.

31. Internal Boundaries
It’s ok to have feelings and thoughts that you keep to yourself.
Your prayer life can be very personal.
Other people do not need to know everything about you.
Protect the deepest part of who you are – your spirit.

32. Groomers can be very deceptive
They can appear to be very nice people.
They will first try to fool you with a pretend friendship.
Then they will start to control you, perhaps with fear or threats.
Soon you may be keeping secrets.
They will wait a long time to get what they want.
Then they will use you to get what they want, including sexual favors.

33. Sample Lesson
Middle School

34. Healthy Boundaries

35. Boundary
Defined...
Something that indicates a border or limit

36. BOUNDARIES are important in friendships because they determine where you start and end, and where the other person starts. Just as an owner of real estate may be angry to have someone trespass on land that is owned, we become angry and hurt when another person trespasses on our personal boundaries.

37. The purpose of having boundaries is to protect and take care of ourselves.  We need to be able to tell other people when they are acting in ways that are not acceptable to us.  A first step is starting to know that we have a right to protect and defend ourselves.  That we have not only the right, but the duty to take responsibility for how we allow others to treat us.

38. Types of Boundaries
Physical
Mental
emotional

39. Physical Boundaries
Physical boundaries refer to the area around a person (personal space), which is generally 2.5 to 3 feet. Healthy boundaries respect personal space and include the act of touching.

40. Setting Boundaries
The purpose of setting boundaries is to take care of oneself.  Being forced to learn how to set boundaries is a vital part of learning to own oneself, of learning to respect oneself, of learning to love oneself. 

41. Strategies for High School
Keep Safe Environment awareness at the forefront of discussion and instruction
Encourage students to share concerns
Provide a safe campus and program spaces

42. Share information about the Groomer with students and their parents
Keep parents involved
Utilize age-appropriate materials
Encourage focus groups

43. FOR OUR PARENTS… Model “safe” behaviors
Model and support the Catholic /Christian values taught in the programs
Talk to your children
Encourage them to share their concerns
Encourage their trust in you
Encourage their trust in God
Know where they are and who they are with
Monitor relational interaction among peers

44. 9. Listen to their music
10. Check history of sites visited on computer/ check instant messaging/
11. Check text messaging on cell phones
12. Be sure cell phones have emergency numbers programmed (ICE)

45. 13. Attend Diocesan sponsored Safe Environment training
14. Discuss information shared in class
15. Report suspicious people, potential dangers to appropriate authorities
16. Partner with your Parish Program and its Ministers
17. Communicate questions and concerns to the catechist, youth leader, faith formation leader or pastor.

46. In Gratitude
Bishop Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of St. Petersburg, Br. John Cummings, FMS—Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Mr. Brian Lemoi, Director of Faith Formation and Br. Jerry Meegan, Director for Youth Ministry gratefully acknowledge the work of the following professional staff member of the Pastoral Center and Parishes and Schools of the Diocese of St. Petersburg who developed this Safe Environment Education Program.

47. In Gratitude Eileen Daly Kathy Filippelli Elizabeth Fulham
Ralph Higginbotham
Dr. Stuart Miller
Dr. Jo Ann Quinn
Kay Rizzo
Sara Stranz
Anna Marie Wright
Cindy Yevich

48. Let’s Look at Your Family Packet

49. Thank you for coming and helping us maintain safe environments!
Do you have any questions?
Let’s take time to review the materials we have provided for you and your family to use at home.
Thank you for coming and helping us maintain safe environments!
Give an overview of all the packet materials. Emphasize that there is information provided for parents so that they can make informed decisions about age appropriate information that they wish to share with their child as they deem the child to be ready. Also emphasize that review of these topics and repeat discussions of appropriate strategies to be safe strengthen the culture of awareness and protection for all.