PENNSYLVANIA
Sys-Con Media
HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) today issued the following statement commending the Task Force on Child Protection for its efforts to strengthen mandatory reporting laws to protect victims of child abuse:
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference commends the Task Force on Child Protection for its thorough examination of the laws and procedures governing the mandated reporting of child abuse.
The Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania have for some time required training and extensive background checks for both employees and volunteers who have substantial contact with minors. The Church has trained hundreds of thousands of adults engaged in Church ministries about creating a safe environment for children. Mandated reporters are trained to recognize signs of abuse and to understand their responsibility to take action if abuse is suspected and students receive instruction in age appropriate child abuse awareness programs. Many of the stringent reporting and training requirements were implemented following the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which examined child abuse in the Church.
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