As Catholic Christians, it is our duty to support and sustain the ‘common good’- “…the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach fulfillment more fully and more easily.” (Guaudiem Et Spes 26 1).
There are 3 essential elements to the ‘common good’:
Respecting and promoting the rights of each person
Developing spiritual and temporal goods
Supporting the peace and security of each person
All abuses, especially sexual abuse, is a violation against the dignity of the human person and cripples the ‘common good’.
How can YOU go about supporting the ‘common good’ as it relates to the awareness, prevention and healing of sexual abuse? Below are some opportunities and resources to help each of us to make a good start.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Get involved in the lives of children in need!
http://www.catholiccharitiesatlanta.org/getinvolved/– Catholic Charities Atlanta provides a number of ways to get involved. You make a difference whether you are teaching English as a Second Language, tutoring, serving as a research assistant to help with grant writing, training inmates in thoughtful decision making, event volunteering, organizing and teaching social justice, data entry, filing and more. For more information contact Margaret Prickett, Volunteer Coordinator at (770) 790-3118 or mprickett@archatl.com or view the volunteer opportunities on the Volunteer Match web site at www.volunteermatch.org/search/org45393.jsp http://www.gacasa.org/– Court Appointed Special Advocates are volunteers that speak for the best interests of abused, neglected and abandoned children in juvenile court proceedings. The ultimate goal of a CASA volunteer is to help ensure every child has a safe, permanent home, as quickly as possible. Without volunteers, CASA programs could not exist. The CASA program recruits, trains and supervises volunteers from the local community. Be an advocate for children who have been abused or neglected…contact CASA today! http://raisemeup.org/– Partner with the Georgia DHS/DFCS and the Casey Family Foundation to improve the lives of children living in foster care. Contact Raise Me Up today to see how you can help. www.icmma.org – The Interfaith Children’s Movement is founded on the conviction that people of all faiths can, and must, work together — across boundaries of religious institutions and spiritual practices — to improve the lives and well-being of all children. ICM calls upon the thousands of faith communities in Georgia to put their faith in action and bring their compassion and commitment to the fight against social inequities that threaten our children’s ability to realize their potential.
RESOURCES
For information, healing, and education materials
http://www.preventchildabusega.org– Since 1972, Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America) has led the way in building awareness, providing education and inspiring hope to everyone involved in the effort to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation's children. Working with our chapters, we provide leadership to promote and implement prevention efforts at both the national and local levels. With the help of our state chapters and concerned individuals like you we're valuing children, strengthening families and engaging communities nationwide.
www.voicetoday.org– Victory Over Incest Changes Everyone addresses the silence that surrounds the issue of sexual abuse to those who have been sexually abused by family, friend, acquaintance, or community leader through prevention, awareness education and healing…a VOICE of healing to survivors, of protection to children, and of prevention to adults.
www.cfchildren.org - Programs and prevention curricula focus on the topics of youth violence, bullying, child abuse, and personal safety.
www.darkness2light.org/default.asp - Resource site and materials to provide adults with information to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to reduce child sexual abuse through education and public awareness. Educational booklets, bookrack cards, and posters are available in English and Spanish.
www.fbi.gov - Federal Bureau of Investigation site with resources for Internet safety for parents, Kids’ Page for K-12 students, and child safety tips.
http://www.fredthefox.com/ Fred the Fox helps parents and caregivers introduce the concepts of "private parts" and safety with people we know. Through open communication with the people that love him most, Fred learns he has a strong voice inside and how to use it.
www.missingkids.com and/or www.ncmec.org - The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children web site, a comprehensive resource for educators, parents & guardians, childcare providers, attorneys, and media, providing information about missing children, reporting exploitation, keeping children & teens safe, and child/teen sexual exploitation prevention.
www.NetSmartz.org – The NetSmartz Workshop is an interactive, educational safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for children aged 5 to 17, parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement that uses age-appropriate, 3-D activities to teach children and teens how to stay safer on the Internet.
www.NetSmartz411.org - Premier online resource and Help Desk for answering questions about Internet safety, computers, the Web, and a knowledge base for answers to questions about the online world.
www.nsopr.gov – United States Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Offender Registry.
www.safeyouth.org/scripts/index.asp - National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center is a federal resource for communities working to prevent violence committed by and against young people. Its mission is to provide key leaders in communities with dynamic resources to help support their efforts to plan, develop, implement, and evaluate youth violence prevention efforts.
http://www.nctsnet.org Established by Congress in 2000, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is a unique collaboration of academic and community-based service centers whose mission is to raise the standard of care and increase access to services for traumatized children and their families across the United States. Combining knowledge of child development, expertise in the full range of child traumatic experiences, and attention to cultural perspectives, the NCTSN serves as a national resource for developing and disseminating evidence-based interventions, trauma-informed services, and public and professional education.
www.nfcym.org - The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry site provides information for youth ministry coordinators to support a pastoral response to young people, to foster awareness of and education on sexual abuse issues, and to promote authentic dialogue.
Note: Throughout its website, the Archdiocese of Atlanta provides links to other websites solely for the user's convenience. By providing these links, the Archdiocese of Atlanta assumes no responsibility for, nor does it necessarily endorse, these websites, their content, or their sponsoring organizations.
For help locating general community services that may be of benefit to you such as support groups and victim advocates,
contact the Archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection at
404-920-7550 or ocyp@archatl.com
General Resources