Keeping children from harm is essential, but it is just as important to prioritize the protection of vulnerable adults. A vulnerable adult is someone who, due to a physical, mental, emotional, or behavior condition, may not be able to protect themselves from harm or ex...

The Daughters of St. Paul (often referred to as the media nuns) have introduced a YouTube series designed to help parents navigate online safety and media skills for their children. The Digital Age Family Safety course offers short videos that teach parents about media...

The Office of Safeguard the Children of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles annually publishes the Working Together to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Brochure, which provides an up-to-date listing of safe environment policies, programs, resources, contact numbers and other impo...

Happy Easter! Along with the celebration of Easter, April is also Child Abuse Prevention Month. Saint Augustine said that we are “Easter People whose song is Alleluia” – living in the fullness of the resurrection drawing all around them to a place of light, wholeness, ...

Human trafficking can happen anywhere and when we least expect it. Traffickers often focus on potential victims who are vulnerable, for example, if a child has an unstable or unsupportive home life. One way to take action is to eliminate vulnerabilities wherever possib...

Receiving a disclosure of abuse is a huge responsibility — and one that must be handled properly to ensure the child’s safety. First and foremost, it is important to remain calm, and to let the child know that you are listening and taking them seriously. Assure them th...

Domestic violence has many forms, including emotional, financial, physical, and sexual abuse. Research on children who live in homes with domestic violence shows that there can be long-standing consequences to a child’s health. Twenty-six states have passed laws protec...

We know that pornography is a great evil, and easy access to the internet makes it all too likely that many children will be exposed to pornography at increasingly young ages — even if they are not actively searching for it. Children who are exposed to pornography are ...

In practice, grooming relies on secrecy. Groomers use secrets to bind their child victims to them, starting with small secrets and working up to harmful ones, like abusive behaviors. Predators often use bribery (“I’ll let you stay up late and watch TV if you let me do ...

As a safe adult, you have tremendous power to make a profound difference for children – not only by recognizing and responding to unsafe situations, but also by teaching children about their rights to safety and creating environments where they can speak up and get hel...