VIRTUS
Protecting God’s Children  

As part of its efforts to protect children and young people, the Diocese of Scranton has implemented a multi-faceted national program called VIRTUS that is training thousands of individuals across 11 counties "clergy, religious, staff, youth program volunteers, teachers, parents and other adults, and children themselves" about the dangers of child sexual abuse and ways to recognize, report and ultimately prevent it.

The Charter to Protect Children and Young People enacted by the U.S. Bishops in 2002, and the subsequent Church norms approved by the Vatican, give every diocese the mandate to establish educational and training programs that will help everyone to recognize and deal effectively with the problem of child sexual abuse.

To fulfill this requirement, the Diocese has chosen the “Protecting God’s Children” component of VIRTUS, which is aimed at establishing and maintaining a safe environment for all children. The VIRTUS programs have been developed by The National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc. of Lisle, Ill., a non-profit organization that provides risk control services to one-third of the Catholic dioceses in the U.S., including the Diocese of Scranton.

VIRTUS, derived from the Latin word meaning moral strength and excellence, represented a behavior and way of life in ancient times that aspired to the highest moral code and appropriate human interaction. The modern-day program which carries its name aspires to uphold these values. The program is in place in a number of other dioceses in the U.S.

The training sessions include videotaped presentations with sexual abuse offenders who bluntly reveal how they groomed their victims. Victims appearing on the videos were abused by a teacher, a camp counselor, a neighbor and a priest. In addition, victims and their families relate the devastation they faced at the hands of their abusers. The second part of the training includes a video that presents a plan on how to create a safe environment. This plan empowers people and gives them hope that there are indeed ways to prevent sexual abuse.

Since the initial sessions were held in the spring of 2003, the Diocese has trained a number of screened volunteers who have, in turn, been training others in the VIRTUS methodology. All training is monitored and evaluated. In addition to the live training sessions, VIRTUS also includes comprehensive seminars, manuals, handouts, a think-tank team approach to developing and implementing services, and required web-based continuing education on a monthly basis on ways to protect children.

To date, approximately 530 sessions have been held throughout the 11 counties that make up the Diocese of Scranton.  Over 16,000 individuals, including Diocesan clergy, staff, teachers, coaches, parents and volunteers have been trained in ways to recognize and report child sexual abuse.

Teaching Touching Safety  

The national Charter to Protect Children and Young People also requires each diocese to set up a safety education program for children. Accordingly, the Diocese of Scranton has implemented another VIRTUS program, called “Teaching Touching Safety,” which is designed specifically for children.

The safety education program for students in grades K-10 teaches them how to recognize and avoid situations that could lead to sexual abuse. It also encourages communication between children and their parents so that dangerous situations and incidents are reported promptly.

The children’s program has been offered in our Diocesan Catholic schools in the spring of 2005, 2006, 2007 and will be offered again in 2008. 

The VIRTUS programs for adults and children are ongoing. They are vital components of the Diocese of Scranton’s continuing commitment to ensure safe environments for all children. For more information on this commitment, please click on the following link: