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Douglas Russell, Lottie Harris, Daryl Higgins, the Global Safeguarding Alliance
Porticus
To investigate the safeguarding capabilities of Catholic priests, staff, students, and communities across multiple countries.
Global inquiries across multiple continents have identified instances of child sexual abuse and cover ups in the Catholic Church. In order to ensure children and young people are safe in the Church, it is imperative that policies are complemented with safeguarding training and skill development for all members of the Church. This level of support can be applied to Catholic schools, social care facilities and ministry services.
Interventions targeting gaps in capabilities is the most efficient and appropriate way to ensure priests, teachers and other professionals and community members can keep children safe from sexual abuse.
The project will support the Church to understand trends in safeguarding capabilities across different countries but also across different roles within the Church (teachers, priests, seminarians, Religious Men and Women etc.). Understanding the gaps in capabilities can provide an opportunity for targeted interventions to support the safeguarding skills of everyone who can play their part in keeping children safe.
Quantitative data collection using the Safeguarding Capabilities Survey will be used in a cross-sectional method.
Ethics is overseen by Australian Catholic University.
Russell, D.H., Higgins, D. J., Harris, L., Rinaldi, A., Pound, M., & Zollner, H. (2024). The Safeguarding Capability of Adults in Catholic Church Ministries: A Global Perspective. Child Abuse & Neglect, Volume 153, 106801, ISSN 0145-2134.
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