How to ensure the safety of children in the church environment?

On February 6-7, the Child Dignity Center of the Ukrainian Catholic University held a second-level formation school for clergy, consecrated persons, and heads of relevant diocesan commissions.

The second-level school, titled "Creating a Safe Environment for the Child," aimed to delve deeper into the topics of violence prevention. It was attended by priests, consecrated persons, and laypeople involved in parish work with children. All of them had previously completed training on responding to violence at the first-level school organized by the Child Dignity Center of the Ukrainian Catholic University. Over the course of two days, 42 participants from the Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Churches of Ukraine studied tools for building a safety system in the church to prevent violence, creating a safe environment for children's growth, and systematically working with children at parishes while nurturing their dignity.

Ivanka Rudakevych, the head of projects and programs at the Child Dignity Center, shared: "Child abuse is often talked about only when something has already happened and there has been publicity. This School was about preventing that from happening. It was about making sure that adults know the specific tools to prevent harm. What can we do to ensure that dangerous individuals do not have access to children? What behaviors are acceptable, and which ones raise red flags? How do we assess whether our environment increases the risk of violence? How do we talk about this with the community so that everyone can contribute to safety? What should we teach children so they know where to turn for help? We tried to 'crack open the window' on all these topics. And I am glad that the school included people from different denominations who took the initiative to learn more."

The first day of the training began with a lecture by Oleksandra Nizdrany, a psychotherapist specializing in positive psychotherapy and an associate professor at the Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy at the Ukrainian Catholic University, on the impact of war on the level of violence in society and the protection of children.

We spoke with Ivanka Rudakevych, the head of projects and programs at the Child Dignity Center of the Ukrainian Catholic University, about the essence and goals of safeguarding policies, using the document "Norms and Principles for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons," which is followed by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, as an example.

Maria Baitsar, a psychiatrist at the Health and Development Center "Kolo Sim'i" and a CBT psychotherapist, spoke about the types of violence, their indicators, consequences, and secondary victims.

Father Sava Masnyk, a hieromonk and psychotherapist, spoke about the rules of conduct with minors and the principles of organizing pastoral activities with them, which every adult working with children should know and understand.

Yuliiana Maslak, a child psychiatrist and psychotherapist specializing in cognitive-behavioral therapy with children, adolescents, and adults, spoke about how and what to discuss with children to prevent violence.

The second day of the training began with a lecture by Father Ruslan Sidelynyk, a Doctor of Theology and a priestly vocation formator, on "Spiritual Abuse in the Context of Violence Against Minors and Vulnerable Persons."

The discussion on identifying the risks of violence against minors and vulnerable persons and how to assess them was held with Sister Tadea Yartym, who is responsible for receiving reports of violence against minors in the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Colleagues from Australia shared their experience in implementing safeguarding policies: Barbara Blaney, the head of safeguarding programs at the Archdiocese of Perth, and David Trainor, the Director of Safeguarding and Compliance at the Australian Catholic Safeguarding Association.

Khrystyna Tsar, the head of the Human Resources Department at the Ukrainian Catholic University, spoke about safe recruitment and how to hire individuals who will work with children.

The training concluded with a workshop by Veronika Savruk, the head of the Information and Marketing Department at the Ukrainian Catholic University, on how to convey key topics about the prevention of violence against children to different target audiences within the church community.

Feedback from the formation participants:

Sister Alfonsa Karapata, Superior of the Ukrainian Province of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer:
"From this school, I took a guiding phrase: 'Prevention of violence is not our duty, it is our ministry.' And each of us, in our own place, needs to realize this. For me, the important topics in this school were the impact of war on the rise of violence and the issue of spiritual abuse. I deepened and systematized my knowledge, and I will apply it in my work."

Father Volodymyr Buhrak, Rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral in the city of Kremenets:
"We hold a camp for children in Horytsya every year, and the knowledge gained at this school will provide a good foundation to consider all the risks and ensure safety. It is important to conduct safety briefings for both the children and the camp organizers and teach them how to respond to threats."

Father Ruslan Sidelynyk, Doctor of Theology, Vocation Formator, Spiritual Director:
"After the first-level school, I already had the opportunity to engage in issues related to children's safety. This school, however, allows me to look at the issue of violence prevention in a more comprehensive way and systematize the knowledge I had previously acquired. It also helped me understand that everything we do to protect children, we are not doing just for our parishes or places of service, but we are doing it for the entire Church."

Father Andriy Rak, Administrator of the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul in Novoyavorivsk:
"The knowledge we gained here makes us more sensitive. We will try to implement it in our parish life. For me, participating in this training is valuable because I learned more about the prevention of violence against minors and vulnerable persons, about respecting the dignity of the child, and I also had the opportunity to meet course participants for whom this topic is equally relevant, and with whom I can collaborate in the field of child protection."

Sister Piya Firtha, Congregation of the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Virgin Mary:
"This was not just an exchange of knowledge—it was a space of trust, understanding, and a shared search for answers to the most difficult questions. Your work not only changes one's worldview but also alters the approach to children, to their dignity, and to how we, as adults, can be present—attentively, compassionately, and responsibly. Thank you for every word, every experience, and every tool that will help make this world safer and more humane."