Safe Enviroment Weekly Update: 5/2/2022

Did you know.. Child abuse can occur in every culture and every socio-economic demographic. Peer reviewed research, especially that of the past 30 years, repeatedly shows this to be true. This same research indicates that the vast majority of child abuse occurs at the hands of someone known to the victim. Those who seek to do harm to children will pursue opportunities that provide access to children and may even ingratiate themselves into the home. You can protect children by respecting the safe environment protocols stablished at youth serving organizations and reporting any concerns that you may have. More importantly, you can implement many of these protocols in your home and be ever observant and vigilant in all public and private settings.

To report abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult or an incident of child pornography in the Diocese of Bridgeport involving any person from the Church, call DCF at: 1.800.842.2288 and Erin Neil, L.C.S.W. at: 203.650.3265 or Michael Tintrup L.C.S.W. at: 203.241.0987. You may also contact a Third-Party reporting hotline at: www.lighthouse-services.com/diobpt or call: 833.990.0004or fill out a written report of abuse or neglect at the following link: www.bridgeportdiocese.org/safe-environments/incident-report-of-an-allegation-of-abuse-or-misconduct.