Preventative strategies

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1. Each Church authority shall ensure that all Church personnel are made aware of the seriousness of abuse. They should be warned of behaviour that is inappropriate or which might be misunderstood as involving improper behaviour.
2. Each Church authority shall ensure that those working with children and young people are made aware of the issue of child abuse and are given information concerning processes for reporting disclosures of abuse. They should also be given information on how to conduct children's and youth ministry in such a manner as to reduce the risk of child abuse occurring.
3. Church bodies, especially those involved in providing care for children, shall have in place procedures, consistent with good child protection and industrial relations practice, for verifying the suitability of persons for employment or for participation as volunteers. They shall obey all applicable laws concerning employment screening and the prohibition of certain convicted persons from employment involving children.
4. Whenever a Church authority is concerned about the behaviour of any person connected with that Church body which might lead to a complaint of abuse, this fact should be brought to the attention of that person and appropriate steps taken to determine whether the behaviour is the symptom of a deeper problem requiring attention.
5. Church personnel who feel that they might be in danger of committing abuse shall be offered opportunities to seek both spiritual and psychological assistance before the problem becomes unmanageable and they offend. Names of suitable therapists and treatment programs should be made available.
6. In these same circumstances the Church authority in the diocese or institute where the cleric or religious previously lived and worked, shall provide a statement in writing to the new diocese or institute indicating whether such authority knows of any complaints of abuse which have been substantiated or is aware of circumstances that could lead to a complaint of abuse. Where there has been a substantiated complaint, the Church authority shall furnish all information necessary to evaluate the seriousness of the offense, and shall report on all treatment undertaken, and other measures employed to ensure that further offences do not occur. Such statements shall be held as confidential documents by the Church authorities.
7. Whenever a cleric or religious is to transfer from one diocese or institute to another, or is to carry out a ministry or apostolate in another diocese or institute, the Church authority to which the person is to be transferred shall ask for a written statement from the priest or religious indicating whether there have been any substantiated complaints of abuse against him or her or whether there are known circumstances that could lead to a complaint of abuse. Such statements shall be held as confidential documents by the Church authority.
8. Each Church authority shall have in place procedures for verifying the suitability of candidates for seminaries or religious institutes. In particular, candidates must be asked to state in writing whether they have a criminal record, or any complaints of abuse have been made against them, or whether there are any known circumstances that could lead to a complaint of abuse against them.
9. While due process must be observed, any proven incident of sexual assault or other serious abuse must lead to the dismissal of a seminarian from a seminary or a candidate from an institute's program of formation.
10. Church authorities shall be honest and frank in references and shall not act in away which would allow an offender to obtain employment in circumstances where others might be at risk.

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