For the seventh consecutive year, the archdiocese last month was found in full compliance with the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People after an offsite audit conducted by outside auditors.

“The results of the audit are a tribute to the work being done out in the parishes and schools. They are doing a great job,” said Edward Mechmann, director of the archdiocese’s Safe Environment Program since 2005.

“The corporate culture of the Church has changed so that child protection is now part of what we do,” he told CNY.

Audits of the archdiocese’s child protection policies and programs are conducted annually, with on-site audits occurring every three years. The next on-site audit will take place in two years, Mechmann said. The audits are conducted under the supervision of the National Review Board established by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Since the start of the program in 2003, the archdiocese has taken the following protective steps:

•86,667 background checks have been completed on clergy, employees and volunteers. (The checks include criminal background checks and sex offender registries.)

•77,527 clergy, employees and volunteers have received training on keeping children safe through “VIRTUS—Protecting God’s Children” or “Safer Spaces” classes.

•157,479 children received age-appropriate, morally sound safety training during the 2010-2011 school year. Safety training was also provided to parents of school and religious education students.

•48 people have been excluded from working with minors due to negative results of background checks or failing to comply with training or background check requirements.

While the audit results and the statistics relating to child protection indicate that the archdiocese’s approach has been both effective and comprehensive, now is no time to become complacent, Mechmann noted.

He explained that a new policy is being formulated to “refresh” the background checks of all current staff and volunteers in the archdiocese’s program, who now number some 48,000.

Training materials have been updated. A new version of the VIRTUS training video was introduced in the fall. The “Safer Spaces” training video, used for volunteers and non-instructional employees, now includes new information and policies.

Volunteers and non-instructional employees can now fulfill their training requirement by viewing the “Safer Spaces” video online, Mechmann said.

An online training “refresher” has been implemented for educators in leadership positions such as principals and directors of religious education. A printed training “refresher” resource is offered for teachers, catechists and others who work and volunteer regularly with minors.

Rising participation by adults and youths in such online offerings as Facebook and other social networking sites have led to “a blurring of boundaries online,” said Mechmann, who explained that many principals and others in supervisory positions are asking him for guidance in how to combat potential problems.

The anonymity and lack of supervision in the online world “makes inappropriate behavior so easy, and makes vigilance much more difficult,” Mechmann said.

He noted that the importance of “maintaining professional boundaries” is strongly emphasized in Safe Environment training sessions.

Other negative behaviors such as online bullying and “sexting” have also become common societal issues in recent years, he said.

In school presentations on cyberbullying, Mechmann said he encourages parents to “keep an eye on their kids and help them when they get into a tough situation.”

“We tell them to emphasize to their kids that they can come to them for help,” he said.