E-learning curriculum "Prevention of child sexual abuse" for pastoral professions
Keywords
Prevention, further education, child sexual abuse, e-learning
Project management
Co-operation partner
Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Prof. Dr Pater Hans Zollner)
Archdiocese of Munich Freising (Monsignor Klaus Peter Franzl)
International co-operation partners
The courses were trialled during the development phase in cooperation with the following locations:
Archdiocese of Munich and Freising (Germany)
Archdiocese of Fermo (Italy)
Archdiocese of Tamale (Ghana)
Diocese of Malindi (Kenya)
Archdiocese of Cordoba (Argentina)
Archdiocese of Portoviejo (Ecuador)
Jamshedpur Province, Jesuits (India)
Indonesian Province, Jesuits (Indonesia)
Project duration
01/2012-12/2014
Project description
The Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Prof. Dr. Pater Hans Zollner) founded the Centre for Child Protection in Munich in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Munich Freising (Monsignor Klaus Peter Franzl) and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Ulm University Hospital (Medical Director: Prof. Dr. med. Jörg Fegert).
The primary aim of this centre was to implement a web-based prevention and intervention programme for the prevention of sexual abuse by training professionals. Building on the online course "Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse" for medical-therapeutic and educational professions, an e-learning curriculum was to be developed specifically for the requirements of pastoral professions in German, English, Spanish and Italian.
For all four project languages, 29 learning units were created to train employees of Catholic organisations worldwide in the prevention of sexual abuse. Each learning unit contains interactive case studies, exercises, quizzes, teaching texts and tasks for self-reflection. Courses were trialled in ten countries with a total of 715 participants. The results of the evaluation show that the e-learning curriculum was seen by employees of the Catholic Church as helpful in acquiring skills and knowledge in dealing with sexual abuse. Even though access to the internet was a challenge, especially in developing countries, the e-learning curriculum was the only way for many to deal with the prevention of sexual abuse in depth.
Publications and materials produced
Böhm, B., Zollner, H., Fegert, J.M., & Liebhardt, H. (2014). Child Sexual Abuse in the Context of the Roman Catholic Church: A Review of Literature from 1981-2013 Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 23 (6), 635-656.
Fegert, J. M.; Böhm, B.; Rassenhofer, M.; Witte, S. (2015): Reactions to the abuse cases in the Catholic Church in Germany. In: Neurology 33(7), pp. 481-584.
Fegert, J. M.; Witte, S.; Rassenhofer, M.; Zimmer, A.; Böhm, B. (2015): Victims of sexual abuse by priests, members of religious orders and employees in ecclesiastical institutions - context and effects. In: Neurology 33 (7), pp. 481-584.
Witte, S.; Böhm, B.; Fegert, J. M. (2015): International e-learning curriculum "Prevention of child sexual abuse for pastoral professions" Research results on satisfaction, quality and fit. In: Neurology (7), pp. 481-584.
Zollner, H., Fuchs, K. A. & Fegert, J. M. (2013). Avoiding victimisation, prevention through better information. Neurology, 32, 819-826.
Zollner, H., Fuchs, K. A. & Fegert, J. M. (2013). Effective prevention!? Kinder- und Jugendschutz in Wissenschaft und Praxis, 58, 115-121. (Abridged version of the original article from Nervenheilkunde).
Zollner, H., Fuchs, K. A. & Fegert, J. M. (2014). Prevention of sexual abuse: improved information is crucial. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 5. (Modified commentary based on a German original publication in Nervenheilkunde 32.)
Zollner, H., Fuchs, K. A., & Fegert, J. M. (2014). Prevenzione degli abusi sessuali sui minori. Tredimensioni, 11, 308-316.
Contact address
Supported by:
Archdiocese of Munich and Freising
Papal Foundation "The Papal Foundation"
Diocese of Osnabrück
Diocese of Augsburg
Diocese of Innsbruck
Sisters of Mercy of St Vincent de Paul - Munich
(and private sponsors from the USA and Germany)