• About
  • Contact
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Catholic Sabah
  • News
    • All
    • Asia
    • Focus
    • Local
    • Nation
    • Vatican
    • World
    Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

    Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

    China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

    China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

    Pope Leo XIV ‘deeply saddened’ by London-bound plane crash in India

    Pope Leo XIV ‘deeply saddened’ by London-bound plane crash in India

    Pope to Rome’s priests: ‘You are all precious in the eyes of God’

    Pope to Rome’s priests: ‘You are all precious in the eyes of God’

    Jubilee of Sport: Champions and artisans of hope

    Jubilee of Sport: Champions and artisans of hope

    ‘This is a mission of love’: Archbishop calls youth to deeper faith at NYD opening

    ‘This is a mission of love’: Archbishop calls youth to deeper faith at NYD opening

    Sabah Council of Churches alongside Archdiocese of KK to host Teachers’ Appreciation Day

    Sabah Council of Churches alongside Archdiocese of KK to host Teachers’ Appreciation Day

    Church in Indonesia marks 85 years with forum on mission, catechesis, and growt

    Church in Indonesia marks 85 years with forum on mission, catechesis, and growt

    Pope Leo prays for the victims of school shooting in Austria

    Pope Leo prays for the victims of school shooting in Austria

  • Opinion
    • All
    • Im on my Way
    • Kanou Monuhid Lahan Koposizon
    • Making A Difference
    • Mantad Di Katekis Peter
    • Reflection: Straight Talking
    The curious story of the Nicene Creed

    The curious story of the Nicene Creed

    Challenges of teaching theology in lived experiences

    Challenges of teaching theology in lived experiences

    Myth and history

    Myth and history

    Did Teresa of Avila inspire Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’?

    Did Teresa of Avila inspire Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’?

    Are conclaves really secret?

    Are conclaves really secret?

    Kartini Day and gender justice in Indonesian Catholicism

    Kartini Day and gender justice in Indonesian Catholicism

    What Catholic Sabah stands for

    Cohabitation – trial run for marriage?

    The meaning of Easter

    The meaning of Easter

  • Feature
    Kisah pertemuan dengan Kristus: Pengalaman sertai Jubli para Remaja di Vatikan

    Kisah pertemuan dengan Kristus: Pengalaman sertai Jubli para Remaja di Vatikan

    Council of Constantinople reaffirms Christ’s divinity and clarifies the Trinity

    Council of Constantinople reaffirms Christ’s divinity and clarifies the Trinity

    South Korean Catholic convert finds strength in Legion of Mary

    South Korean Catholic convert finds strength in Legion of Mary

    Slogan “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” harus dipupuk hingga ke generasi seterusnya

    Slogan “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” harus dipupuk hingga ke generasi seterusnya

    Bahasa ibunda adalah warisan dalam kehidupan

    Bahasa ibunda adalah warisan dalam kehidupan

    Remembering Francis, a Pope who led the Church to the peripheries

    Remembering Francis, a Pope who led the Church to the peripheries

    A Filipina nanny’s turbulent journey to Cambodia tells a bigger story

    A Filipina nanny’s turbulent journey to Cambodia tells a bigger story

    Personal sharing of 25 years in the priesthood

    Personal sharing of 25 years in the priesthood

  • Statements
    World Day of Social Communications 2025 message by Pope Francis

    World Day of Social Communications 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Banns of Sacerdotal Ordination

    Banns of Sacerdotal Ordination

    Perutusan daripada Presiden Persidangan Uskup-Uskup Katolik Malaysia sempena Hari Malaysia

    Pastoral Letter on Earthquake in Myanmar and Regional Solidarity Appeal

    Chancery Notice

    Chancery Notice

    FABC Pastoral Letter to the local churches in Asia

    FABC Pastoral Letter to the local churches in Asia

    Commotion in Church: Press statement from Archbishop Simon Poh

    Commotion in Church: Press statement from Archbishop Simon Poh

    Lent 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Lent 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Pastoral Statement for dispensation from fasting  during Chinese New Year 2025

    Pastoral Statement for dispensation from fasting during Chinese New Year 2025

  • Chinese
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Kadazan Dusun
  • JUBILEE 2025
  • About
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • All
    • Asia
    • Focus
    • Local
    • Nation
    • Vatican
    • World
    Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

    Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

    China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

    China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

    Pope Leo XIV ‘deeply saddened’ by London-bound plane crash in India

    Pope Leo XIV ‘deeply saddened’ by London-bound plane crash in India

    Pope to Rome’s priests: ‘You are all precious in the eyes of God’

    Pope to Rome’s priests: ‘You are all precious in the eyes of God’

    Jubilee of Sport: Champions and artisans of hope

    Jubilee of Sport: Champions and artisans of hope

    ‘This is a mission of love’: Archbishop calls youth to deeper faith at NYD opening

    ‘This is a mission of love’: Archbishop calls youth to deeper faith at NYD opening

    Sabah Council of Churches alongside Archdiocese of KK to host Teachers’ Appreciation Day

    Sabah Council of Churches alongside Archdiocese of KK to host Teachers’ Appreciation Day

    Church in Indonesia marks 85 years with forum on mission, catechesis, and growt

    Church in Indonesia marks 85 years with forum on mission, catechesis, and growt

    Pope Leo prays for the victims of school shooting in Austria

    Pope Leo prays for the victims of school shooting in Austria

  • Opinion
    • All
    • Im on my Way
    • Kanou Monuhid Lahan Koposizon
    • Making A Difference
    • Mantad Di Katekis Peter
    • Reflection: Straight Talking
    The curious story of the Nicene Creed

    The curious story of the Nicene Creed

    Challenges of teaching theology in lived experiences

    Challenges of teaching theology in lived experiences

    Myth and history

    Myth and history

    Did Teresa of Avila inspire Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’?

    Did Teresa of Avila inspire Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’?

    Are conclaves really secret?

    Are conclaves really secret?

    Kartini Day and gender justice in Indonesian Catholicism

    Kartini Day and gender justice in Indonesian Catholicism

    What Catholic Sabah stands for

    Cohabitation – trial run for marriage?

    The meaning of Easter

    The meaning of Easter

  • Feature
    Kisah pertemuan dengan Kristus: Pengalaman sertai Jubli para Remaja di Vatikan

    Kisah pertemuan dengan Kristus: Pengalaman sertai Jubli para Remaja di Vatikan

    Council of Constantinople reaffirms Christ’s divinity and clarifies the Trinity

    Council of Constantinople reaffirms Christ’s divinity and clarifies the Trinity

    South Korean Catholic convert finds strength in Legion of Mary

    South Korean Catholic convert finds strength in Legion of Mary

    Slogan “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” harus dipupuk hingga ke generasi seterusnya

    Slogan “Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa” harus dipupuk hingga ke generasi seterusnya

    Bahasa ibunda adalah warisan dalam kehidupan

    Bahasa ibunda adalah warisan dalam kehidupan

    Remembering Francis, a Pope who led the Church to the peripheries

    Remembering Francis, a Pope who led the Church to the peripheries

    A Filipina nanny’s turbulent journey to Cambodia tells a bigger story

    A Filipina nanny’s turbulent journey to Cambodia tells a bigger story

    Personal sharing of 25 years in the priesthood

    Personal sharing of 25 years in the priesthood

  • Statements
    World Day of Social Communications 2025 message by Pope Francis

    World Day of Social Communications 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Banns of Sacerdotal Ordination

    Banns of Sacerdotal Ordination

    Perutusan daripada Presiden Persidangan Uskup-Uskup Katolik Malaysia sempena Hari Malaysia

    Pastoral Letter on Earthquake in Myanmar and Regional Solidarity Appeal

    Chancery Notice

    Chancery Notice

    FABC Pastoral Letter to the local churches in Asia

    FABC Pastoral Letter to the local churches in Asia

    Commotion in Church: Press statement from Archbishop Simon Poh

    Commotion in Church: Press statement from Archbishop Simon Poh

    Lent 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Lent 2025 message by Pope Francis

    Pastoral Statement for dispensation from fasting  during Chinese New Year 2025

    Pastoral Statement for dispensation from fasting during Chinese New Year 2025

  • Chinese
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Kadazan Dusun
  • JUBILEE 2025
  • About
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Catholic Sabah
No Result
View All Result
Home News Focus

Protecting children from abuse and exploitation

June 27, 2020
in Focus
Protecting children from abuse and exploitation

Poster: Stop child abuse

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

June 27 2020

A child protection and safeguarding expert talks about protecting children from abuse and exploitation, and provides tips to caregivers.

Judi Fairholm is a mother and grandmother living in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada. She has been working for thirty-five years in child protection and safeguarding. Judi currently is a Senior Expert for the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.

In an interview with Sr Bernadette Reis, Judi talks about how Covid-19 has affected children in situations of abuse at home, and points out telltale signs that a child may be being exploited or abused sexually. She also offers tips to parents to keep their children safe from abuse or exploitation online, as well as tips to parents for their own well-being during lockdown.

Locked in and locked out

Judi describes the situation of children living in abusive situations at home during the Covid-19 lockdown as “locked in and locked out”. They not only have to deal with the reality of Covid-19, but continual abuse as well. “I think what has happened is with the schools and communities in society locking down children have been locked in,” Judi explains. For children with abusive parents, relatives or caregivers, this means “they’ve been locked in with their abusers.”

The flip side of being locked in is they have also been “locked out of schools and other agencies who often protect them.” Children in this situation are, therefore more vulnerable. In addition, with so much time on their hands, “children are spending longer times online and perpetrators online have more access to them.”

Telltale signs of abuse

Judi says that children communicate “what’s happening with them by their behavior.” It is particularly necessary to be “vigilant and sensitive” in observing behavioral changes, Judi advises. This means catching behavior that “is not normal for a child”, or seeing “a child who is getting angry frequently”. Judi admits that stress in the family can also trigger anger in children. “There’s lots of reasons for them to get angry,” she says, “but it’s always something to explore and try to understand.” The tools for that caregivers need to use are being vigilant, observant, and listening to children. This can help ensure that they are safe wherever they are, Judi says.

Third parties

Those who are not an immediate family member may pick up these signs in children with whom they come into contact. In this case, Judi advises that the “third party has to really listen to those signs” and “figure out if there’s a pattern”. If there does seem to be a pattern of erratic behavior, ”they should get support for the child,” she says.

Who’s online when

Supervising children’s online time and behavior “has really been difficult for parents,” Judi says, “because obviously families are under stress.” Families are facing much more stress under lockdown and they are navigating the same small space for longer periods of time. “And so it’s easy, if the network is available, and if the child has a device, to just say, ‘Oh well, they’re quiet in the corner. We don’t need to worry about them.’”

It is the adult’s responsibility to understand “who they’re interacting with online and how long they’re spending online.” She also suggests family rules regulating “when they’re offline and the whole family’s offline.”

Have the conversation

Regulating when children are online, who they are online with and what they are doing online “really changes by age”. Judi admits it is easier to regulate younger children. The key with adolescents is dialogue, Judi says. It requires “teaching them about when they could be at risk and what are the signs when somebody could be trolling them, could be wanting to access them, asking them to do things that are inappropriate, or make them feel uncomfortable. These are the “types of conversations parents need to have with their child,” Judi says.

Taking care of everybody

Providing care for others, and not causing harm to oneself or others begins with caring for oneself, Judi stated:

“In order to take care of our children and our families we need to take care of ourselves. There’s always the great instructions that come when you’re in airplanes that say you put your own oxygen mask on first before you put it on your children. I think that applies here: we need to take care of ourselves. We need to know how to set limits on ourselves, when we need to take breaks; when we find out that we’re getting really stressed out, when we’re feeling anger, that we have systems for coping, for handling that – either by removing ourselves from situations or by seeking support and talking it out, whatever works for us.”

The three “Rs”

Parents need to clearly identify what their expectations are of their children and clearly communicate them.

To achieve this goal, Judi recommends the three “Rs”: to “Reassure, to have Routines, and to Regulate”. The last R not only applies to regulating children, Judi said. It means “Regulating our own emotions as adults and also teaching children how to regulate emotions.”

Previous Post

June 28 2020

Next Post

At least 92 people killed by lightning in India

Related Posts

Jun 15 2025
Readings

Jun 15 2025

June 15, 2025
Jun 14 2025
Readings

Jun 14 2025

June 14, 2025
Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ
Asia

Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

June 13, 2025
Next Post
At least 92 people killed by lightning in India

At least 92 people killed by lightning in India

Recent News

Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

June 13, 2025
China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

June 13, 2025
Pope Leo XIV ‘deeply saddened’ by London-bound plane crash in India

Pope Leo XIV ‘deeply saddened’ by London-bound plane crash in India

June 13, 2025
Pope to Rome’s priests: ‘You are all precious in the eyes of God’

Pope to Rome’s priests: ‘You are all precious in the eyes of God’

June 13, 2025
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minor reshuffle and new appointment of priests

Minor reshuffle and new appointment of priests

July 15, 2024
Enggan punya anak, antara sebab perpisahan suami-isteri

Enggan punya anak, antara sebab perpisahan suami-isteri

May 20, 2025
Minor transfer of priests

Minor transfer of priests

November 11, 2023
Tender Notice St Catherine of Laboure Church, Putatan

Tender Notice St Catherine of Laboure Church, Putatan

April 29, 2025
The Church wants to be more the ‘inn’ of the Good Samaritan for the sick

The Church wants to be more the ‘inn’ of the Good Samaritan for the sick

Parishioners are invited to help form prophetic and servant priests

Parishioners are invited to help form prophetic and servant priests

Archdiocesan Notice on SSPX

Archdiocesan Notice on SSPX

April 28 2020

April 28 2020

Jun 15 2025

Jun 15 2025

June 15, 2025
Jun 14 2025

Jun 14 2025

June 14, 2025
Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

June 13, 2025
China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

June 13, 2025
Catholic Sabah

Catholic Sabah is a media organization based in Sabah Malaysia. We bring you the latest Catholic news right to your doorstep!

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Asia
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Borneo: Ordinary Person, Extraordinary Faith
  • Chinese
  • Feature
  • Focus
  • Im on my Way
  • JUBILEE 2025
  • Kadazan Dusun
  • Kanou Monuhid Lahan Koposizon
  • Local
  • Making A Difference
  • Mantad Di Katekis Peter
  • Nation
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Readings
  • Reflection: Straight Talking
  • Statements
  • Vatican
  • World

Recent Additions

Jun 15 2025

Jun 14 2025

Singapore cardinal urges Catholic communicators to share hope rooted in Christ

China, Vietnam among most food-self-sufficient nations, study says

Pope Leo XIV ‘deeply saddened’ by London-bound plane crash in India

Pope to Rome’s priests: ‘You are all precious in the eyes of God’

  • About
  • Contact

© 2024 Catholic Sabah - Powered by KK Top Web.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Feature
  • Statements
  • Chinese
  • Bahasa Melayu
  • Kadazan Dusun
  • JUBILEE 2025
  • About
  • Donate

© 2024 Catholic Sabah - Powered by KK Top Web.