A total of more than 100 people participated in the formation. At the start of each training session, Fr. Samuel Segura, Provincial Vicar and SSM's Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Officer, welcomed the parents and explained to them how in the Province "We are deeply committed to making our educational centers safe places for the protection and care of children. We want them to be their second homes, complementing the care they receive in their families. We seek to create environments where they feel cared for, loved, and safe."
The May 9 webinar was aimed at parents of kindergarten and elementary school children. Aurora Martín Izquierdo and María Rodríguez Carrascosa, psychologists from the Salesian Psychological Assistance Program "Magone," of the Pinardi Federation of Salesian Social Platforms in Madrid, were assigned to lead the session titled, "How do we prevent risk situations among our sons and daughters?"
The second session, aimed at secondary school families, was held on May 10. Tamara Nogueira Marcos and Rocío Lozano Soriano, from the same team as Pinardi, answered the question, "How to help our sons and daughters deal with difficult situations."
Their interventions highlighted interesting ideas to consider.
"To help our sons and daughters prevent and cope with risk situations, it is fundamental that they have a safe environment in which they feel cared for and accompanied. To do this, it will be crucial to be able to establish good communication, which encourages them to tell us the things that worry them and also to listen to us more carefully, especially in adolescence, when this is usually the most difficult. As parents, we need to be able to get closer to their world, know the kind of relationships they have and the social networks they use, and listen to the reasons why they are so important to them so that if they need it, we can help them," the educators explained.
Above all, the speakers emphasized communication based on respect, "avoiding comments and reprimands that make them feel judged and letting them make the decisions, to strengthen their self-esteem. Explain the reasons for things, our opinions, and rules. Always be close and helpful. In adolescence, this is more complicated because they need to separate themselves from us; but it is important that they feel they can come to us when they make mistakes (and they will, as we did) or when they go through difficult or troubling situations."
"In adolescence, usually boys and girls don't immediately turn to their parents, so, it is important to try to make sure that they have reference people nearby to turn to: a relative (older siblings, cousins, uncles...), or facilitators or educators."
Each training session ended with interventions and questions from participating families.
These formative moments also served to inform how, on the part of the province, work is being done to protect and care for minors, and a protection system called "Safe Environment" has been created. "You can look it up on the websites of each Salesian center, in the corresponding tab," explained Irune López, Provincial Orientation Coordinator. "In each school or educational presence there is a local protection officer, and on the website, there is a direct email contact to this person, through which to send concerns, questions, or report situations. You can also go and talk to tutors or other educators to exchange information about their children or any situation that concerns them."
He concludes, "It is worrying that one in five children in Europe believe they have been or are being subjected to some kind of mistreatment or abuse. They are the most precious treasure we have in our homes and in society. Adolescents need references and criteria. It is important for families and centers to coordinate and work together. Be role models and offer them criteria and ways to solve their problems. For our part, we, the Salesians at SSM, have developed the 'Safe Environment' system to prevent, train and intervene."
