Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

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Not Buying It
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Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by Not Buying It » Fri Aug 05, 2022 10:50 am

So the Church has released a statement on the AP article:

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.or ... line-abuse

Help me out with this statement:
Any member serving in a role with children or youth is required to complete a training every few years about how to watch for, report and address abuse.
Is this true? I haven't attended in four years so there may have been changes, but in the eight years I was in Primary before that I never once had to attend a training. In fact, sometimes they wanted to leave me alone in a room with children when my teaching partner didn't show, and I'd go find a family member to be in the room with me because that is a rule that should never be broken.

If it is true they require training, they haven't been doing it for very long.
"The truth is elegantly simple. The lie needs complex apologia. 4 simple words: Joe made it up. It answers everything with the perfect simplicity of Occam's Razor. Every convoluted excuse withers." - Some guy on Reddit called disposazelph

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jfro18
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by jfro18 » Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:12 am

I am 99% sure it is an online course you take that guides you through some videos and slides to tell you what to look for.

There are no background checks and there is (as far as I know) no personal training where you're with the church's officials in a true "training" scenario.

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nibbler
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by nibbler » Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:19 am

I'm fairly certain they're referring to this:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/cal ... h?lang=eng

I remember taking the training several years ago. You watch an animated slideshow then you get marked off as having taken the training.
We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.
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lostinmiddlemormonism
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by lostinmiddlemormonism » Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:20 am

In our area it is a joke of an online training (10 minutes maybe) with pathetic examples that you are "supposed" to complete before you actually work with kids...of course if you don't finish it no one really cares...but if you don't complete the training on how to look after the money as a financial clerk you will be called on the carpet tout suite!

Money or Children...which is REALLY important to the boys in SLC?

-lost

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sparky
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by sparky » Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:22 am

I had to do the training once when I started a primary teaching calling three years ago, and I think it had only recently started then. I don't know what they mean by "every few years," I'm still in the same calling and haven't had to do it again. It's really inadequate for the magnitude of the problem imo. It's a few cartoons and slides with some questions you have to answer, similar to, for example, the food handling safety training when you start a fast food job. It's only a tiny piece of what a good system to prevent and deal with abuse should look like in a healthy, accountable organization, but it's something the church can point to and say, "look, we do stuff!"

lostinmiddlemormonism
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by lostinmiddlemormonism » Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:25 am

sparky wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:22 am
..but it's something the church can point to and say, "look, we do stuff!"
Which is the only reason they even did this...like so much in LDS culture it is all about the appearance over the substance.

-lost

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sparky
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by sparky » Fri Aug 05, 2022 12:09 pm

lostinmiddlemormonism wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:25 am
sparky wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:22 am
..but it's something the church can point to and say, "look, we do stuff!"
Which is the only reason they even did this...like so much in LDS culture it is all about the appearance over the substance.

-lost
Yes, and I should also note that the timing was clearly a response to the Prophet Sam Young's agitation against church policies related to sexual interviews and abuse.

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Not Buying It
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by Not Buying It » Fri Aug 05, 2022 12:42 pm

sparky wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 12:09 pm
lostinmiddlemormonism wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:25 am
sparky wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:22 am
..but it's something the church can point to and say, "look, we do stuff!"
Which is the only reason they even did this...like so much in LDS culture it is all about the appearance over the substance.

-lost
Yes, and I should also note that the timing was clearly a response to the Prophet Sam Young's agitation against church policies related to sexual interviews and abuse.
Oh, yeah, that's right. The Church is so concerned about abuse that they excommunicated a guy who pointed out some of their problems. Sam Young is a hero, the way the Church treated him is disgusting.
"The truth is elegantly simple. The lie needs complex apologia. 4 simple words: Joe made it up. It answers everything with the perfect simplicity of Occam's Razor. Every convoluted excuse withers." - Some guy on Reddit called disposazelph

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Mormorrisey
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by Mormorrisey » Fri Aug 05, 2022 12:49 pm

nibbler wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 11:19 am
I'm fairly certain they're referring to this:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/cal ... h?lang=eng

I remember taking the training several years ago. You watch an animated slideshow then you get marked off as having taken the training.
Yes, this is correct. I have taken this course twice now. Clearly its having an affect. 🙄
"And I don't need you...or, your homespun philosophies."
"And when you try to break my spirit, it won't work, because there's nothing left to break."

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Red Ryder
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by Red Ryder » Fri Aug 05, 2022 1:58 pm

The church should be required to spend the same amount of money and efforts preventing abuse that they do to pay and settle out of court and hide abuse.

Or at least start treating the children like monetary assets and portfolio balances.
“It always devolves to Pantaloons. Always.” ~ Fluffy

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lostinmiddlemormonism
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by lostinmiddlemormonism » Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:59 pm

They keep turning the comments off on the article...they must not be getting the support and sympathy they anticipated from their response.

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jfro18
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by jfro18 » Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:53 pm

The way they've handled the response has been absolutely ridiculous.

Check out this Twitter thread on how they redid their first statement because ONE comment got in and then it actually got worse after that.

https://twitter.com/j_n_foster/status/1 ... 7135349763

They are cowards.

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moksha
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Re: Church Statement on AP article - training of those who work with children?

Post by moksha » Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:54 pm

In an effort to shield the Church from financial liability and publicity, Kirton McConkie has extended the duration and intensity of the abuse that victims receive. This action means the Church favors its own pockets over the welfare of its members. Is that bad? Yes, it makes Kirton McConkie and LDS Church leaders who follow their advice into villains.

The training? Call Kirton McConkie and they will do their best to hush it up and allow the crime to continue.
Good faith does not require evidence, but it also does not turn a blind eye to that evidence. Otherwise, it becomes misplaced faith.
-- Moksha

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