• I WILL treat everyone, including clergy, religious, parents and other adults and children with respect, loyalty, patience, courtesy, and dignity.
• I WILL represent the teachings of the Catholic Church with integrity in word and action.
• I WILL work collaboratively with the clergy, other supervisors and associates in ministry.
• I WILL avoid situations where I am alone with children and/or young people before, during or after Church activities.
• I WILL maintain appropriate boundaries in my relationships with children and/or young people.
• I WILL use positive reinforcement rather than criticism, competition, or comparison when working with children and/or young people.
• I WILL refuse to accept expensive gifts from children and/or young people or their parents without prior written approval from the pastor or administrator.
• I WILL refrain from giving gifts to children and/or young people without prior written approval from the parents or legal guardian and the pastor or administrator.
• I WILL immediately report suspected abuse to the pastor, administrator, or appropriate supervisor and to appropriate authorities as required by law.
• I WILL cooperate fully in any investigation of abuse of children and/or young people.

As a volunteer:

• I WILL NOT interact with children or young people through e-mail except for delivering information for the program I am providing.
• I WILL NOT assist children and young people to access pornography or other sexual material online or influence their exploration of pornography through any media outlet.
• I WILL NOT use parish, school or any agency computers to participate in chat rooms.
• I WILL NOT photograph children or young people without the explicit permission of the parents or legal guardian.
• I WILL NOT touch a child and/or young person in a sexual or other inappropriate manner.
• I WILL NOT use, possess, or be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs at any time while volunteering in any diocesan, parish or church activity.
• I WILL NOT pose any health risk to children and/or young people.
• I WILL NOT strike, spank, shake, or slap children and/or any young person.
• I WILL NOT humiliate, ridicule, threaten, or degrade children and/or any young person.
• I WILL NOT use any discipline that frightens or humiliates children and/or young people.
• I WILL NOT use profanity, sexual language or any other inappropriate language in the presence of children and/or young people.

To: Volunteer
From: Safe Environment Office, Diocese of Brooklyn

Please read the above Code of Pastoral Conduct for Volunteers and keep it as a reference and as part of your records.

Sign the Agreement Form for Pastoral Codes of Conduct and return the form to the designated person in your parish (Pastor, DRE, Principal, etc.)

Thank you for Protecting God’s Children as well as protecting yourself from false accusations.

For information call:

(718) 281- 9670
or
(718) 281- 9671