Directions for Developing Policies and Standards of The Thai Catholic Church for The Safeguarding of Minors and Vulnerable Persons.

Abstract

          This research is a qualitative research project with the following objectives: 1) to compare the safeguarding policies and standards of the Catholic Church at the universal and local levels for minors and vulnerable persons, by analyzing and synthesizing related documents, and 2) to seek directions for developing policies and standards of the Thai Catholic Church for the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable persons through the qualitative data collection by interviewing four groups of nineteen participants consisting of members of the clergy, religious and lay adult and youth. Afterwards, the interview results were subsumed into four themes: 1) the boundaries of the safeguarding for minors and vulnerable persons; 2) the security of the information and people involved during the investigation; 3) the procedure to respond to the abuse of minors and vulnerable persons; and 4) the measures to prevent the abuse of minors and vulnerable persons.
         The research found that:
         The current policies and standards of the Catholic Church at the universal and local levels for the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable persons are mostly consistent with the above four themes. Nevertheless, it should amend some details concerning the provisions on offenses of sexual abuse against minors and vulnerable persons, definition of protected persons, system for receiving a petition, protection of information and petitioners and victims, qualification and offense of the petition receivers and investigators, investigating an allegation, directions for preventing abuse of minors and vulnerable persons, and directions for the pastoral care of victims, offenders, minors and vulnerable persons to be more comprehensive and suitable. In order to enhance the effectiveness of policies and standards of the Thai Catholic Church for the safeguarding of minors and vulnerable persons. This will also help to prevent minors and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.