Called to Protect for Youth

Introduced for the 2012/2013 program year, Called to Protect® for Youth is an alternative safe-environment program to the standard You Matter program. Called to Protect for Youth training teaches high-school teens about appropriate boundaries, how to respond if someone tries to violate those boundaries and how to tell their parents, or another reliable adult if they, or a friend, have been abused. It helps them to recognize their own personal boundaries and encourages appropriate communication.

A Licensed Product

Similar to You Matter, Praesidium Inc.'s Called to Protect for Youth is a video program combined with facilitated discussion. This allows maximum instruction value and is in accordance with the USCCB requirement for the training of children in Catholic youth programs in the Diocese of Arlington.

Unlike You Matter, Praesdium, Inc.'s Called to Protect for Youth is a licensed product requiring more involvement from the OPCYP in implementation.

Use Of 'Called To Protect For Youth' At Your Location

If you want to implement Called to Protect for Youth training for the teen youth in your program submit a request to the OPCYP. As part of the program's licensing requirements, locations must receive proper training on the implementation of the program prior to receiving the training materials.

The Diocese of Arlington has worked with Praesidium, Inc. to modify their original Called to Protect for Youthprogram so that only Parts 1 and 3 are delivered to diocesan youth. These parts have been relabeled on our program DVDs as "'Part 1" and "Part 2" to reduce confusion in implementation in the Diocese of Arlington.

More information on the training can be found on the Praesidium web page.