Community youth protection session reflection on Sandusky scandal

Penn State is taking a toll on institutions throughout the country, but the Young Professionals of the Alleghenies is trying to contribute to the cause in protecting our youth.

The organization is also trying to educate volunteers who have any interaction with kids on how to recognize signs and report incidents. Coordinators said one catalyst for the movement was the Sandusky Scandal.

For the Young Professionals of the Alleghenies, the decision to host a community session on protecting children was easy.

“We were like, you know, our volunteers probably wouldn’t know what to do in a situation if it was presented to them. So, it just kind of grew into something that became a community session because we felt education is the piece that might be missing in all of this,” Community Outreach Chair of the YPA Megan Seese-Livingston said.

Unknown situations was why the group invited educators and volunteers to learn more about recognizing and reporting issues with kids. It’s an outreach stemming from the Jerry Sandusky Scandal.

“The Penn State University situation, I think, was a tipping point for u,” Dr. Matthew Masiello with the Windber Research Institute said.

“I, personally, coordinating them, took a step back and went: I want my volunteers to feel prepared when they go in these situations, and know the resources that are out there for them,” Seese-Livingston said.

It’s something that organizers feel may have been lacking at Penn State in November. Now, the organization is working to prevent and educate anyone in any situation.

“To use the Penn State situation as an example, we need to educate folks from the school janitor up to the governor. They need to be educated about what the issues are involving children,” Masiello said.

“If I’m ever in that situation, it’s no longer that I would have done that or surmising what you possibly would do… you know what you would do. You know what you could do,” Seese-Livingston said.

Coordinators said they wanted to make sure volunteers and community members know what tools are available to them in their community, and can respond to any and all situations.