Protecting Students | Loyola Academy

Loyola Academy begins by thoroughly evaluating the backgrounds of our employees and regular volunteers, including:

1. Initial and annual national criminal background checks for all employees and regular volunteers
2. Fingerprint-based, criminal-history record checks with the Illinois State Police and the FBI for all new employees
3. Annual processing of all employees through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ State Central Register, a child abuse/neglect tracking system (CANTS), which includes all reports of suspected child abuse or neglect, as well as the outcome of the investigation of these reports
4. We require orientation and ongoing training for our workforce through VIRTUS, the National Catholic Retention Group's program that thoroughly addresses the issues of boundaries between adults and students. Additionally, all Jesuit employees are accredited by Praesidium.

All employees of Loyola Academy are “mandated reporters” as outlined in the State of Illinois’ Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, 325 ILCS 5/1, et seq.

If a Loyola Academy employee has reasonable cause to believe a student, known to them in his/her professional and official capacity, may be an abused or neglected child, s/he shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services by contacting the Child Abuse Hotline at 800-25-ABUSE.

Loyola Academy's "Standards for Faculty/Staff Interaction with Students" outlines appropriate and inappropriate interaction with students under the categories of general conduct, physical contact, discipline, communications, off-campus interactions, overnight trips, relations with former students, and enforcement of the standards.

All Loyola Academy employees are required to sign an agreement indicating that they have read this document and are in compliance with all of its provisions.

If you are a Loyola Academy alumnus or alumna and have experienced abuse by an adult while at Loyola Academy, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred, we strongly urge you to report it to law enforcement authorities, such as the Wilmette Police Department or the Cook County State’s Attorney.

If the abuse involved a member of the clergy, in addition to informing the civil authorities, you may also follow the reporting instructions provided by the Archdiocese of Chicago. Please note that this is not a substitute for informing the proper law enforcement authorities.

If the abuse involved a Jesuit, you are also urged to contact Ms. Marjorie O'Dea, the Chicago Province’s Director of the Office of Victim Advocacy, at 773.975.6363.

If you are a Loyola Academy teacher, counselor, coach, staff member, or administrator and you have reasonable cause to believe a student, known to you in your professional and official capacity, may be an abused or neglected child, you are legally required to make a report or ensure that a report is made, to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services through the Child Abuse Hotline at 800.25.ABUSE. Additionally, you must notify the Associate Principal for Student Success.

Anyone who reports in good faith is immune from civil or criminal liability. However, failure to report when one is required can result in a misdemeanor charge.

While policies are essential, they cannot always prevent abuse. Therefore, adults share the responsibility to help each other avoid situations that could harm students. Any employee or regular volunteer who observes another employee or volunteer behaving in a way that could pose a potential risk to a student should confidentially report the matter to the Associate Principal for Student Success, the Dean of Students, or any Loyola Academy administrator with whom they feel comfortable.

If the subjected abuse involved a member of the clergy, in addition to informing civil authorities, you may also follow the reporting guidelines provided by the Archdiocese of Chicago. Please note that reporting to the Archdiocese is not a substitute for notifying the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

If you are a Loyola Academy student and feel that you have been the victim of any inappropriate behavior by an adult, who works or volunteers at Loyola Academy, you should report it to your counselor, the Assistant Principal for Student Services, or any adult at Loyola Academy or at home with whom you feel comfortable. You may also contact the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services or the Wilmette Police Department.

If you are a student, parent, or caregiver who believes that a Loyola Academy student has been the victim of inappropriate behavior by an adult at Loyola Academy, please contact the Associate Principal for Student Success, the Dean of Students, or any Loyola Academy administrator you trust. Additionally, you may report this to Illinois Department of Children and Family Services or the Wilmette Police Department.

All complaints reported to Loyola Academy are promptly investigated by the Dean of Students or the Associate Principal for Student Success. The investigation is handled with care, ensuring the privacy of those involved during the initial inquiry.

If the complaint involves physical contact of a sexual nature or physical abuse by an adult at Loyola Academy, the Academy is required to report the matter to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Wilmette Police Department for further investigation. Loyola Academy also informs the Chair of the Board of Trustees, who coordinates with the investigation and determines the appropriate response and consequences. If the complaint is found to be credible after the preliminary investigation, the adult involved will be placed on leave.

If the abuse involves a member of the clergy, in addition to notifying civil authorities, you may also follow the reporting guidelines set forth by the Archdiocese of Chicago. Please note that reporting to the Archdiocese is not a substitute for notifying law enforcement authorities.

Warning signs of child sexual abuse include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors (derived from the National Sexual Abuse Chatline at online.rainn.org):

Physical Signs:

• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or other genital infections
• Signs of trauma to the genital area, such as unexplained bleeding, bruising, or blood on the sheets, underwear, or other clothing
• Unusual weight gain or loss

Behavorial Signs:

• Excessive talk about or knowledge of sexual topics
• Keeping secrets Not talking as much as usual
• Not wanting to be left alone with certain people or being afraid to be away from primary caregivers
• Regressive behaviors or resuming behaviors that the child had grown out of, such as thumb sucking or bedwetting
• Overly compliant behavior
• Sexual behavior that is inappropriate for the child’s age
• Spending an unusual amount of time alone
• Trying to avoid removing clothing to change or bathe

Emotional Signs:

• Change in eating habits or unhealthy eating patterns, like loss of appetite or excessive eating
• Signs of depression, such as persistent sadness, lack of energy, changes in sleep or appetite, withdrawing from normal activities, or feeling “down”
• Change in mood or personality, such as increased aggression
• Decrease in confidence or self-image
• Anxiety, excessive worry, or fearfulness
• Increase in unexplained health problems such as stomach aches and headaches
• Loss or decrease in interest in school, activities, and friends
• Nightmares or fear of being alone at night
• Self-harming behaviors or expressing thoughts of suicide or suicidal behavior
• Failing grades
• Drug or alcohol use

A person commits “grooming” when the person knowingly uses a computer on-line service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission, performs an act in person or by conduct through a third party, or uses written communication to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, or attempt to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, a child, a child's guardian, or another person believed by the person to be a child or a child's guardian, to commit any sex offense as defined in Section 2 of the Sex Offender Registration Act, to distribute photographs depicting the sex organs of the child, or to otherwise engage in any unlawful sexual conduct with a child or with another person believed by the person to be a child.

Warning signs of grooming include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors:

• Sexual or romantic invitations to a student via any form of communication
• Dating or soliciting a date from a student
• Engaging in sexualized or romantic dialog with a student through any form of communication
• Making sexually suggestive comments that are directed toward or with a student
• Self-disclosure or physical exposure of a sexual, romantic, or erotic nature through any form of communication
• Sexual, indecent, romantic, or erotic contact with a student
• Failing to respect boundaries or listening when a student says “no”
• Engaging in touching that a student or student’s parents/guardians have indicated is unwanted
• Trying to be a student’s friend rather than filling an adult role in the student’s life
• Talking with students about personal problems or relationships
• Expressing unusual interest in a student’s sexual development, such as commenting on sexual characteristics or sexualizing normal behaviors
• Giving a student gifts without occasion or reason
• Restricting a student’s access to other adults

All school employees, volunteers, and visitors are expected to maintain professional and appropriate relationships with students based upon students’ ages, grade levels, and developmental levels. Adults in schools breach adult-student boundaries when they misuse their position of power over a student in a way that compromises the student’s health, safety, or general welfare.

Warning signs of boundary violations include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors:

• Favoring a certain student by inviting the student to “hang out” or by granting special privileges
• Engaging in peer-like behavior with a student
• Discussing personal issues with a student
• Spending time alone with a student outside of their role in the student’s life or making up excuses to be alone with a student
• Failing to maintain age-appropriate relationships with a student
• Meeting with a student off-campus without parent/guardian knowledge and/or permission
• Dating, requesting, or participating in a private meeting with a student (in person or virtually) outside of a professional role
• Transporting a student in a school or private vehicle without administrative authorization
• Giving gifts, money, or treats to an individual student
• Sending a student on personal errands Intervening in a serious student problem instead of referring the student to an appropriately trained professional
• Taking and using photos/videos of students for non-educational purposes Initiating or extending contact with a student beyond the school day in a one-on-one or non-group setting Inviting a student to an employee’s home
• Adding a student on personal social networking sites as contacts when unrelated to a legitimate educational purpose
• Privately messaging a student
• Maintaining intense eye contact with a student
• Making comments about a student’s physical attributes, including excessively flattering comments
• Disclosing confidential information Invading personal space

If you/your student believe you/your student are a victim of child sexual abuse, grooming behaviors, or boundary violations, immediately contact the Principal, a school counselor, or another trusted adult employee of the school.

To make a report of alleged child sexual abuse or grooming, parents/guardians may also contact your local police department or the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Hotline at 1.800.25.ABUSE (2873).

For parents/guardians and students seeking counseling services or other resources for children affected by sexual abuse, the following resources are also available:

• National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)
• National Sexual Abuse Chatline at online.rainn.org
• Child Advocacy Center or Crisis Sexual Assault Center
• Parents/guardians and students may also contact the school counselor for more information regarding available resources and support services for children affected by sexual abuse.

Sexual Abuse Response & Prevention Resource Guide