Abuse can be a State matter

Dear Amy: The Department of State is both troubled and concerned by the letter in your column from “Worried,” regarding the allegation of a host parent abusing an international exchange student.

The department appreciates the letter writer bringing this matter to the public’s attention and strongly encourages the writer, and anyone else who learns of similar incidents, to report such incidents to law enforcement authorities immediately.

As the responsible agency for regulating and monitoring international high school exchange student programs in the U.S., the Department of State’s top priority is the safety and well-being of these young people.

Each allegation is taken seriously, and investigations are opened for every potential incident involving these students.

Should other incidents like the one in your column arise -- in which international high school exchange students are put at risk -- we strongly encourage readers to contact the Department of State immediately at (866) 283-9090 or jvisas@state.gov. These lines of communication are monitored by staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Maura Pally

The letter writer is acting assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs.

Dear Maura: Thank you very much for your response.

“Worried” was the wife of a member of the clergy who was aware of a fellow minister’s sexual abuse of young people staying in his home -- some of them exchange students.

I urged Worried to act on her concerns immediately and report this abuse; other readers reminded me that Worried’s husband, a minister, would be a “mandatory reporter” -- someone who must report abuse suspicions.

A state-by-state list of mandatory reporters is available at www.child welfare.gov. We all have a duty to protect young people from abuse. Thank you for providing a mechanism to protect exchange students. I urge people to keep this information on hand.

Send questions to Amy Dickinson by e-mail to askamy@tribune.com.