Training Curricula for Children & Youth
Ideally, all children/youth should receive training and education on issues of personal safety and abuse prevention. Personal safety and child…
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Home / Safe Environments / Safe Environment Strategies: Access
Complementing the physical aspects of safety are the procedural aspects of safety and security, and how access to physical space—and thus to the children and youth you serve—is granted and monitored. All adults who enter the space occupied by your children and youth should have a purpose for being in that space, and a role that is understood by all its occupants. There should be control over access points and procedures for admitting individuals into the facility, verifying their identity, signing them in and out of the space, and badging or otherwise providing an outward sign of who they are (Parent, Visitor, Contractor, etc.). Likewise, once they’re inside the facility, the identity of supervisors, staff, and volunteers should be clear to all, so anyone will know whom to approach with a concern, question, or emergency should the need arise. Finally, all staff and volunteers should know which children and youth they are responsible for, and their whereabouts at all times. All children and youth should know which adult is primarily responsible for them and to whom they should go if they need something.
It may not be possible for you to control access to physical space during off-site activities. That’s why policies and procedures need to focus on ensuring the safety of the children and youth in your care, rather than controlling the public access and security of the physical site—which may be the responsibility of the host organization or facility owner.
Training
Ideally, all children/youth should receive training and education on issues of personal safety and abuse prevention. Personal safety and child…
Screening & Hiring
A personal interview provides an opportunity for you to meet applicants and determine if they are a good fit for your organization. It’s also a …
Reporting
Sometimes, a child/youth might self-disclose an abusive situation to an adult in your organization. These disclosures can be direct, where the child…
Reporting
Who Are Mandated Reporters? Massachusetts law defines a number of professionals as mandated reporters (for the full list, see MGL Chapter 119,…
Code of Conduct
Your Code of Conduct will be unique to your organization, based on your size, purpose, location, staffing, ages served, additional vulnerabilities…
Reporting
Physical and Behavioral Indicators of Abuse 1 Type of AbusePhysical IndicatorsBehavioral IndicatorsPhysical Abuse● Unexplained bruises…
Reporting
You can help protect the children you serve by maintaining an environment that prioritizes both preventing child abuse before it occurs and—since…
Screening & Hiring
Your Youth-Serving Organization’s (YSO’s) hiring process should include basic screening measures for potential staff and volunteers through…
Training
Training programs are offered to staff at least annually to heighten awareness of your commitment to safety and help create a culture of…
Training
When it comes to training your volunteers, there is certain core content that is critical to include in a comprehensive training program to…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
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