Viewing Sexual Violence Prevention from a…
Viewing Sexual Violence Prevention from a Culturally Informed Perspective In this free…
Code of Conduct
Establishing a strong Code of Conduct is a foundational step for every Youth Serving Organization (YSO). When developing a Code of Conduct, your YSO should view it as a living document that is updated and reviewed regularly within an established continuous review cycle. A Code of Conduct is more than just a list of rules – it helps guide interactions between staff, volunteers, parents, and youth by defining appropriate, inappropriate, and harmful behaviors. By outlining expectations and examples of behaviors in clear, simple language, adults and youth are not left to wonder whether a behavior is inappropriate or harmful. A comprehensive Code of Conduct outlines clear consequences for violations, ensuring everyone understands the standards and the importance of maintaining a safe environment.
It can be difficult knowing where to start when developing or updating a Code of Conduct. Below is a template outlining clear expectations on staff standards of behavior, consequences, and a continuous review cycle plan that can be tailored to meet your organization’s unique needs, identified risks, and the nature of your work.
Appropriate Behavior
Examples of staff conduct that maintain respectful and professional boundaries at all times with staff, families, and children:
- Promoting a culture of inclusion by welcoming and celebrating all children, staff, and families.
- Disclosing any conflicts of interest to management including an outside personal or working relationship with a parent/guardian.
- Ensuring the confidentiality of children and families.
- Encouraging parents/guardians to participate in any decisions about their child and their safety.
- Listening to, requesting, valuing, and respecting children’s ideas and opinions.
- Communicating with children using positive, inclusive, and age-appropriate language.
- Using praise and positive reinforcement to encourage healthy peer interactions.
- Obtaining a child’s permission prior to engaging in any of the below acceptable physical contact:
- Holding hands to safely cross the street.
- Treating or preventing an injury.
- Fist bumps, shaking hands, high fives, hand signs and greetings, or child-initiated side hugs.
- Avoiding one-on-one interactions with children while staying in common areas in the direct sight of another staff member.
- Responding to youth disclosures or concerns in a supportive and trauma informed manner while following mandatory reporting guidelines.
- Taking responsible action by reporting any threats to safety using your organization’s reporting guidelines.
- Cooperating with any investigation by program staff, child protective services, or a law enforcement agency in response to suspected abuse.
Inappropriate Behavior
Examples of staff conduct that on their own may not necessarily constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct but, when part of a broader pattern, should be flagged as cause for concern:
- Offering special attention, gifts, privileges to, or favoring one child over others.
- Engaging in the below inappropriate physical contact with children:
- Roughhousing, tickling, or wrestling during play.
- Seating a child on one’s lap.
- Unwanted affection.
- Engaging in conversations, including joking, with other adults about causing harm to a child, staff member, or parent/guardian.
- Using personal calls, text messages, social media, gaming platforms, or any other form of technology to communicate with a child or family, regardless of who initiated the exchange, where open communication is possible via official, public organization channels.
Harmful Behavior
Examples of staff conduct that are considered a breach of the Code of Conduct that should be immediately reported:
- Working or attempting to work under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol.
- Using offensive, abusive, discriminatory, sexual, or threatening language when interacting with staff, families, and children.
- Condoning or participating in behavior that endangers children, including physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, neglect, grooming, ill treatment, or any other illegal actions.
- Encouraging a child to keep information secret, such as a relationship with an adult or what the staff member said or did.
- Having unsupervised one-on-one contact with a child without a clear professional justification or management approval prior to the contact.
- Engaging in the below harmful physical contact with children:
- Inflicting physical abuse such as hitting, striking, punching, kicking, or slapping.
- Yanking an arm, grabbing a shoulder, or other rough actions during behavior management.
- Sexual touching or contact.
- Minimizing, ignoring, or delaying responding to abuse disclosures and threats to child safety.
- Instructing staff in a mandatory reporting situation to not file a report.
- Failing to report knowledge or suspicion of abuse or neglect internally and, when required, externally.
Consequences
To ensure your Code of Conduct is clear about consequences for inappropriate and harmful behavior, you might include language such as the following:
We believe that monitoring behavior and ensuring a child safe environment within our organization is everyone’s shared responsibility. All staff, volunteers, families, and community members are encouraged to speak up if they have any concerns. Our organization supports and encourages the proactive reporting of all concerns – no matter how minor – or when there is any suspicion of risk to a child.
To maintain a safe and respectful environment, violations of this Code of Conduct may result in any or a combination of the following: verbal warnings, an internal investigation, an external criminal investigation, temporary suspension, permanent removal from our programs, or other managerial and disciplinary actions. The specific response will depend on the nature and severity of the behavior, always prioritizing the safety and well-being of all children.
If you are not sure whether the issue you have witnessed or heard about reaches the threshold of a filing an internal or external report, we have a “no wrong door” policy that enables staff to report incidents or seek guidance from any administrator.
- Internal Reporting Procedures: Engaging in inappropriate or harmful behavior may result in consequences. If you observe or are made aware of inappropriate, concerning, or harmful behavior, it should be reported immediately. Prompt and transparent reporting supports a culture of accountability and safety. Reports can be made confidentially to your supervisor or through our organization’s established reporting channels to [designated contact person/position]. Each report will be handled with care and discretion. Our organization is committed to addressing reports fairly, thoroughly, and without retaliation.
- External Reporting Procedures: All staff are required to report suspected or disclosed child sexual abuse immediately to their supervisor or through our organization’s established reporting channels to [designated contact person/position]. A mandated reporter must then make a report to child protective services or law enforcement.
Continuous Review Cycle
To guarantee your Code of Conduct remains relevant, effective, and responsive, here’s an example of language you may consider reinforcing your program’s commitment to continuous review:
Our organization is committed to reviewing and updating the contents of our Code of Conduct on a yearly basis to reflect shifts in policies/procedures, lessons learned, and with emerging best practices. This yearly review will involve the solicitation and incorporation of feedback from staff, families, and the children in our care.
We are also committed to ensuring that all staff, volunteers, families, and children are aware of and understand our Code of Conduct and will provide ongoing communication of any changes/updates. Our plan for dissemination includes initial reviews of the document at times of onboarding for new staff and the enrollment of new families in our program.
Regular reminders of the Code of Conduct will be provided to staff during professional development/training, yearly performance reviews, or as concerns arise. Developmentally appropriate posters and materials for children outlining the Code of Conduct will be displayed within our facility and provided to families during enrollment and yearly re-enrollment. All staff and parents/guardians will be required to review, sign, and agree to abide to the Code of Conduct at times of onboarding, initial enrollment, yearly enrollment, yearly staff performance reviews, and if concerns arise.
Code of Conduct last reviewed: August 1, 2025
Next review date to be completed by: August 1, 2026
Reviewer: [Insert Staff Member’s Name here, role, & contact information]
Please note that it is recommended to include a dedicated section in your organization’s Code of Conduct that defines appropriate, inappropriate, and harmful behaviors specific to youth. These may differ from staff behaviors and require distinct guidance and consequences. While the template above offers a strong foundation for setting staff behavior standards, outlining consequences, and establishing a review process, it is not exhaustive. Rather, it serves as a starting point for youth-serving organizations seeking to prevent child sexual abuse and foster safe, supportive environments for children and youth.
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