Reporting Suspicions of Abuse
Staff and volunteers should have a detailed understanding of their responsibility to report child abuse and neglect. At your YSO (Youth-Serving…
Home / Monitoring Behavior / What is Monitoring Behavior?
Monitoring Behavior is the responsibility of all staff to hold each other accountable for appropriate behaviors and to report inappropriate conduct to leadership. Staff, volunteers, and leadership at your organization should use Monitoring Behavior to heighten their awareness of inappropriate or concerning behaviors at your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) and address all issues before behaviors escalate to become harmful.
At minimum, Monitoring Behavior includes:
References to your Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics. Use the standards for behavior defined in your Code of Conduct to guide the process. Your Code of Ethics should outline your organization’s overarching principles that apply to all situations and behaviors, whether or not they are explicitly outlined in your Code of Conduct.
All staff understanding their mutual responsibility to hold each other accountable for appropriate behavior. Ensure staff and volunteers’ awareness of their requirement to maintain safety standards, by observing their own and others’ behaviors at the YSO. Staff and volunteers should be required to report all observations, concerns, or suspicions before they escalate to harmful behaviors.
Regular training for all staff and volunteers on expected and prohibited behaviors and how to report concerns. Staff and volunteers should be knowledgeable in identifying appropriate, inappropriate, and harmful behaviors and how and to whom to report concerns. Staff and volunteers should be encouraged to discuss and correct one another’s behaviors, and report observations and suspicions of harm to leadership.
An identified team or staff member takes the lead in addressing ongoing child safety and serves as a resource for all staff. Your YSO should choose a staff member or team of staff to lead safety efforts. This team is responsible for regularly reviewing your Monitoring Behavior Protocols and updating them when needed to address any new concerns or safety issues. This team should also be available for staff to discuss questions and concerns about any behavior. An individual on the team may also be responsible for reporting to the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Leadership reinforcing expected behaviors, redirecting inappropriate behaviors, and reporting harmful behaviors. YSO leadership should model appropriate and expected behaviors and observe and be aware of behaviors of all staff and volunteers. They should continuously reinforce the importance of behaving appropriately while redirecting inappropriate behaviors and reporting harmful ones.
Monitoring Behaviors and holding regular conversations about appropriate, inappropriate, and harmful behaviors are critical in keeping children safe at your YSO. All staff and volunteers are responsible for the safety of children in your care and should be aware of this responsibility.
Reporting
Staff and volunteers should have a detailed understanding of their responsibility to report child abuse and neglect. At your YSO (Youth-Serving…
Code of Conduct
Once your Code of Conduct is in place, it’s important to implement it through training and by disseminating the information widely, in a variety…
Training
Staff and volunteers must be trained on child abuse prevention, including the signs and symptoms of child abuse. In order to identify and vet these…
Reporting
With some exceptions, a single incident or observation of suspected abuse or neglect may not necessarily trigger the need for a call to the…
Training
The approaches in the chart below can provide frameworks that make your organization most effective when training adults and/or children/youth….
Code of Conduct
Leadership at your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) should implement the Code of Conduct by including it in many aspects of the organization. The…
Reporting
Effective reporting structures rely on staff and volunteers’ recognition of signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. The Youth-Serving…
Sustainability
Community interaction and involvement is important in maintaining a culture of safety surrounding your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO). In order to…
Code of Conduct
Along with guiding appropriate behavior, your Code of Conduct should include a clear description of the lines of communication and reporting…
Reporting
The “Protective Intake Policy” framework was designed “to clearly articulate a primary and immediate focus on child safety in screening and…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
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