Implementing Additional Screening and Hiring Measures
Additional screening and hiring measures should be implemented based on the specific needs, responsibilities, and risks of your Youth-Serving…
Home / Safe Environments / Further Considerations for Safe Environments
Safe Environments should be created by having clear sight lines, proper staff-to-child ratios, and safety standards for all personnel and environments. Creating Safe Environments may require additional considerations, beyond the ones previously mentioned. This analysis should focus on child safety and access to safe environments and personnel.
To create a safe environment:
Install cameras and mirrors to adequately monitor the physical space or designate a single-entry point to minimize unauthorized entry or exit. Monitor and observe spaces without clear sight lines. Reduce access points for staff, visitors, and children in order to clarify expectations and make monitoring easier.
Implement additional signage to guide children away from off-limits areas and conduct periodic security checks at locations with public access. Designate and clearly mark spaces children should not access. Continue to monitor these spaces to ensure children and adults are following signage.
Monitor all social media and electronic communication between staff and children. YSO-specific social media policies should be implemented to govern these types of interactions with elements and strategies focused on visibility to parents, transparency, and accountability. Continue to supervise and monitor this type of communication to ensure that it is conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct and other safety policies.
Ensure staff and volunteers participating in off-site activities adhere to policies on transportation and overnight activities. Train and confirm staff, parents and volunteers understand and follow policies for off-site activities. Supervise behaviors of staff and volunteers during off-site activities.
Verify outside all vendors are identified, follow entry procedures, and are monitored at all times. Visitors should be required to verify their identity and made aware of procedures regarding child safety, including areas of the organization which are off-limits. Under no circumstances should a visitor be left with children without supervision.
Review your safe environment protocols and update them regularly to remain effective. Continue to look over your YSO’s policies regarding safe environments. Update protocols and procedures as needed.
Utilize monitoring techniques such as cameras and supervision to ensure children are being kept safe at all times at your YSO. Continue to check and examine all aspects of environments inside and outside your YSO to ensure safe environments are being implemented and maintained.
Screening & Hiring
Additional screening and hiring measures should be implemented based on the specific needs, responsibilities, and risks of your Youth-Serving…
Screening & Hiring
Criminal background checks are an important tool in your screening and selection process—and you should ensure that you’re aware of any federal,…
Training
Training Best Practices To protect the children/youth you serve, your organization needs a comprehensive framework: a set of abuse prevention…
Screening & Hiring
Here’s how you can develop a screening policy that fits your organization’s role, size, and resources: Know the screening rules and…
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…
Training
Parents and other caregivers need to receive, at a minimum, the same level of prevention education as their child/youth. Parents can be strong…
Sustainability
Common Implementation Roadblocks Natural conflicts exist between strategy and culture. These conflicts—if left unaddressed— predict that…
Safe Environments
Standards should be implemented to ensure safe physical spaces for children, such as clear sight–lines and visitor procedures. To ensure child…
Training
Ideally, all children/youth should receive training and education on issues of personal safety and abuse prevention. Personal safety and child…
Safe Environments
Safe Environment Strategies: Access Complementing the physical aspects of safety are the procedural aspects of safety and security, and how…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
Learning Center Registration
Sign up for an account and start your learning experience.
Free Online Assessment
Let us help you find out where to start.