Recognizing Signs of Human Trafficking & Sexually Exploited Children/Youth
The term Human Trafficking is used by Department of Children and Families (DCF) as an umbrella term used to include two specific allegations of…
Home / Sustainability / Analysis, Review, and Self-Audits: Questions to Ask
“Mathematics” and “measurement” are words that send many of us scurrying for cover, but in the world of organizational change, numbers play an important part in helping you gauge progress toward your goal of keeping children/youth safe. Consider, for example, beginning a weight loss or fitness program. Without periodically collecting numbers like weight, inches, heart rate, and blood pressure, how would you determine if you were making progress toward the goal of better health? Numbers collected over time can tell us if we’re heading in the right direction and, once we (hopefully) reach the desired goal weight, waist size, or heart rate, sustaining the accomplishment into the future likely depends on continued, periodic measurement. The same can be said for the programs, changes, and goals that you set in place to keep children/youth safe.
The overall goal of Safe Kids Thrive is primary prevention: to create an environment that prevents child sexual abuse before it occurs. A second goal is that if a child/youth in your care becomes the target of sexual abuse, human trafficking, or sexual exploitation, they would know how to distinguish safe from unsafe touching and relationships, and what to do—including how to seek assistance from a trusted adult and report the abuse. A final goal is that, should child abuse or neglect be suspected, observed, or disclosed to any administrator, supervisor, staff member, employee, or volunteer, that individual would have the knowledge, information, and resources to report it to the appropriate organizational and civil authorities, according to the law.
With these goals in mind, as you invest time and effort to put a safety framework together, and seek to provide feedback to the organization, certain questions will naturally come up. We’ve included sample questions below that are “qualitative,” seeking answers that are more subjective, and “quantitative,” seeking objective information like numbers, percentages, and quantities that can help to gauge progress.
Data is the key to answering these questions, and to developing, implementing, and sustaining a successful child sexual abuse prevention framework. Data provide insights about the ongoing programs, how they are being integrated into your organizations, what is working, what is not working, and what needs to be improved.
Reporting
The term Human Trafficking is used by Department of Children and Families (DCF) as an umbrella term used to include two specific allegations of…
Screening & Hiring
Screening means thorough reference and background checks, including review of criminal and sexual offender records, for all employees, staff,…
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…
Code of Conduct
Your Code of Conduct will provide your staff, volunteers, and others responsible for children and youth with very specific guidelines that will…
Policies & Procedures
Policies for youth-serving organizations in Massachusetts should clearly identify the duties and responsibilities of all staff, reflect both Federal…
Policies & Procedures
Policies and Procedures are an essential backbone of your prevention strategy at your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO), providing an overarching…
Training
Effective abuse prevention training provides learners with new information, knowledge, and skills. Your leadership is critical to the ways in which…
Sustainability
Common Implementation Roadblocks Natural conflicts exist between strategy and culture. These conflicts—if left unaddressed— predict that…
Reporting
Effective reporting structures rely on staff and volunteers’ recognition of signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. The Youth-Serving…
Reporting
All staff must be aware of the warning signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect, know how to respond appropriately, and report suspected cases…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
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