Appendix 1: Definitions/Acronyms/Glossary

Abuse: The non-accidental commission of any act by a caretaker upon a child under age 18 which causes, or creates a substantial risk of physical or emotional injury; or constitutes a sexual offense under the laws of the Commonwealth; or any sexual contact between a caretaker and a child under the care of that individual. This definition is not dependent upon location (i.e., abuse can occur while the child is in an out-of-home or in-home setting).

CAN: Child Abuse and Neglect

Caregiver: A child’s parent, stepparent, guardian, or any household member entrusted with the responsibility for a child’s health or welfare; or any other person entrusted with responsibility for a child’s welfare, whether in the child’s home, a relative’s home, a school setting, a child care setting (including babysitting), a foster home, a group care facility, or any other comparable setting. As such “caregiver” includes, but is not limited to: school teachers, babysitters, school bus drivers, and camp counselors. The “caregiver” definition should be construed broadly and inclusively to encompass any person who at the time in question is entrusted with a degree of responsibility for the child. This specifically includes a caregiver (such as a babysitter) who is under age 18.

Child: a person under the age of 18. However, when a distinction needs to be made that differentiates younger and older minors by age or developmental stage, a child is defined in this report as an individual between newborn and age 11, and a youth is defined as an individual between age 12 and the attainment of their 18th birthday.

Code of Conduct, Professional Boundaries: A set process, procedure, policy or protocol regarding personal activity and responsibility as it pertains to the care of and interaction with children, youth and coworkers regarding the protection of children and youth from sexual abuse.

CORI: Criminal Offender Record Information

CSA: Child Sexual Abuse

CSAP: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

CSEC: Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children 

DCF: Department of Children and Families

Emotional Injury: Is an impairment to or disorder of the intellectual or psychological capacity of a child as evidenced by observable and substantial reduction in the child’s ability to function within a normal range of performance and behavior.

Employee: Anyone paid to work in an organization in any capacity, hourly or otherwise, on a regular basis, including part-time, summer, and administrative and maintenance staff.

Human Trafficking: ¹ A person who is subjected to harboring, recruitment, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting for the purpose of:

• Sex trafficking (i.e., inducement to perform a commercial sex act, forced sexual services and/or sexually explicit performance).
• Labor trafficking (i.e., forced services, involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery).

Inappropriate Conduct: Conduct which violates the physical or emotional boundaries of another, or puts the person or others at risk for violation or accusation of violation, whether intentional or unintentional.

Institutional Abuse or Neglect: Abuse or neglect which occurs in any facility for children, including, but not limited to, group homes, residential or public or private schools, hospitals, detention and treatment facilities, family foster care homes, group day care centers and family day care homes.

Neglect: Failure by a caretaker, either deliberately or through negligence or inability, to take those actions necessary to provide a child with minimally adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, supervision, emotional stability and growth or other essential care; provided, however, that such inability is not due solely to inadequate economic resources or solely to the existence of a handicapping condition. This definition is not dependent upon location (i.e., neglect can occur while the child is in an out-of-home or in-home setting).

Perpetrator: Any individual acting with deliberation to have a sexual encounter with a child/youth that is unwanted, coerced, forced or nonconsensual. This term also includes those who, by virtue of age, developmental disability, or other extenuating factor including diagnosable mental disease or defect, has sexually violated another person. This definition does not include those who are cognitively unaware of their actions.

Physical Injury: Death, or fracture of a bone, subdural hematoma, burns, impairment of any organ, and any other such nontrivial injury; or soft tissue swelling or skin bruising, depending on such factors as the child’s age, circumstances under which the injury occurred, and the number and location of bruises; or addiction to a drug or drugs at birth; or failure to thrive.

Problematic Sexual Behaviors (PSB):  PSBs are deviations from normative or typical sexual behavior. They are child-initiated behaviors involving sexual body parts (i.e., genitals, anus, buttocks, or breasts) and are developmentally inappropriate and/or potentially harmful to themselves or others. Problematic sexual behaviors may involve behaviors that are entirely self-focused such as excessive masturbation, or behaviors that involve other children, such as touching other children’s genitals or sexual intercourse. Normative sexual behaviors may become problematic sexual behaviors when it increases in frequency and doesn’t respond to parenting strategies. Problematic sexual behaviors are a set of behaviors that are not normative, are considered unacceptable by society, and can cause impairment in functioning.

Reporting: The requirement of an individual to report behavior which is not in alignment with the Code of Conduct to internal and/or external authorities.

Sexually Exploited Child: ¹ Any person under the age of 18 who has been subjected to sexual exploitation because such person:

• Is the victim of the crime of sexual servitude pursuant to section 50 of chapter 265 or is the victim of sex trafficking as defined in 22 United States Code 7105.
• Engages, agrees to engage or offers to engage in sexual conduct with another person in exchange for a fee, in violation of subsection (a) of section 53A of chapter 272, or in exchange for food, shelter, clothing, education or care.
• Is a victim of the crime of inducing a minor into prostitution under section 4A of chapter 272.
• Engages in common night walking or common streetwalking under section 53 of chapter 272.

SORI: Sex Offender Record Information

Suspicious Behavior: Behavior that causes a reasonable, informed person to question the motives and intentions of the person involved.

Victim, Alleged Victim: Any individual who, as a child/youth, had a sexual encounter that was unwanted, coerced, forced or nonconsensual

Volunteer: Any person providing services to an organization in any capacity who does not receive pay, regardless of duration or frequency.

Youth: For purposes of this report and a youth is defined as an individual between age 12 and the attainment of their 18th birthday.

Youth-on-Youth: Sexual activity between children, between youth, or between children and youth.

Youth Serving Organization (YSO): Establishments, organizations, facilities, small businesses and clubs that provide services and activities for children and youth. They include schools, medical and treatment facilities, youth groups, faith-based organizations, recreational and sporting clubs, mentoring services, and privately owned studios that provide instruction and skill-building (e.g., dance, karate, gymnastics, art, etc.) to name a few.

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¹ [based on MGL c. 233, § 20M and MGL c. 265, §§ 50 and 51

² as defined in MGL c. 119, § 21