Audrey Oliver of Praesidium shares the importance of safeguarding youth by addressing child sexual abuse and implementing anonymous reporting for safer environments.
Many community recreation programs serve the highest number of children and youth during the summer months. A high number of children and youth served may translate to more staff and/or volunteers needed, activities to plan, food to serve and fun had by all. Unfortunately, it can also mean potentially more broken rules, calls to parents, and risk for serious injuries and incidents of abuse.
Tragically, child sexual abuse remains a widespread problem. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) reports every nine minutes child protective services substantiates or finds evidence for a claim of child sexual abuse.1Research suggests there are long-lasting impacts on mental, physical and emotional health for survivors of sexual abuse. In a safe program environment, staff and volunteers are trained on how sexual abuse can happen, and how to report and respond to red-flag behaviors before they rise to the level of abuse.
Praesidium collects information from reported red-flag behaviors and abuse incidents in youth-serving organizations. An analysis of thousands of cases shows organizations who serve youth experience the largest number of sexual abuse incidents in the summer months. This data also shows 18% of adult-to-youth incidents occur in the context of recreation areas like playgrounds, sports fields and basketball courts. Most are boundary violations and/or staff becoming overly physically aggressive while interacting with youth in these spaces.
Here are some best practices for monitoring and supervision in these spaces:
1. Maintain appropriate ratios for staff supervision.
2. Active supervision and zone monitoring are crucial for ensuring line of sight at all time.
3. Employees and volunteers should position themselves to be able to see and hear all consumers to whom they’re assigned.
4. Listen and notice changes in sound or absence of sound.
5. Remain engaged with consumers rather than socializing with other employees or volunteers.
6. Show and tell consumers the parameters they must remain in while playing outside or in the recreational space.
Overcoming Barriers
There are many reasons why someone may not want to report a red-flag behavior they see a coworker engaging in with a child or youth. No one wants to be the person to accuse a coworker of being a sex offender. Instead, teach people to focus on the behavior rather than the person. There is no need to characterize a fellow employee as “good” or “bad” or try to determine the person’s intent. Most people fear making a false allegation against a fellow employee so they may minimize or wait to report suspicious or inappropriate behaviors until it’s too late.
An additional approach involves implementing an anonymous reporting system. This can be accomplished through various channels such as an email address, a dedicated phone line or a physical comment box placed within the facility. By offering individuals a means to report minor concerns or alarming behaviors while remaining anonymous, they can feel protected from potential retaliation or breach of confidentiality. Such a system empowers employees, volunteers, parents and participants to confidentially report any suspicious or inappropriate incidents. By enabling timely reporting, organizational leadership can swiftly address the situation and take preventative measures to mitigate any further harm.
