Welcome
Youth Protection Policy
Statement of Conduct for Working With Youth
Rotary International strives to create and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in Rotary activities. To the best of their ability, Rotary members, their partners, and other volunteers must safeguard the children and young people with whom they come into contact and protect them from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
It is our responsibility as Rotarians to protect all youth involved in Rotary Youth Programs. These youth programs include but are not limited to those sponsored by our clubs or district. Good intentions alone cannot protect youth and they cannot protect Rotarians and volunteers. Rotary District 5840 is committed to doing the work necessary to keep our youth, Rotarians, and volunteers safe.
The types of abuse and harassment referenced in the “Statement of Working With Youth” include but are not limited to the following terms. It is important to understand these terms and how they may impact youth. Physical abuse is defined as any physical contact that is intended to cause pain, injury, or other physical suffering or harm. Sexual abuse or harassment involves sexual assault, trafficking, sexual exploitation, coercion, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism, and degrading sexual imagery. Psychological, emotional, or verbal abuse is the intended use of fear, humiliation, or verbal assault to control the behavior of another. These types of abuses include bullying, cyberbullying, discrimination, inappropriate online communication, and neglect.
Process when reporting an incident:
1. Recognize signs of abuse
2. Have an immediate response (if the child is in immediate danger, contact
emergency services)
3. If the child makes an outcry, remain calm, listen carefully and avoid judgment or
probing questions
4. Report the concern to a designated person overseeing or supervising the
event/program. Rotarians/volunteers may be required to report directly to CPS
or law enforcement and immediately notify the district governor and the district
youth protection officer
5. Document observations and statements, facts, including
dates/times/locations
7. Maintain confidentiality
8. Limit sharing the information to those directly involved in the reporting
process
9. Protect the identity of the youth involved and the accused until the
investigation concludes
10. Ensure ongoing support for the child, if appropriate, and any impact on others
11. Document any outcomes of the report
12. All documentation is confidential
Continuous Learning:
Include on-going training sessions on recognizing and reporting abuse.
Review and update district policy regularly with legal requirements and best
practices.
Rotary District 5840 is recommending that Rotarians and non-Rotarians associated with a Rotary club who has contact with youth take the on-line training course “Protecting Youth Program Participants” offered by Rotary International.
The following is the link for Protecting Youth Program Participants (online course):
https://my.rotary.org/en/knowledge-and-resources/resources-and-reference/youth-protection
DISTRICT LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
A club leader's responsibility
Rotary club presidents have overall responsibility for operating and coordinating the club's youth activities, with the support of club committee members.
Club leaders must know all Rotary and district youth protection policies, provide required training, screen volunteers, and implement a risk management strategy. They must coordinate with district chairs and the district governor to address and report any allegations of abuse and harassment and implement the safeguards that are necessary to protect young people.
A district leader's responsibility
Each year, the district governor appoints youth program chairs to monitor and direct club and district program activities. These people are a resource and point of contact for clubs.
District chairs should coordinate their efforts to raise awareness of youth safety issues and work together to develop and implement youth protection policies and ensure that all clubs follow them.
Like club leaders, district leaders assist with training, screening procedures, and risk management. They coordinate with other district chairs and the district governor to address and report any allegations of abuse and harassment, and they keep the district governor informed about youth program activities. They also maintain confidential records of anyone who is prohibited from participating in Rotary activities or whose membership was terminated because of incidents of abuse or harassment.
A district governor's responsibility
The governor is responsible for establishing the district’s commitment to Rotary's fifth Avenue of Service, Youth Service, by making sure that everyone is actively creating safe environments for young people.
The district governor has control over and supervision of district programs, including all youth programs and activities. Given the sensitive nature of youth programs, we encourage governors to use the period between being nominated and taking office to learn as much as possible about their districts' youth programs.
Governors must ensure that the district has and enforces a youth protection policy that complies with Rotary's policies and that all policies are reviewed by local legal professionals. Governors should also appoint youth program district chairs who are knowledgeable about and committed to protecting young people.
Governors must promptly and fully address any allegation of abuse or harassment within the district. That may include taking over the administration of youth
programs themselves even if they were previously delegated to another club or district officer. They must also closely review any allegation of abuse, harassment, or other inappropriate behavior that might disqualify a volunteer from working with young people, even if it does not directly involve youths.