Participant Abuse Prevention Policy

Observable and interruptible:

• One-on-one interactions between a minor participant and an Applicable Adult (who is not the minor’s legal guardian) are permitted if they occur at an observable and interruptible distance by another adult.
• One-on-one interactions between minor participants and an Applicable Adult (who is not the minor’s legal guardian) which are not observable and interruptible are prohibited, except under emergency circumstances.

Meetings:

• Meetings between Applicable Adults and minor participants may only occur if another adult is present, except under emergency circumstances. Such meetings must occur where interactions can be easily observed and at an interruptible distance from another adult.
• If a one-on-one meeting takes place in an office, the door to the office must remain unlocked and open. If available, it will occur in an office that has windows, with the windows, blinds, and/or curtains remaining open during the meeting.

Individual Training Sessions:

• Individual training sessions between Applicable Adults and minor participants are permitted if the training session is observable and interruptible by another adult. It is the responsibility of the Applicable Adult to obtain the written permission of the minor’s legal guardian in advance of the individual training session if the individual training session is not observable and interruptible by another adult. Permission for individual training sessions must be obtained at least every six months. Parents, guardians, and other caretakers must be allowed to observe the training session.

Shared facility:

• If a Participating Group uses a facility not fully under its jurisdiction (for, e.g., rehearsal or competition or similar events) and the facility is used by multiple constituents, Applicable Adults are nonetheless required to adhere to the rules set herein.

Use of recording devices:

• Use of any device’s (including a cell phone’s) recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras and video cameras in locker rooms, changing areas, or similar spaces at a facility under the Participating Group’s jurisdiction is prohibited.

Undress:

• Under no circumstances shall an Applicable Adult at a facility under the Participating Groups jurisdiction expose his or her breasts, buttocks, groin, or genitals to a minor participant.

One-on-one interactions:

• Except for participants in the same group, at no time are unrelated Applicable Adults permitted to be alone with a minor participant in a locker room or changing area when at a facility under the partial or full jurisdiction of the Participating Group, except under emergency circumstances.
• If the Participating Group is using a facility that only has a single locker room or changing area, the group will designate separate times for use by Applicable Adults, if any.

Monitoring:

• The Participating Group should regularly and randomly monitor the use of locker rooms and changing areas under their jurisdiction to ensure compliance with these policies.

Content:

• All electronic communication originating from Applicable Adults to minor participants must be professional in nature.

Open and transparent:

• Absent emergency circumstances, if an Applicable Adult with authority over minor participants needs to communicate directly to a minor participant via electronic communications (including social media), another Applicable Adult or the minor’s legal guardian will be copied.
• If a minor participant communicates to the Applicable Adult (with authority over the minor participant) privately first, said Applicable Adult should respond to the minor participant with a copy to another Applicable Adult or the minor’s legal guardian.
• When an Applicable Adult with authority over minor participants communicates electronically to the entire group, said Applicable Adult will copy another adult.
• Minor participants may “friend” the organization’s official page.

Requests to discontinue:

• Legal guardians may request in writing that their minor participant not be contacted through any form of electronic communication by the group or by the Applicable Adults subject to this policy. The group will abide by any such request that their minor participant not be contacted via electronic communication, absent emergency circumstances.

Transportation:

• Applicable Adults who are not also acting as a legal guardian, shall not ride in a vehicle alone with an unrelated minor participant, absent emergency circumstances, and must have at least two minor participants or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the minor participant’s parent/legal guardian in advance.

Hotel rooms:

• Applicable Adults shall not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with a minor participant (unless the Applicable Adult is the legal guardian, sibling, or is otherwise related to the minor participant). However, a parent/legal guardian may consent to such an arrangement in advance and in writing. Furthermore, A parent/legal guardian may consent in advance and in writing to the minor participant sharing a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with an adult participant.

Meetings:

• Meetings shall be conducted consistent with the group’s policy for one-on-one interactions (i.e., any such meeting shall be observable and interruptible.