The following information outlines how Y staff and volunteers are expected to interact with youth in our programs. If you have any questions about the information below, contact your direct supervisor
Physical Contact
Our Y’s physical contact policy promotes a positive, nurturing environment while protecting youth, staff and volunteers. Our Y encourages appropriate physical contact with youth and prohibits inappropriate displays of physical contact. Any inappropriate physical contact by employees or volunteers towards youth in the Y’s programs will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
The Y’s policies for appropriate and inappropriate physical interactions include but are not limited to:
| Appropriate Physical Interactions | Inappropriate Physical Interactions |
| Contact initiated by the consumer such as: | Full-frontal hugs |
| Side hugs | Kisses |
| Shoulder-to-shoulder or “temple” hugs | Showing affection in isolated are or while one-one-one |
| Pats on the shoulder or back | Lap Sitting |
| Handshakes | Wrestling |
| High-fives and hand slapping | Piggy Back Rides |
| Pats on the head when culturally appropriate | Tickling |
| Touching hands, shoulders, and arms | Allowing a youth to cling to a staff or volunteer’s leg |
| Arms around shoulders | Any type of massage given by or to a youth outside of accepted and documented medical treatment |
| Holding hands (with younger youth in escorting situations) | Any form of affection that is unwanted by the youth or the staff or volunteer |
| Touching bottom, chest, or genital areas that is outside authorized documented personal care assistance |
Verbal Interactions
Staff and volunteers are prohibited from speaking to youth in a way that is, or could be construed by any observer, as harsh, coercive, threatening, intimidating, shaming, derogatory, demeaning, or humiliating.
Staff and volunteers must not initiate sexually oriented conversations with youth. Staff and volunteers are not permitted to discuss their own sexual activities with youth.
Our Y’s policies for appropriate and inappropriate verbal interactions include but are not limited to:
| Appropriate Verbal Interactions | Inappropriate Verbal Interactions |
| Positive reinforcement | Name Calling |
| Appropriate Jokes | Discussing sexual encounters or in any way involving youth in the personal problems or issues of employees and volunteers |
| Encouragement | Secrets |
| Praise | Cursing |
| Self-disclosure as a supervised therapeutic tool by a licensed clinicians, medical professionals, and pastoral counseling. | Off-Color or sexual jokes |
| Shaming, belittling | |
| Oversharing personal history | |
| Derogatory remarks | |
| Harsh language that may frighten, threaten, or humiliate consumers | |
| Derogatory remarks about the youth and their family | |
| Compliments related to physique and body development |
Discipline of Youth
Staff and volunteers are prohibited from using physical punishment for the behavior management of youth. No form of physical discipline is acceptable. This prohibition includes spanking, slapping, pinching, hitting, or any other physical force as retaliation or correction for inappropriate behaviors by youth. Staff and volunteers will have age-appropriate expectations and guidelines that minimize the need for discipline. Staff and volunteers are prohibited from using the following techniques for discipline under any circumstances:
- Hitting
- Spanking
- Shaking
- Slapping
- Using physical exercise as a consequence
- Withholding food, light, or medical care
- Name-calling
- Shoving
- Pulling hair or ears
- Biting
- Pinching
- Shaming
- Derogatory remarks
- Ostracizing
- Mechanical tape or rope restraints
- Punishment for toileting accidents
- Angry yelling
One-on-One Interactions
Most abuse occurs when an adult is alone with a youth. Our Y aims to eliminate or reduce these situations and prohibits private one-on-one interactions unless approved in advance by Y administration.
In those situations where one-on-one interactions are approved, staff and volunteers should observe the following additional guidelines to manage the risk of abuse or false allegations of abuse:
- When meeting one-on-one with a youth, always do so in a public place where you are in full view of others.
- Avoid physical affection that can be misinterpreted. Limit affection to pats on the shoulder, high-fives, and handshakes.
- If meeting in a room or office, leave the door open or move to an area that can be easily observed by others passing by.
- Inform other staff and volunteers that you are alone with a youth and ask them to randomly drop in.
- Document and immediately report any unusual incidents, including disclosures of abuse or maltreatment, behavior problems and how they were handled, injuries, or any interactions that might be misinterpreted.
Off-Site Contact
Research shows many cases of organizational abuse occur off-site and outside of regularly scheduled activities. Allowing contact outside of regularly scheduled activities may put staff, volunteers, youth, and our Y at increased risk.
Examples of contact outside of regularly scheduled program activities:
- Babysitting arrangements
- Tutoring
- Private lessons/coaching
- Mentorship
- Social interactions between staff or volunteer’s children and children served by the organization.
- Playdates and birthday parties
- Sleepovers
- Overnight trips and vacations
- Rides to/from organization or extracurricular activities and events
- Attending public events in a shared community (like graduation, sports events, religious ceremonies)
- Continued contact with youth after a youth’s participation in a program has ended
This organization prohibits interactions between staff and volunteers with youth outside of regularly scheduled program activities.
Electronic Communication
Any private electronic communication between staff and youth, including the use of social networking websites like – Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, instant messaging, texting, etc. – is prohibited. All communication between staff and youth must be transparent.
- Staff and volunteers are prohibited from sending text messages to youth and/or replying to text messages from a youth. If a youth attempts to communicate with a staff or volunteer via text, a supervisor must be notified immediately.
- All e-mail communications with youth must be directed to the youth’s parents/guardians and conducted through YMCA issued email addresses. Staff and volunteers are prohibited from all other forms of electronic communications and instant messaging with youth.
- Staff and volunteers are prohibited from communicating with youth using social networks, including direct messaging through social media and gaming platforms.
- Personal social media accounts and blogs of staff and volunteers must be private and inaccessible to youth. Staff and volunteers with profiles on social media sites may not request to be friends with or follow youth or approve friend/follow requests from youth.
Electronic Communication Device Use During Program Hours
Staff and volunteers may bring personal electronic communication devices to work but these devices must not be in view or in use when the individual is expected to be supervising youth. Program leadership may establish exceptions to this requirement include during approved breaks, emergency situations, and field trips. Internet use, text messaging, and/or emailing youth is subject to the requirements defined in this Y’s electronic communication and social media policy. Failure to adhere to the policy will result in progressive discipline.
Gift Giving
Molesters routinely groom youth by giving gifts, thereby endearing themselves to the youth. They might instruct the youth to keep the gifts a secret, which then starts teaching the youth to keep secrets from parents. For this reason, staff and volunteers should only give gifts to groups of youth, and only under the following circumstances:
- Administration must be made aware of and approve the gift.
- Parents must be notified.