Protocols for Responding to Youth Maltreatment

The Book of Leviticus teaches the critical notion of standing up rather than standing by while harm befalls another. No matter how committed an organization is to safeguarding its youth, when an individual who is trusted, loved, or simply known harms youth, leaders may freeze, enter a state of disbelief, or, even with the best of intentions, respond in a way that furthers harm. This is why response protocols are critical: they offer leaders a roadmap of actions that was carefully determined through communal introspection and research.

This Best Practice will help your organization create a roadmap of actions to implement if indicators of youth maltreatment arise. The first step in responding is knowing how to receive a disclosure from a youth. Subsequent values-driven, research-supported steps (coming soon) can include:

• Filling out, filing, and documenting incident report forms
• Implementing non-retaliation policies
• Reporting and cooperating with relevant governmental agencies
• Supporting impacted individuals and their loved ones
• Communicating about incidents of maltreatment
• Managing investigations, disciplinary actions, and safe-engagement plans
• Processing traumatic events and community healing