Assignment on

Topic – Working with Minors

(PFE701)

by Abhishek Dey
M.Tech ECE III Semester
Amity University,Lucknow
Enrollment No. –A7615319002
Guide – Asst. Prof. Dr. Neerja
Pandey
 Code of Conduct
GUIDELINES FOR WORKING WITH
MINORS
“Minors” includes any well-being of children under the age of 18
years old. “Staff” includes both employees of the institutions and
volunteers. “Parent” is considered both parents as well as legal
guardians. The protection of is of the highest priority to an institution,
which is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for
them, and to raise awareness of how to manage risk when minors are
present in the program. Minors must be adequately supervised by
their legal guardians including during any transportation activity
specifically coordinated and provided by the institution. According to
UNICEF below are the recommended ratios of Legal Guardians to
Minors:

5 years & younger = 1 Legal Guardian per 6 Minors

6 to 8 years of age = 1 Legal Guardian per 8 Minors
9 to 14 years of age = 1 Legal Guardian per 10 Minors
15 to 18 years of age = 1 Legal Guardian per 12 Minors

The following behavioural guidelines emphasize the responsibility

that staff, volunteers, parents, while working with minors each have in
ensuring a safe and successful program.

Dos for safely working with Minors:

 Maintain the highest standards of personal behaviour at all

times when interacting with minors.
 Whenever possible, try to have another adult present when you
are working with minors in an unsupervised setting.  Conduct
necessary one-on-one interactions with minors in a public
environment where you can be observed.
 Listen to and interact with minors and provide appropriate
praise and positive reinforcement.
 Treat all minors in a group consistently and fairly, and with
respect and dignity.
 Be friendly with minors within the context of the formal
program or activity while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
 Maintain professional discipline and discourage inappropriate
behaviour by minors, consulting with your supervisors if you
need help with misbehaving youth.
 Be aware of how your actions and intentions might be
perceived and could be misinterpreted.
 Consult with other legal guardians or parents when you feel
uncertain about a situation.
 No Internet social networking with minors for personal reasons
or through personal profiles is allowed by staff. Networking
through approved program sites/profiles may be used when the
contact is related to programming.
 Staff should understand the program emergency plan for
responding to a crisis situation. In case of emergency, contact
minor’s emergency contact person as soon as possible.
 In sensitive situations and in case of injury, involve another
staff member, adult, or parent.
 Do not have off-hours contact with minors. Separate your
private life from your work or volunteer activities.
 Understand and respect the boundaries set by minors regarding
physical touch or sharing personal information.
 Communicate to your program lead all situations that may be
questionable or a possible breach of these guidelines. If you
believe someone has perpetrated abuse or neglect, immediately
and confidentially report such violation to Child Protective
Services or the police, and follow institution guidelines for
internal reporting, as applicable.
Don'ts harmful relationships with Minors:

 Don’t spend time alone with one minor away from the group or
conduct private interactions with minors in enclosed spaces or
behind closed doors.
 Don’t engage in inappropriate touching or have any
physical contact with a minor in private locations.
 Don’t use inappropriate language, tell risqué jokes, or make
sexually suggestive comments around minors, even if minors
themselves are doing so.
 Don’t give personal gifts to, or do special favours for, a minor
or do things that may be seen as favouring one minor over
others.
 Don’t share information with minors about your private life or
have informal or purely social contact with minor program
participants outside of program activities.
 Don’t strike or hit a minor, or use corporal punishment or other
punishment involving physical pain or discomfort.
 Don’t relate to minors as if they were peers, conduct private
correspondence, or take on the role of "confidant" (outside of a
professional counselling relationship).
 Don’t date or become romantically or sexually involved with a
minor.  Don’t engage in intimate displays of affection with
others in the presence of minors. Don't show pornography to
minors or involve minors in pornographic activities.
 Don’t privately email, text, or engage with minors through
social media. Group messages and posts are acceptable and must
be viewable by all participants.
 Don’t provide cigarettes or tobacco for smoking related
materials, alcohol or drugs to minors, or use them in the
presence of minors.
 Don't permit hazing, harassment, or any type of bullying
behaviour, including cyberbullying.
Appropriate & Inappropriate Interactions:
Zero Tolerance
These behaviours, when
substantiated, represent gross
misconduct and may include
termination of employment.
PHYSICAL CONTACT:
1. Sexual abuse, molestation.
2. Physical abuse, punishment,
discipline (e.g. use of physical
force, striking, squeezing,
whether used for behavior
management or not).
3. Physical interaction involving
intimate touch or other risk of
injury (e.g. tickling, wrestling,
twisting nipples, swinging
minors by ankles or wrists,
massages, caressing, sitting on
lap, patting on bottom, kissing).
OTHER ACTIONS:
4. Verbal abuse (e.g. yelling in
aggressive or threatening
manner; belittling, including
making fun of the individual/
individual’s family, national
origin, religion, sexuality,
ethnicity, disabilities, sexual
orientation; threatening bodily
harm to the individual or
individual’s family/friends).
5. Bullying, taunting; intimidation
of physical force.
6. Using inappropriate
consequences for behavior (e.g.
closing minor in closet, cabinet;
restraining minor
inappropriately such as tying
their hands with string, taping
their mouth).
7. Neglect – failure to provide for
basic needs of minors (e.g.
failing to provide appropriate
medical care, access to
restrooms, or access to
food/water).
8. Telling or asking a minor not to
tell an adult or parent of words
or actions of staff or volunteers.
9. Founded violation from Child
Protective Services or law
Not Allowed Appropriate
These behaviours could result These behaviours are generally
in corrective action up to and ok. However, even appropriate
including termination of touch can be inappropriate
employment. when excessive, done for staff’s
personal pleasure or when the
intention is to give preferential
treatment.
PHYSICAL CONTACT: PHYSICAL CONTACT:
1. Frontal hugs and bear hugs. 1. Shaking hands.
2. Holding hands - intent is to 2. High fives.
eliminate special, singular 3. Hand signs and greetings.
relationships (ok for groups, 4. Side hugs.
games and with very young Even physical contact that is
children who need considered ‘appropriate’ must be
assistance). consented to by the minor, and be
3. Patting on head (demeaning appropriate for the situation.
in some cultures)
4. Touching any parts of the
body without consent.
5. Restraint of a minor (unless
minor is an immediate danger
to self or others; to avoid
harm to a minor, physically
redirecting minor to safety).
6. Being rough with minors for
behaviour management (e.g.
yanking arm, grabbing
shoulder, pushing minor into
position).
7. Roughhousing (aggressive
physical contact, often for
fun, minor not in control of
body).
8. Lifting, carrying, piggy-back or
arm-chair rides (exceptions
could be for challenge course
activities, group games,
moving an injured minor).
OTHER ACTIONS:
9. Emotional abuse (e.g.
sarcasm, harsh or abusive
words; rejecting or stating
you do not like a minor).
10. Neglect – denying snack or
other comfort as a behaviour
consequence.
11. Personal gifts to minors or
their parents (includes any
gift, note, craft, food or
beverage intended to give a
minor and/or parent special
attention not given to others).
 enforcement agency relating to
the safety of a minor.
10. Failure to fully cooperate with
an investigation by program
staff, the University of
Washington, law enforcement
agency or other authorized
outside agency.
11. Sexual exploitation (e.g. sharing
or taking nude pictures).
12. Being nude in front of minors
under your care or direction.
PROCEDURES:
13. Supervisory staff instructing
employee in mandatory
reporting situation not to make
a report.
14. Unauthorized off-hours contact,
including but not limited to:
babysitting, movies, foster care,
weekend trips, dating, social
networking and texting.
15. Dating a program participant
who is a minor.
16. Serving food with nuts or other
allergens to a minor with known
allergies.
ADDITIONAL:
17. Illegal activity on work time.
18. Undisclosed past criminal history
(as required by routine
background check performed at
hiring).
19. Using, selling or providing
alcohol or illegal drugs on site,
or in program. Selling or
providing over-the-counter
drugs to minors, except by
documented parental
authorization.
12. Losing a minor (depends on
duration, when/where minor
found, how occurred).
13. Crossing boundaries of
appropriate and
inappropriate interaction with
minors (including telling
stories of personal sexual
relationships, illegal activity,
siding with minors as opposed
to supporting staff with rules).
14. Singling a minor out for
favoured attention or giving
the appearance of grooming.
PROCEDURES:
15. Failing to report suspicion of
abuse or neglect internally
and to Child Protective
Services.
16. Violating reporting
procedures or failing to report
rule-breaking to supervisor.
17. Supervisory staff instructing
employee not to report a
situation to risk management
or human resources.
ADDITIONAL:
18. Illegal activity outside
program hours or off site.
19. Bringing or carrying a weapon
into the program.
20. Being in possession of or
being under influence of
alcohol or drugs on site
and/or in program.