Sexual Abuse and
Misconduct Prevention Policy
The Miracle League of Mercer County (MLMC) prohibits and
does not tolerate sexual abuse or misconduct at our facility or during any
organization-related activity. MLMC
provides procedures for staff, volunteers, board members or any other victims
of sexual abuse or misconduct to report such acts. Those reasonably suspected
or believed to have committed sexual abuse or misconduct will be appropriately
disciplined, up to and including termination of services, employment or
membership, as well as criminally prosecuted. No employee, volunteer, board
member or other person, regardless of his or her title or position has the
authority to commit or allow sexual abuse or misconduct.
Definitions and Examples
The following definitions or examples of sexual abuse,
misconduct or harassment, may apply to any and/or all of the following persons
– employees, volunteers or other third parties.
• Sexual abuse or misconduct may include, but is
not limited to:
o
Child sexual abuse – any sexual activity,
involvement, or attempt of sexual contact with a person who is a minor (under
18 years old) where consent is not or cannot be given.
o
Sexual activity with another who is legally
incompetent or otherwise unable to give consent.
o
Physical
assaults or violence, such as rape, sexual battery, abuse, molestation, or any
attempt to commit such acts.
o
Unwanted and intentional physical conduct that
is sexual in nature, such as touching, pinching, patting, brushing, massaging
someone’s neck or shoulders, and/or pulling against another’s body or clothes.
o
Material such as pornographic or sexually
explicit images, posters, calendars, or objects.
o
Unwelcome and inappropriate sexual activities,
advances, comments, innuendoes, bullying, jokes, gestures, electronic
communications or messages (e.g. email, text, social media, voicemail),
exploitation, exposure, leering, stalking, grooming, or invasion of sexual
privacy.
o
A sexually hostile environment characterized as
comments or conduct that unreasonably interferes with one’s work performance or
ability to do the job or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive
environment.
o
Direct or implied threats that submission to
sexual advances will be a condition of employment or affiliation with the
organization.
o
Grooming or online grooming as defined by when
someone builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or
young person so they can manipulate, exploit, and abuse them. Children and
young people who are groomed can be sexually abused, exploited, or trafficked.
Anybody can be a groomer, no matter their age, gender or race.
Warning Signs of Sexual Abuse
Physical signs:
•
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
•
Signs of trauma to the genital area, such as
unexplained bleeding, bruising, or blood on the sheets, underwear, or other
clothing
Behavioral signs:
•
Excessive talk about or knowledge of sexual
topics
•
Keeping secrets. Not talking as much as usual
•
Not wanting to be left alone with certain people
or being afraid to be away from primary caregivers, especially if this is a new
behavior.
•
Regressive behaviors or resuming behaviors they
had grown out of, such as thumb sucking or bedwetting.
•
Overly compliant behavior
•
Sexual behavior that is inappropriate for the
child’s age
•
Spending an unusual amount of time alone
•
Trying to avoid removing clothing to change or
bathe.
Emotional signs:
•
Change in eating habits.
•
Change in mood or personality, such as increased
aggression.
•
Decrease in confidence or self-image.
•
Excessive worry or fearfulness.
•
Increase in unexplained health problems such as
stomach aches and headaches.
•
Loss or decrease in interest in school,
activities, and friends.
•
Nightmares or fear of being alone at night.
•
Self-harming behaviors
This list may seem overwhelming to keep in mind when looking
out for a child in your life, and some signs seem to contradict each other,
such as being overly compliant or oppositional, or showing regressive behaviors
or advanced sexual behaviors. The most important thing to keep in mind when
looking for signs of child sexual abuse is to keep an eye on sudden changes in
behavior. Trust your gut and don’t ignore your feelings if something seems off.
If a child tells you that someone makes them uncomfortable, even if they can’t
tell you anything specific, listen.
Reporting Procedure
Immediately report suspected sexual abuse or misconduct to
the Executive Director of MLMC. It is not required to directly confront the
person who is the source of the report, question or complaint before notifying
any of the Executive Director. MLMC will take every reasonable measure to
ensure that those named in any notice or complaint of misconduct, or are too
closely associated with those involved in the notice or complaint, will not be
part of the investigation.
Anti-retaliation and False Allegations
MLMC prohibits retaliation made against any employee,
volunteer, board member, or other person who lodges a good faith complaint of
sexual abuse or misconduct or who participates in any related investigation.
Making knowingly false or malicious accusations of sexual abuse or misconduct
can have serious consequences for those who are wrongly accused. MLMC prohibits
making false or malicious sexual misconduct allegations, as well as
deliberately providing false information during an investigation. Anyone who violates
this rule is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of
service, employment or membership and criminal prosecution.
Investigation and Follow-up
MLMC will take all allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct
seriously and will promptly, thoroughly, and equitably investigate whether
misconduct has taken place. The organization may utilize an outside third party
to conduct an investigation of misconduct. MLMC will cooperate fully with any
investigation conducted by law enforcement or other regulatory/protective
services agencies. MLMC will make every reasonable effort to keep the matters
involved in the allegation as confidential as possible while still allowing for
a prompt and thorough investigation.
Reporting to Law Enforcement or Appropriate Child or
Adult Protective Services
MLMC is committed to following the state and federal legal
requirements for reporting allegations or incidents of sexual abuse or
misconduct to appropriate law enforcement and child or adult protective
services organizations. It is the policy of MLMC not to attempt to investigate
or assess the validity or credibility of an allegation of sexual or physical
abuse as a condition before reporting the allegation to proper law enforcement
authorities or protective services organizations. As a mandated reporter, if a staff
member is made aware of abuse, we will immediately call local authorities.
Employee and Volunteer Screening and Selection
As part of its sexual abuse and misconduct prevention
program, MLMC is committed to maintaining a diligent screening program for
prospective and existing adult staff, volunteers and others that may have
interaction with those employed by, associating with or serviced by MLMC. The
organization may utilize a variety of methods of screening and selection,
including but not limited to applications, personal interviews, criminal
background checks and personal and professional references.
Supervision of Youth
To provide a safe environment for minors, MLMC strives that,
at a minimum, two adult staff or volunteers supervise or be in attendance with
minors during organization-related activities or travel. The purpose is to
avoid one-on-one interactions between adults and minors that are not easily
observable by others. One-on-one with a minor is strictly prohibited. In the
event of a one-on-one situation, the Miracle League of Mercer County reverts to
its No Drop-Off Policy, and the parent/guardian or staff (aide) is responsible
to handle the situation.
No Drop-Off Policy
At all MLMC activities and events, we operate a “No
Drop-Off” policy for parents, guardians and/or staff members for any
participant, no matter the age. A parent/guardian or a staff member in charge
of the participant must be present at all times and is responsible for that
participant outside of the activity. If a participant needs assistance of any
kind outside the registered activity (i.e. medical help, bathroom breaks, etc),
the parent/guardian or staff member is responsible for that participant. Miracle
League of Mercer County staff and volunteers are only authorized to run their
programs. If any participant needs individual assistance where they are behind
closed doors or in a one-on-one situation, the parent/guardian or staff member
is responsible to handle that situation. In the event of a medical emergency
and/or the family member can’t be seen or reached, the Miracle League of Mercer
County staff will call 911.
“Zero Tolerance”
The MLMC is committed to providing a safe environment for
all its employees, volunteers, participants, etc., free from discrimination on
any ground and from harassment including sexual harassment. The MLMC will
operate a zero tolerance policy for any form of physical threats and sexual
harassment, treat all incidents seriously and promptly, and investigate all
allegations of physical threats and sexual harrassment. Each incident will be
reported to local authorities for investigation. After the investigation, any
person(s) found to have physically threatened or sexually harassed another
person will face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from our
programs or employment. Each case will be reviewed by the board of directors at
the Miracle League of Mercer County.
Acknowledgement
During each registration period, parents/guardians and staff/volunteers/coaches
will have to read our policies and sign that they have read, understood, and
discussed the policy with the participant. This takes place at every
registration, so if an individual registered for multiple events, they have to
sign off on the review of our policies multiple times. Contact information for
full time Miracle League of Mercer County staff is at the bottom of every
registration, so parents/guardians or staff can contact the organization if
they have any questions before agreeing to the policy. A person will not be
able to participate without agreeing to our policies.
Training
The form below is the acknowledgement form used for
full-time staff members of the Miracle League of Mercer County. Every staff
member undergoes a review of our Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Prevention Policy
each year along with our social media, medical, and media policies.
Volunteers/coaches and participants all receive the
documents in writing and have to acknowledge they have read through them when
they register to volunteer or participate.
Due to our No Drop Off Policy, parents/guardians or staff
(aides) are always present with their athlete and are responsible for them in
case of emergency or any unforeseen circumstances.
Exceptions in volunteer training: All volunteer coaches, our
main volunteer group, will review the sexual abuse and misconduct prevention
policy annually in person at the coaches meeting prior to each season with a
Miracle League of Mercer County staff member.
Acknowledgement
Form
Sexual Abuse and
Misconduct Prevention Policy
I acknowledge that I received and read the Sexual Abuse and
Misconduct Prevention Policy, Social Media Policy, Medical Policy, and Media
Waiver and/or had it explained to me. I understand that it is my responsibility
to abide by all rules contained in the policy. I also understand how to report
incidents of sexual abuse or misconduct as set forth in the policy, including
retaliation against any employee or volunteer exercising his or her rights
under the policy. I acknowledge that I will be alerted when changes and updates
are made to the Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Policy and will be responsible for
reading and complying with these updates.
