“We fully recognize that although these incidents allegedly occurred many years ago, time does not erase pain experienced by survivors and their families. We continue to support legislation that grants survivors access to justice, and respect those who have courageously brought forward these particularly important concerns. Our organization will work diligently to have this matter resolved in a supportive, empathetic, and ethical manner.”
-The Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic
Unfortunately, Leonia is not alone with its past and the ongoing responsibility for safety of children in their care.
But many are taking steps to act in a “supportive, empathic and ethical manner” by making public statements and adopting policies to ensure that victims are supported and know it is safe to come forward. They are also adopting policies to ensure that no future child faces the life changing experience of sexual abuse.
The Boys & Girls Club of America is an example that Leonia should follow both in terms of their policies to protect children today and their work to support victims. The policy below and the public statement above should be adopted by Leonia and Leonia School Board.
Safety Policies and Actions
Boys & Girls Clubs of America works continuously to enhance robust safety policies and actions to ensure young people remain safe in Clubs. Through our national Child & Club Safety Department we implement layers of safety policies and guidelines to keep our kids safe including:
Background Checks: Mandatory annual criminal background checks for staff and volunteers.
Mandatory Reporting: Local Boys & Girls Clubs are required to immediately report any suspected abuse or victimization to the appropriate authorities and then to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Safety Committees: Each Club has a Board- led Safety Committee elevating safety to the highest level of governance, and are required to fulfill the same responsibilities at every Club.
Mandatory Safety Assessments: Clubs are required to complete a mandatory annual safety assessment.
3rd Party Experts: BGCA and local Clubs engage leading 3rd party safety experts on training, policies and resources. Recently BGCA worked with RAINN, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to abuse prevention, awareness, and response to conduct a safety review.
Reference Requirement: Any employee looking to move to another Club, MUST have a reference from the previous Club to be eligible for rehire.
Continuous Enhancement: Continual updates to Clubs’ sexual abuse prevention polices, practices, and trainings that align with best practices of healthcare and school-based settings.
Resources for Families and Staff: Impactful training and resources for Club youth and families focused on mental health and social-emotional development.
Resources for Youth Members: Clubs are required to prominently display key safety resources and information, including the Child Safety Helpline and Crisis Text Line
Policy Communications: Clubs must inform parents and guardians of safety policies when they receive a youth membership application.