Summer programming season approaches fast, and with it comes an influx of new staff, expanded activities, and extended hours of direct contact between adults and children. For youth-serving organizations, summer represents both an extraordinary opportunity to serve young people and a period of heightened vulnerability….
In early March, the Georgia Court of Appeals issued a ruling that youth-serving organizations should note. The case — Darlington School v. Philadelphia Indemnity et al. — reversed a $345 million judgment against five insurance carriers, finding that policies written decades after abuse occurred cannot…
You’ve read through every page of the independent report and appreciate that the investigator identified clear paths forward. But here’s the next difficult question for you: How do you ensure these recommendations become part of your safety culture and don’t simply become another binder on…
One type of independent investigation that youth organizations have to face more often than other groups are allegations of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct, whether recent or long-ago. Entering this territory requires both compassion and unflinching objectivity. Understanding how these values work together—rather than against…
When serious allegations surface and you want an independent investigator with experience, it’s common to turn to attorneys and former law enforcement. As a former prosecutor and currently an attorney in private practice, I obviously think that instinct is a good one. But you need…
January is National Mentoring Month, and January 17 is International Mentoring Day. There’s no doubt that mentoring is an incredibly important resource for children who have suffered trauma, but it can be hard to distinguish good mentoring from predatory grooming. Those of us who parent…
A recent report out of Sacramento demonstrates how the absence of written documentation, particularly with mandated reports, can destroy careers, leave children vulnerable, and create institutional failures—even when everyone involved believes they followed proper procedures. The Investigation’s Conclusions Various staff and youth at a Sacramento…
“Poverty is not neglect.” It’s a theme that’s been repeated often in recent years, and a statement that’s undoubtedly true. But, as I argued almost two years ago in my Substack column, repeating it as a mantra can lead to bad outcomes in which children…
Creating child protection policies is a significant milestone for youth serving organizations (YSO). But writing effective policies is just the beginning. The real challenge—and the real opportunity—lies in ensuring your child protection policy remains a living, breathing part of your organizational culture rather…
In recent years, development NGOs have reenergized their efforts to safeguard children and vulnerable adults they work with from abuse and sexual exploitation. Many NGOs have adopted zero-tolerance policies for harassment, abuse, and exploitation. But safeguarding scandals continue, and even strenuous…
When thieves pulled off a brazen daylight robbery at the Louvre this October, this article says security experts weren't particularly surprised. The investigation revealed what security professionals already knew: even the most prestigious institutions struggle with fundamental questions about where to place cameras, how to…
Despite the lessons about child protection policies provided by multiple highly-publicized sex abuse and safeguarding scandals, why do so many organizations that serve children, youth, and vulnerable adults still fall prey to the fast-talking, dynamic predator? Even after task forces and special commissions push for…