Actions are taken to prevent and respond to violence, exploitation, and abuse against children. These actions are also intended to protect supervising adults.
Chaperones must avoid any behavior that could lead to misconduct allegations by adhering to CNG's Child and Adolescent Protection Handbook, Professional Boundaries Policy, and Communications and Social Media Policy (see documents available below). All CNG faculty and staff must report suspected incidents of domestic violence and/or possible child abuse.
Communication NOT allowed:
The use of inappropriate language, such as words of a sexual nature, offensive jokes, or disrespectful comments.
Personal communication for non-educational purposes is not allowed. Trip administrators or coordinators will have all students' and parents' contact information for emergency purposes. All electronic communication between an adult chaperone and students should be done via Google Chat. Parents must ensure their child has data on their phone before the trip. Students and chaperones must have the Google Chat application installed on their phones before the trip.
Photos/Videos of students cannot be posted on social media. The CNG publications department will carefully review photos/videos taken by the administration and CNG chaperones to ensure that the photos/videos follow the data privacy protocols.
Instructors/chaperones from external companies shall not take pictures of students except in the case of CWW programs where the outdoor provider has permission to do so with the purpose of sharing on the BLOG for parents.
Location:
Always use designated conference rooms/meeting areas in hotels for socialization between athletes, coaches, athletic staff, and chaperones. All socialization occurs in groups and is subject to a rule of two. Meetings and other interactions between students and staff/chaperones occur in public areas of the hotel or an athletic facility and do not occur in hotel rooms or restrooms.
Staff should not meet with students in personal/private spaces such as hotels or change rooms.
The staff can complete a room check to ensure students are in a safe environment. The door must be open while this check takes place and abide by the rule of two.
If students are not allowing a staff member to enter a room, the staff member must contact the trip administrator or coordinator immediately.
Students do not leave the room after curfew without adult chaperones and only within team guidelines or with expressed permission (except in an emergency).
Specify where students can and cannot go independently or without an adult accompanying them. Establish expectations that students must use the buddy system when within the hotel.
Adult chaperones are placed on all floors with students. Whenever possible, students all stay on the same floor and on the same wing in the hotel. Interactions between students and adult chaperones, coaches, athletic staff, and outdoor provider staff follow a rule of two.
Physical Contact:
No inappropriate and unnecessary touching, massaging, tickling, or holding should ever take place between an adult and a student. If you notice inappropriate or unnecessary touching, you must immediately report it to a trip administrator.
The staff can hug from the side, hand-shake, high-five, fist-bump, and pat a student on the upper back or shoulder, only if the student allows you. Do not touch a student's face unless an injury is present.
Before evaluating injuries, ask the student if you can touch them near the injured area to complete your injury assessment. Use the rule of two (two adults present) when assessing or treating an injury. During emergencies, one adult can be with a student while the other adult is seeking emergency services.
If you doubt physical contact with a student, you must ask for permission first.
Dealing with Hostile and Aggressive Behavior from students:
Stay calm, protect other children, set limits, and seek help.
Refrain from using physical restraints unless there is an imminent risk to the safety of others.
All incidents involving hostile and aggressive behaviors must be duly documented and reported to your administrator.
Refer to the Code of Honor and Behavior Expectations for the steps of removal from the trip.