Safeguarding Policy

ECNAIS Code of Conduct for Working with Youth

The ECNAIS Code of Conduct for Working with Youth applies to all people participating in any ECNAIS activity. Notwithstanding, responsibility over and for any minor that a school/national association brings to an ECNAIS event rests with the school/national association.

This Code of Conduct was approved by ECNAIS General Meeting of November 9th, 2022.

Commitment

ECNAIS is committed to creating and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in ECNAIS activities. All ECNAIS officials, member associations, their representatives, partners, and other people involved must safeguard the children and young people they come into contact with and protect them from physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

ECNAIS has a zero tolerance policy with regard to abuse.

Awareness and Prevention

ECNAIS takes youth protection very seriously, and it relies on member associations and their representatives to foster safe environments that prevent abuse and to respond appropriately when it occurs. To create awareness and prevent abuse, adults and minors attending all ECNAIS activities will be informed about ECNAIS Code of Conduct for Working with Youth.

Code of conduct

During ECNAIS activities, in all interactions between adults, between adults and minors and between minors, all participants are expected to:

Adopt a polite behavior (responsibility, punctuality, respect for the opinions and assets of others, respect in social interactions, etc.);
Comply with established norms and rules and promote compliance of such norms through positive reinforcement and fair disciplinary measures (applied calmly and clearly explained when necessary);
Promote collaboration and healthy sportsmanship among all;
Integrate, welcoming and valuing the difference between people (cultural, religious, gender, etc…);
Develop healthy, transparent and secure relationships;
Communicate in a respectful and peaceful way;
Promote the peaceful resolution of conflicts, should they occur.

During ECNAIS activities, in all interactions between adults, between adults and minors and between minors, all participants should avoid:

The use of language and conversations that may be felt as sexually ambiguous, aggressive, humiliating, threatening, offensive and/or discriminating;
Gestures and behaviors that can be read as ambiguous, aggressive, humiliating, threatening, offensive and/or discriminatory;
Have preferential relationships and gestures that can be read as ambiguous, exclusive, dominant or discriminating against others;
Ambiguous and/or unnecessary physical contact;
Being alone with a minor (unless necessary due to the nature of the activity/authorized by the organizers of the event, e.g. pedagogical support, conversation requested by the minor, programmed preparation of activities, followup in case of illness, etc.);
Transporting a minor alone (except if necessary for the activity/authorized by organizers);
Sleeping in the same room as minors (except if necessary due to the nature of the accommodation and authorized by organizers);
Put oneself in other situations with minors that may give rise to suspicion, comments and/or false accusations (except in situations foreseen/authorized);
Encounters or activities that generate ambiguity about whether they happen within the scope of ECNAIS.

During ECNAIS activities, in all interactions between adults, between adults and minors and between minors, it is forbidden for any participant to:

Use, promote or allow the use of sexualized, aggressive, humiliating, threatening, offensive and/or discriminatory language or conversations;
Use, promote or allow sexualized, aggressive, humiliating, threatening, offensive and/or discriminatory gestures and behavior;
Have preferential relationships and gestures that are ambiguous, exclusive, dominant or discriminating against others;
Engage in conversations and viewing of inappropriate content (eg of a sexualized, violent, offensive or discriminatory nature);
All types of inappropriate physical contact;
Consume alcohol if minor and/or promote or allow the consumption of alcohol by minors;
Consume, promote or allow the consumption of illegal substances;
Practice, promoting or allowing illegal behavior;
Practice, promote or allow any act that is considered a crime by law;
Practice, promoting or allow dangerous behavior for oneself or for third parties.

Safeguarding officers and risk maps

Unfortunately, all organizations and programs are vulnerable to abuse or crises. They can and do occur in even the most seemingly positive settings.

Adults and minors attending all ECNAIS activities will be informed about who they should turn to in case of a safeguarding concern or incident.

For every ECNAIS activity that has the participation of minors, a risk map will be created and adequate mitigating measures applied.

Members of ECNAIS executive committee are responsible for enforcement of this code of conduct and will nominate, for every event, two people, a woman and a man, of adequate profile, to be safeguarding officers during that event. These are the people that any person participating in an ECNAIS event may turn to in case of a safeguarding concern or incident.

Information

The ECNAIS Statement for Working with Youth shall be available on ECNAIS website.

When registering for an ECNAIS event, participants shall be asked to read the ECNAIS Statement for Working with Youth.

The two event safeguarding officers will be identified in the event information by their name and contact.