The top priority of AFS-USA is the safety and well-being of our participants. Our deep commitment to preventative youth protection has led to the creation of new training resources for our volunteers who regularly interact with students and families.
These materials have been designed to build awareness of red flag behaviors related to child sexual abuse. Specifically, these resources will educate volunteers on identifying behaviors that may be precursors to sexual abuse, thus enabling them to address these behaviors before abuse occurs. Training is also provided on methods for reporting abuse when they believe it has taken place. Additional materials define appropriate behaviors and practices volunteers should maintain in order to protect themselves from false allegations rooted in cultural misunderstandings.
Currently, these materials consist of info-graphics and online modules. Please click the links below to review the info-graphic content:
- Statistics on the prevalence of child sex abuse in the US
- Red flag behaviors and signs that abuse may have occurred
- Grooming Behavior
- Personal space considerations
- Best practices in texting and social media
- How to report abuse
- Student Safety: Identifying and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Facilitators Guide
We encourage you to use these resources for your own personal learning, and at the Chapter or Team level for volunteer training.
In August 2019, the Student Safety Modules were added into the Hosting & Support Affiliations (HSA) Training. Volunteers required to take the HSA will need to complete these modules only once.