This is an abbreviated version of our full SAFE Training workshop. Looking for the full slide deck? Contact your Certified SAFE Trainer for the link and password. This training focuses on the recommended tools and approaches from our resource SAFE (Screening Applicants for Effectiveness): Guidelines to Prevent Child Molestation in Mentoring and Youth-Serving Organizations that many programs already use in screening and assessing their volunteers. Adaptable to both those new to the field and those who are experienced in the field, this workshop addresses what is recommended and why, as well as how to use both subjective and objective components to make the best decision. Additionally, research gathered in the writing of the Mentor Screening and Youth Protection chapter for the 2nd edition of the Handbook of Youth Mentoring will be reviewed. This training is designed for Program Staff, Program Directors, Executive Directors, and Board Members. Access the downloadable sample forms from SAFE Training at http://friendsforyouth.org/mentoring-institute/safe-trainings Download the new recommendations at http://friendsforyouth.org/mentoring-institute/safe-trainings. Based on research on perpetrators from related allied fields (psychology, social work, education, and youth development) and practitioner knowledge in youth mentoring, this list of Minimum Standard and Highly Recommended tools and processes can help your program know what to put in place to ensure youth safety.

2. Why
do
we
have
to
talk
about
this?
!“In
the
United
States,
society’s
historical
a<tude
about
sexual
vic>miza>on
of
children
can
generally
be
summed
up
in
one
word:
denial.”
Lanning,
Child
Molesters:
A
Behavioral
Analysis

3. Case
Study:
Media
Reports
of
Accusa>ons
• 01/11
Bal(more,
MD
B-­‐Moor
Youth
Services
Execu(ve
Director
• 12/10
Monterey,
CA
BBBS
mentor
• 10/10
Bal(more,
MD
Friendship
Academy
mentor
• 08/10
Franklin,
NJ
residen(al
home
counselor/mentor
(female)
• 08/10
Mobile,
AL
Mobile
Youth
Advocate
Program
mentor
• 05/10
Bartow,
FL
career
mentor
• 02/10
Danbury,
CT
Jericho
Partnership
Execu(ve
Director
• 01/10
DC
Peaceaholics
Counselor/
Mentor
• 11/09 Grand Rapids, MI Public School
mentor/advocate
• 11/09 St. Paul, MN Public School
coach/mentor
• 10/09 Buffalo, NY caseworker/mentor
(registered sex offender)
• 08/09 Lakeland, FL church mentor
(informal)
• 07/09 Tulsa, OK Big Brothers Big
Sisters mentor
• 06/09 San Diego, CA church minister/
music teacher/volunteer
• 01/08 Nashville, TN Big Pal Little Pal
• 12/06 Boulder, CO Boulder County
Partners mentor

4. Occurrence*
Safe
Inappropriate
* Visual representation only

5. Perpetrators
In
System
Convicted
Arrested
Inves(gated
Accused
or
Iden(fied
Never
Accused
or
Iden(fied

6. “
A
percentage
of
predators
will
target
child-­‐service
groups
because
they
provide
access
to
samples
of
highly
vulnerable
children
and
oUen
there
are
opportuni(es
for
isolated
access.
Many
of
these
children
have
already
been
molested,
making
them
more
vulnerable
to
the
predator.”
Dr.
Perry
Sirota

8. Case
Study
Kenneth
Lanning,
FBI
behavior
analyst,
says
those
leading
double
lives,
especially
sex
offenders,
can
become
quite
adept
at
compartmentalizing
their
behavior.
“The
person
may
look
normal:
have
a
job,
work
hard,
go
to
church.
The
indicators
are
things
the
average
person
is
not
trained
to
recognize.”

9. Case
Study
Kenneth
Lanning,
FBI
behavior
analyst,
says
those
leading
double
lives,
especially
sex
offenders,
can
become
quite
adept
at
compartmentalizing
their
behavior.
“The
person
may
look
normal:
have
a
job,
work
hard,
go
to
church.
The
indicators
are
things
the
average
person
is
not
trained
to
recognize.”
You
are
not
the
average
person!

11. Challenges
Pressure
to
conceal
Unreported
incidents
No
mandated
standards
Inconsistencies
across
agencies
Patchwork
of
state/
federal
statutes
Database/
human
errors
Clearance
does
not
equal
safety
Low
law
enforcement
priority
DENIAL

12. Why
do
we
have
to
talk
about
this?
Most
effec(ve:
educa>ng
youth
professionals
Least
effec(ve:
educa>ng
youth

13. Purpose
• Keep
perpetrators
from
becoming
mentors
to
prevent
youth
from
becoming
abused
• Not
to
“prove”
or
inves(gate
–
just
prevent
from
entering
program
• If
applicant
has
numerous
items
of
concern
in
process
or
staff
has
elevated
sense
of
unease,
may
want
to
contact
local
law
enforcement

14. Mandated
Standards

15. Research
• Mentor
screening
is
applicable
to
all
types
of
programs,
prac(ces,
organiza(ons,
seangs
that
serve
youth
– Provide
introduc(on
and
access
to
highly
vulnerable
children
– Gain
trust
of
parents
and
legi(mize
rela(onship

16. Research:
Tools
&
Processes
• None
found
to
evaluate
effec(veness
of
screening
and
monitoring
prac(ces
– Specific
tool
to
iden(fy
poten(al
physical
abusers
– Survey
on
exis(ng
tools/processes
with
no
analysis
of
effec(veness
– The
Diana
Screen
research
is
unavailable
to
general
public
• Use
research
on
perpetrators
and
prac((oner
knowledge
(also
Evidence-­‐
Based)

17. SAFE
Training
Training
program
focusing
on
increasing
mentor
screening
and
monitoring
standards
• Purpose
and
Relevance
• Perpetrators,
Vic(ms,
Dynamics
of
the
Abuse
• Holis(c
Portrait
Approach:
– Informed
Intui(on
and
Red
Flags
– Recommended
Tools
&
Processes

18. Written !
materials!
External !
documents!
Impressions!Observations!
Informed!
Intuition!
Final!
Decision!
Highly
Recommended
by
Research:
Crea(ng
Holis(c
Portrait
of
Applicant

19. Red
Flags
• Amalgama(on
of
research
and
field
observa(ons
of
youth-­‐serving
organiza(on
staff
and
law
enforcement
officials
• One
Red
Flag
does
not
indicate
applicant
is
perpetrator;
look
for
paierns
and
consistent
repea(ng
informa(on
Review
your
own
program’s
rejec>on
files
to
look
for
paVerns

20. Informed
Intui(on
“I
have
inves(gated
hundreds
of
child
predator
cases
involving
thousands
of
vic(ms.
In
the
case
of
every
single
vic(m,
there
was
a
woman
-­‐-­‐
mother,
agency
staff,
teacher
-­‐-­‐
who
looked
back
and
said,
“I
thought
something
wasn’t
right.
I
had
a
funny
feeling
about
him.”
Detec>ve
Steven
McEwan,
SJPD
Child
Exploita>on
Unit

21. Recommended
Tools
and
Prac(ces
Throughout entire cycle
of volunteer’s contact
with agency:
Program Design
Preparing Mentees and
Parents/Guardians
Volunteer Recruitment
Application Process
Post-match

22. If
this
training
doesn’t
apply
to
your
program
…
• because you work closely with
well-known company/organization!
• because your volunteers meet
with youth in closely-supervised
environment!
• because you have good feeling
about your volunteers!
• because you know youth would
tell you if something was wrong!

23. Imagine
your
worst-­‐case
scenario…
Could you look
back and defend
your process?!

24. Resources
• Upcoming SAFE Trainings
• SAFE Training Certification
• SAFE Trainers
• Recommended Tools & Processes
• Sample Forms
• Presentation
• Tips
• Statistics
• Resources
• More!
http://friendsforyouth.org/mentoring-
institute/safe-trainings/

25. Cer(fied
SAFE
Trainers
Sarah
Kremer,
Friends
for
Youth,
Inc.
(West
Coast,
na(onal)
Meghan
Perry,
Oregon
Mentors
(Northwest)
Whitney
Mas(n,
Midlands
Mentoring
Partnership
(Midwest)
Clara
Carter,
Management
Consul(ng
Services
(East
Coast,
na(onal)
Jen
Lindwall,
Mentoring
Partnership
of
Minnesota
(Midwest)
Jaci
McKeever,
TeamMates
Mentoring
Program
(Midwest)