A guide to help prevent sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation

In the U.S., roughly one in 10 children will be sexually abused before they turn 18, and only 38% of such cases are reported.¹ Additionally, the frequency of sexual assault against people with intellectual disabilities is high when compared with the rest of society.² The toll of abuse, neglect, and exploitation (ANE) is devastating to victims. Every individual deserves the right to a safe environment. As support professionals, it’s the role of a human service organization to prevent such incidents to best protect the individuals in their programs.

Ensure these guidelines are followed to help reduce the likelihood of abuse in your facility:

• Develop a written, legally reviewed zero-tolerance sexual abuse and molestation prevention policy and communicate it to all levels of staff and volunteers who work with children and vulnerable populations.
• In your policies, make sure the terms sexual abuse, neglect, exploitation, and related misconduct are clearly defined, and ensure that response actions to alleged perpetrators include suspension or reassignment.
• Conduct screening and background checks on all prospective employees, volunteers, and persons served.
• Develop and implement an employee and volunteer training program on your policies for ANE prevention, including indicators and symptoms of ANE specific to your settings.
• Limit one-on-one interactions to the extent feasible to help prevent unchecked/unobserved signs of ANE.
• Monitor your staff to detect signs of misconduct.
• Ensure that procedures for reporting suspected or observed allegations include at least two internal contacts with authority to implement response actions immediately.
• Maintain an anti-retaliation policy so that those reporting suspected abuse will be protected.
• Develop and practice specific investigation procedures for a trained internal team or outside third party.
• Be prepared to notify and cooperate with state and local law enforcement agencies if and when any instance of abuse takes place.

Sign in to MyLossControlServices.com to access the iLearning Engines Smarter Adults-Safer Children Program. Their program will help strengthen your organization’s child abuse prevention strategies through ­­­risk identification, training, accessible reporting channels, and development of strong policies and hiring practices.

For more detail on the components of an abuse prevention program, see the following:

• Components of an abuse, neglect and exploitation program
• iLearning Engines risk management resources

¹ Child Sexual Abuse Statistics: The Magnitude of the Problem, Darkness to Light website—www.D2L.org (6/24/15), pp. 1-2.
² Disability and Child Sexual Abuse: Lessons from Survivors’ Narratives for Effective Protection, Prevention and Treatment, M. Higgins and J. Swain, (2009).