As educators we assume the huge responsibility of providing a quality educational environment and experience for the students who enroll in our institutions. Inherent in that responsibility is the need to provide a healthy, secure and safe environment for all students, in order that they may realize their full potential without fear of physical or emotional harm from themselves, their peers, or the adults responsible for their well-being.
In recent years the challenge of creating safe environments for children and the results of not doing so have moved to the forefront of educational priorities. One requirement of membership in EARCOS is that schools must have in place a Child Protection Policy. It is not our intent to create a one-size fits all policy for use by our diverse membership, but rather to provide resources for our members to create or revise their own approach with this critical issue. With that in mind we offer the following resources:
International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) & the International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP)
The ICMEC and the International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP) have teamed together to share resources on the ICMEC’s Education Portal. This portal includes a wealth of information regarding Child Safeguarding practices including the following:
- Awareness & Prevention
- Accreditation
- Recruitment
- Reporting & Support
- Curriculum Resources
Child Safeguarding and Protection Resource Updates
The International Taskforce on Child Protection (ITFCP) and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) have published the following new and updated resources to support the work you do at your schools to safeguard children from abuse.1. ITFCP Protocol for Managing Allegations, updated September 2024: Your roadmap to managing allegations of abuse against educators, school staff, and other adults in the community. The protocol and accompanying resources were reviewed and updated through the collaboration of dedicated Taskforce volunteers. Revisions include:
- Updated resources
- A new section focused on low-level concerns
- Updated advice on conducting an internal inquiry
- Advice and considerations for external referrals in high-risk jurisdictions
- Advice on consultations with Embassies/Consulates when referring allegations to international law enforcement agencies
3. Social-Emotional Learning and Child Self-Protection Curriculum Standards & Benchmarks: Developed by CASEL, ICMEC, and a team of educators from international schools and organizations, with support from the US Office of Overseas Schools, this document provides guidance on developing and implementing an age-appropriate SEL and child safeguarding curriculum.
4. ICMEC Safeguarding Action Plan 2024-2025: This plan outlines the annual tasks that schools should complete to create and maintain a robust child safeguarding program, and provides resources to support implementation of each task.
5. Guidance on Anonymous Reporting: If your school does not yet have anonymous pathways in place for reporting concerns of harm or abuse, this guidance will help you to create anonymous reporting protocols that encourage a climate where all voices are heard.
6. Take it Down: This service, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), is one step you can take to help remove online nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos taken before you (or the young person you are helping) were 18.
Updated: Tuesday, October 15, 2024