･ Risk Awareness Programme
･ Good Practice in Youth Exchange Projects
･ Name of Trainer

By the end of this programme you will have:
A basic awareness of the key issues in relation to risk awareness and youth exchanges.

SESSION 1 - Objectives
Youth in Action Exchange projects
By the end of Session 1 you will:
･ Have an understanding of the relevance of risk awareness to Youth in Action exchanges
･ Be aware of the broader context for this work
･ Have explored a range of attitudes in relation to this issue
･ Be aware of the definitions of child abuse

Youth in Action
Exchange Projects
Youth in Action Exchange projects bring together groups of young people from two or more countries, providing them with an opportunity to meet and learn about different countries and cultures. The Youth in
Action Programme provides funding for Youth
Exchanges for 13-25 year olds together with their youth leaders, for exchanges between 6 and 21 days.

INSURANCE
Check that your existing policy covers the following:
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Travel insurance;
Third party liability;
Medical assistance;
Accident and serious illness;
Death;
Legal assistance fees;
Special insurance for particular circumstances such as outdoor activities.

UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child
･ Adopted unanimously by the United Nations
General Assembly in Nov 1989;
･ All rights apply equally to children without exception;
･ Obligation to protect the child from any form of discrimination;
･ All action concerning the child shall take account of his/her best interest

UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child
･ The state shall provide the child with adequate care when parents / guardians fail to do so;
･ Every child has the right to life and the state has an obligation to ensure the child’s survival and development;
･ The child has the right to express his/her opinion freely and to have that opinion taken into account in any matter affecting the child.

Definition of Risk
‘Hazard, chance of bad consequences, loss, etc… e xposure to mischance’
- The Concise Oxford Dictionary
Actions as diverse as the use of drugs, unprotected sex, cycling without a helmet, eating food not cooked properly, using faulty equipment etc. are examples of behaviours considered risky.

Risk Management
Managing risk means assessing possible risks and setting up procedures and action plans designed to limit the possibility of material, physical and psychological damage.
In youth exchanges, identifying potential risks helps to prevent minor risks from developing into serious problems.

Definition of ‘Child’

General Definition of Child Abuse
Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.

Physical Abuse
Physical abuse of a child is that which results in actual or potential physical harm from an interaction or lack of an interaction, which is reasonably within the control of a parent or person in a position of responsibility, power or trust. There may be a single or repeated incidents.

Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse includes the failure to provide a developmentally appropriate, supportive environment, including the availability of a primary attachment figure, so that the child can develop a stable and full range of emotional and social competencies commensurate with her or his personal potentials and in the context of the society in which the child dwells.

Emotional Abuse
There may also be acts towards the child that cause or have a high probability of causing harm to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. These acts must be reasonably within the control of the parent or person in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. Acts include restriction of movement, patterns of belittling, denigrating, scapegoating, threatening, scaring, discriminating, ridiculing or other non-physical forms of hostile or rejecting treatment.

Neglect and Negligent Treatment
Neglect is the failure to provide for the development of the child in all spheres:
･ Health,
･ Education,
･ Emotional development,
･ Nutrition, shelter, and safe living conditions.

Neglect and Negligent Treatment
This is in the context of resources reasonably available to the family or caretakers and causes or has a high probability of causing harm to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. This includes the failure to properly supervise and protect children from harm as much as is feasible.

Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent, or that violate the laws or social taboos of society.
Child sexual abuse is evidenced by this activity between a child and an adult or another child who by age or development is in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power, the activity being intended to gratify or satisfy the needs of the other person.

Sexual Abuse
This may include but is not limited to:
･ The inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity.
･ The exploitative use of child in prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices.

Other Forms of Inappropriate Behaviour
This may include but is not limited to:
･ Verbal abuse;
･ Bullying;
･ Unwelcome behaviour including favouritism; exclusion, sexual harassment and sexual innuendo, humiliating and embarrassing others, deprivation of basic rights and harsh disciplinary regimes.

Definition of Bullying
“The intentional hurting of one person by another, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. It is usually repetitive or persistent, although some one-off attacks can have a continuing harmful effect on the victim.”
- Unicef definition

Examples of Bullying Include:
･ Physical bullying - hitting, kicking, shoving
･ Verbal bullying - name calling
･ E-bullying - using internet and mobile phones to intimidate and attack others
･ Extortion - the deliberate extraction of money or other items of property accompanied by threats
･ Homophobic bullying - aimed at young people who are gay or who are perceived to be gay
･ Racial bullying - when one is labelled negatively as being different from others according to one’s race

Thank you for your participation and attendance
Name of Trainer

The Home Slide
･ Risk Awareness Programme
･ Good Practice in Youth Exchange Projects
･ Name of Trainer

Risk Awareness Programme Aim
By the end of this programme you will have:
A basic awareness of the key issues in relation to risk awareness and youth exchanges

SESSION 2 - Objectives
By the end of this session you will have an understanding of:
･ How to conduct a risk assessment
･ Possible responses to dealing with disclosures/ concerns/suspicions involving risk;
･ The need for Reporting procedures;
･ The use of a partner agreement

Top Ten Tips - for when you are organising or participating in an International Youth Project
1.
Agree on a Partnership Agreement for participants and leaders
(timing, behaviour, roles etc; see the Programme Guide)
2.
Get the young people involved from the start (throughout the five stages of project management: idea, planning, implementation, evaluation, follow-up)
3.
Plan and prepare in detail (all partners working together)
4.
Explore cultural differences and similarities before you meet
(expect the unexpected)
5.
Consider an advance planning visit

Top Ten Tips - for when you are organising or participating in an International Youth Project
6.
Maintain regular and clear communication (via phone, email, webcam, social networking sites/facebook/hotmail, for example)
7.
Share the workload;
8.
Be structured - but adaptable;
9.
Talk to other groups that have participated in the Youth in Action
Programme
10. Aim to have a well-matched partnership

Top Ten Tips - for when you are organising or participating in an International Youth Project
･ Remove the young person from the situation
･ Contact the National Authorities, i.e. police, social services, child protection agency and follow their instructions
･ Keep the young person informed
･ Support the person in charge of managing the problem
･ Get in touch with the nominated contact person named during the preparation in both the hosting and sending organisations
･ Get in contact with the National Agencies (hosting or sending countries)
･ Don’t try to be a psychologist! Wait for advice from the experts

Confidentiality
･ Confidentiality is about managing sensitive information that arises in a trusting relationship and doing so in a manner that is respectful, professional and purposeful.
Confidentiality may arise as an issue when
･ Leaders receive personal information about young people;
･ Young people receive personal information about other young people;
Anyone, (volunteer/employee or young person) disclosing information in this context needs to know in advance the limits of confidentiality and the responsibilities attached. All information regarding concerns of possible child abuse should only be shared on “a need to know” basis with appropriate persons, in the interests of the child or young person.

Reporting Incidents Involving Risk/Harm
When an incident involving risk or harm to a young person occurs:
Who do you report this to?
e.g. Police / Social Services / Child Protection Services
How do you make a report?
e.g. by telephone, in person, in writing
Who else needs to be informed?
e.g. the young person’s family and who should do this?

Thank you for your participation and attendance
Name of Trainer