INTRODUCTION

GIS believes that all students have the right to protection from abuse/harm. We are committed to protecting all students from physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse/harm, as well as neglect, and exploitation. We strive to maintain an environment in which all students, staff, and parents are treated with respect and dignity.

Grace International School (GIS) is an Associate Member of the Child Safety & Protection Network (CSPN). CSPN is a collaborative network of mission agencies, faith based NGOs, and international Christian Schools intentionally and strategically addressing the issues of child protection.

DEFINITIONS

Definitions of abuse are complex in various cultures regarding child-rearing behaviors but it includes any action or lack of action resulting in harm or serious potential for harm. Harm is any detrimental effect of a significant nature on the student’s physical or emotional wellbeing. For the purposes of this policy, “child” or “student” refers to any current or former GIS student, regardless of age. Abuse/harm may be student to student or adult to student.

Physical Abuse/Harm

Non-accidental acts may include, but are not limited to, the following: slapping, punching, beating, kicking, biting, shaking, burning, holding underwater, pulling hair, or holding against one’s will.

Emotional Abuse

The persistent emotional maltreatment of a student. Includes restriction of movement, patterns of belittling, intimidating, humiliating, scapegoating, threatening, scaring, screaming, blaming, discriminating, ridiculing or other non-physical forms of hostile or rejecting treatment.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse may take the form of verbal, visual, or physical. This includes but is not limited to:

• Verbal: Inappropriate affectionate/sexual communication including innuendos, solicitation, and sexual threats.
• Visual: indecent exposure; taking, possessing, showing, or distributing suggestive pictures or videos; peeping, leering, or staring at others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity;
• Physical Touching: physical contact with a person’s clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or in the case of a female, breasts; kissing, holding, fondling; statutory rape, rape, oral and anal sex.
• Grooming is befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a student, and sometimes the family, to lower the student’s inhibitions and to gain their trust for the purpose of sexual harm, sexual exploitation or trafficking. This can be done face-to-face or online.

Self-Harm

Includes deliberate starvation, binge eating, excessive exercise, cutting, and the misuse of alcohol or drugs.

Neglect

Neglect can include the failure, refusal, or inability of a parent or caregiver to provide a child with the basic elements needed for his or her proper growth and development, such as food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care and adequate supervision.

Exploitation

The abuse of power to exchange money or something of value for use of a student. This includes but is not limited to, sexual exploitation (ie selling of child pornography).

PREVENTION

Screening

All GIS staff, school aides, overnight field trip chaperones, and coaches are screened through the following processes:

1. Written application.
2. References from friend, pastor, and/or supervisor.
3. Criminal background check where applicable. (If the applicant has not been living in a country that facilitates a background check process, a series of personal interviews with both applicant and references will take place.) Individuals who have been accused, convicted of, or are under the suspicion of crimes against children, or who have been convicted of violent crimes or other relevant crimes, will not be permitted to serve at GIS.
4. Interview

Training

The Student Safety Director (SSD) in cooperation with the Superintendent will monitor student safety training for all staff in order to sustain compliance with CSPN standards. 

The SSD will ensure all students receive annual, age-appropriate personal safety training.

Training for GIS staff, school aides, and coaches will be provided through video, in person, or in whole department meetings each year. The following aspects will be addressed:

• The reality and occurrence of student abuse/harm in the mission and school settings
• Recognizing the types of abuse/harm, behavioral and emotional indicators in students, as well as red flags that signal the presence of a potential respondent
• Cultural differences regarding student safety
• Best practices of prevention: visibility, accountability, power balance
• Appropriate forms of teacher-student interaction: any touch should be student-initiated
• How to respond to and report a disclosure or concern of abuse/harm
• Review the Student Safety and Protection Policy and sign the Student Safety Code of Conduct:
  • I agree to abide by the policies and procedures outlined in the GIS Student Safety Policy.
  • I will not engage in emotional, or sexual abuse/harm or neglect towards any student.
  • I will not spank, hit, kick, pinch, smack, shove, yell at or physically abuse/harm any student at GIS.
  • Staff are dissuaded from befriending students on social media. All communication which does not directly relate to a school function or the passing on of essential information should be done via group or public mediums. I will not engage in child pornography or exploitation of any child. I will not engage in any sexual behavior or romantic relationship with a GIS student. 
  • If I have knowledge of any physical, emotional, or sexual abuse/harm or neglect towards a GIS student, I agree to report to the GIS Student Safety Director at studentsafety@gisthailand.org.
  • I understand that Grace International School maintains a strict policy towards adult to student and student to student abuse/harm. GIS will report cases of suspected abuse/harm or neglect to the appropriate sending mission/church and/or legal authorities. 

INFORMING and REPORTING

All GIS staff, school aides, and coaches who work with students are considered mandatory reporters. Any mandatory reporter that suspects, has knowledge of, or witnesses child abuse/harm, or neglect, must email the Student Safety Director as soon as possible. The SSD will communicate with the Superintendent within 24 hours of receiving a report. 

Any reporter, student or other, should report via email to studentsafety@gisthailand.org

There should not be any attempt by anyone to handle the situation privately or enter into any private agreement with the involved parties.