The Praesidium Safety Equation®
The blueprint for sexual abuse prevention.
The framework for our innovative approach to abuse prevention is the Praesidium Safety Equation®. Based on our root cause analyses of thousands of cases of abuse in organizations and the latest scientific research, we have identified eight organizational operations crucial to the prevention and detection of sexual abuse.
These eight operations are highlighted here along with the solutions that can strengthen areas of exposure.
Praesidium Safety Equation® –
The Foundation of Our Work
The framework for Praesidium’s innovative approach to abuse prevention is the Praesidium Safety Equation®. Based on root cause analyses of thousands of cases of abuse in organizations and the latest scientific research, Praesidium identified eight organizational operations crucial to the prevention and detection of sexual abuse.
These eight operations are highlighted here along with the solutions that can strengthen areas of exposure.
Policies
Policies should define the bandwidth of acceptable behavior between your staff and the youth or vulnerable adults in your care. Helping your employees understand what constitutes a policy violation empowers them to interrupt and report questionable activities. Simply interrupting a violation can prevent a false allegation of abuse or put a potential offender on notice that you have no tolerance for inappropriate behavior and violations.
Screening and Selection
Comprehensive screening and selection allows your organization to discover and consider everything you can about applicants. While background checks are necessary, very few offenders have criminal records. Therefore, it’s imperative you consider other aspects of the screening and selection process to avoid giving someone who should not be in a position of trust access to those you serve.
Training
Effective abuse prevention training gives your employees and volunteers the information and skills they need to keep those in their care safe. This training must be frequent, specific, and immediately useful on the job. It must teach stakeholders how offenders operate, how to recognize inappropriate/suspicious interactions, and how to respond effectively.
Monitoring and Supervision
Effective monitoring and supervision practices are essential for managing abuse risk. Organizations must have procedures in place to supervise employees and volunteers, supervise youth, monitor high-risk activities, and monitor architectural or facility risks.
Internal Feedback Systems
Information about program operations, such as incident reports, client complaints, or external licensing violations, can identify high-risk programs or individuals. This internal feedback allows an organization to identify risk and use information to make informed program and safety improvements and minimize barriers to reporting.
Consumer Participation
If consumers — both vulnerable adults and youth alike — know how to recognize suspicious or inappropriate interactions or policy violations, they can be a valuable part of the risk management team. Organizations should educate and empower both clients and community members on how to share their concerns and provide feedback to the organization.
Responding
How an organization responds to reports of suspicious or inappropriate interactions, policy violations, or suspected abuse can dramatically affect the harm to the individual and to the organization. Swift and determined action is required as soon as a concern or allegation is presented.
Administrative Practices
In most organizations, a governing body is ultimately responsible for approving policies and safety protocols. Therefore, the governing body or board of directors must be well informed of the risks the organization embraces and the operational practices in place to ensure the safety of those in care. Organizational leadership must ensure that drift from standards of safety and care is quickly identified and remedied.
Know Your Operational Strengths and Weaknesses
The Praesidium Assessment Tool is grounded in the operations of Praesidium’s Safety Equation®.