The majority of child sexual abuse is perpetrated in isolated, one-on-one situations. By reducing such interactions between children and adults, the risk of child sexual abuse is reduced. However, one-on-one time with trusted adults is also healthy and valuable for a child. NJYS's Policy to Limit One-on-One Interactions Between Adults and Minors ("Policy to Limit One-on-One Interactions") protects children while allowing for these beneficial relationships. These policies are intended to limit one-on-one interactions between Minor Participants and any Covered Adult who is not their legal guardian during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions.

Topics detailed within this policy include:

• One-on-One Interactions, including meetings and individual training sessions
• Massages and rubdowns
• Locker rooms, rest rooms, and changing areas
• Social media and electronic communications
• Local travel
• Team travel

A Minor Participant that reaches the age of majority may not be subject to this policy in their capacity as an athlete, and when interacting with Minor Participants who are aged 16 or older. The Policy to Limit One-on-One Interactions is in effect when this now age of majority athlete interacts with Minor Participants aged 15 or younger. Should a Minor Participant reach the age of majority and then obtain a position that presents a potential power imbalance, such as becoming a coach, the individual is subject to the Policy to Limit One-on-One Interactions.

One-on-One Interactions

Mandatory Components

1. Application: This policy applies to all Covered Adults.
2. Observable and interruptible
   • One-on-one interactions between a Minor Participant and a Covered Adult (who is not the minor's legal guardian) during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions are permitted, if they occur at an observable and interruptible distance by another adult.
   • Isolated, one-on-one interactions between a Minor Participant and a Covered Adult (who is not the minor's legal guardian) during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions are prohibited, except under emergency circumstances.
3. Meetings
   • Meetings between a Covered Adult and a Minor Participant during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions should only occur if another adult is present, except under emergency circumstances. Such meetings should occur where interactions can be easily observed and at an interruptible distance from another adult.
   • If a one-on-one meeting takes place in an office, the door to the office should remain unlocked and open. If available, it should occur in an office that (if available) has windows, with the windows, blinds, and/or curtains remaining open during the meeting.
4. Meetings with mental health care professionals: If a mental health care professional meets with a Minor Participant during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions, a closed-door meeting may be permitted to protect patient privacy - provided that (1) the door remains unlocked, (2) another adult is present at the NJYS sanctioned activity or competition, (3) the other adult is advised that a closed-door meeting is occurring, and (4) written legal guardian consent is obtained by the mental health care professional, with a copy provided to NJYS.
5. Individual training session: Individual training sessions between Covered Adults and Minor Participants are permitted during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions if the training session is observable and interruptible by another adult. The Covered Adult should obtain the written permission of the Minor Participant's legal guardian in advance of the individual training session. Parents, guardians, and other caretakers should be allowed to observe the training session. Permission for individual training sessions should be obtained at least every six months.

Recommended Components

1. Monitoring: When one-on-one interactions between Covered Adults and Minor Participants occur during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions, adults should monitor these interactions. Monitoring includes: knowing that the one-on-one interaction is occurring, the approximate planned duration of the interaction, and randomly dropping in on the one-on-one.
2. Out-of-program contacts: Covered Adults are prohibited from interacting one-on-one with unrelated Minor Participants in settings outside of the program (including, but not limited to, one's home, restaurants, and individual transportation), unless parent/legal guardian consent is provided for each out-of-program contact. Such arrangements are nonetheless strongly discouraged.

Massages and Rubdowns

Mandatory components

1. Application: This policy applies to all Covered Adults.
2. Licensed, certified professional

• Any massage or rubdown performed by a Covered Adult on a Minor Participant during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions is prohibited unless such Covered Adult is a licensed massage therapist.
  • Any massage or rubdown performed during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions by a licensed professional should be conducted in open and interruptible locations. Any massage of a Minor Participant should be done with at least one other adult present and should never be done with only the Minor Participant and licensed massage therapist in the room.
  • Even if a coach is a licensed massage therapist, the coach should not perform a rubdown or massage of a Minor Participant under any circumstances.

Recommended components

1. Written consent: Written consent by a legal guardian should be provided before providing each massage or rubdown on a Minor Participant. Parents should be permitted to be in the room as an observer.

Locker Rooms, Rest Rooms and Changing Areas

Mandatory Components

1. Application: This policy applies to all Covered Adults.
2. Use of recording devices: Use of any device's (including a cell phone's) recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras, and video cameras in locker rooms, rest rooms, changing areas, or similar spaces during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions is prohibited. Exceptions may be made for media and championship celebrations, provided that such exceptions are approved by NJYS and two or more adults are present.
3. Undress: Under no circumstances should an unrelated Covered Adult during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions be undressed (disrobed or partial or full nudity where private body parts are exposed) in front of Minor Participants.
4. Isolated one-on-one interactions
   • At no time are unrelated Covered Adults permitted to be alone with a Minor Participant in a locker room, rest room, or changing area during NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions, except under emergency circumstances.
   • If any NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions require the use of a facility that has access to a single set of such facilities, the NJYS, where applicable, and/or NJYS member organizations, where applicable, should designate times for use by Covered Adults, if any.
5. Monitoring: The NJYS, where applicable, and/or NJYS member organizations, where applicable, regularly and randomly monitor the use of locker rooms, rest rooms, and changing areas at facilities at which NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions are taking place to ensure compliance with these policies.
6. Non-exclusive facility: If the NJYS and/or NJYS member organizations use a facility for NJYS sanctioned activities and competitions and that facility is used by multiple constituents, Covered Adults are nonetheless required to adhere to the rules set forth here.

Recommended Components

1. To minimize the risk of bullying and hazing, the NJYS, where applicable, and/or NJYS member organizations, where applicable, use locker room monitors to ensure that minors are not left unattended in locker rooms, rest rooms, and changing areas.
2. Adults make every effort to recognize when an athlete goes to the locker room or changing area during practice and competition and, if they do not return in a timely fashion, the NJYS, where applicable, and/or NJYS member organizations, where applicable, should check on the athlete's whereabouts.
3. The NJYS and NJYS member organizations discourage parents from entering locker rooms and changing areas unless it is truly necessary. In those instances, it should only be a same-sex parent. If this is necessary, parents should let a coach or administrator know about this in advance.

Social Media & Electronic Communications

Mandatory components

1. Application: This policy applies to all Covered Adults
2. Content: All electronic communication originating from Covered Adults to Minor Participants should be professional in nature.
3. Open and transparent
   • If a Covered Adult needs to communicate directly with a Minor Participant via electronic communications, another Covered Adult or the minor's legal guardian should be copied.
   • If a Minor Participant communicates to the Covered Adult privately first, the Covered Adult should respond to the Minor Participant with a copy to another Covered Adult or the minor's legal guardian.
   • A Covered Adult communicating electronically to the entire team should copy another Covered Adult.
   • Minor Participants may "friend" the NJYS or NJYS member organizations' official page(s).
4. Prohibited electronic communications
   • Covered Adults are not permitted to communicate privately via electronic communications with Minor Participants, except under emergency circumstances.
   • Covered Adults are not permitted to "private message," "instant message," "direct message", or send photos via Snapchat or Instagram to a Minor Participant privately.
   • Covered Adults are not permitted to maintain social media connections with Minor Participants; such Covered Adults are not permitted to accept new personal page requests on social media platforms from Minor Participants and existing social media connections with Minor Participants should be discontinued.
5. Requests to discontinue: Legal guardians may request in writing that their child, a Minor Participant, not be contacted through any form of electronic communication by the NJYS, NJYS member organizations, or by specific Covered Adult(s). The respective organization(s) and/or Covered Adult(s) should abide by any such request that their child, a Minor Participant, not be contacted via electronic communication, absent emergency circumstances.

Recommended components

1. Hours: Electronic communications should only be sent between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
2. Monitoring
   • The NJYS, where applicable, and/or NJYS member organizations, where applicable, should monitor their respective social media pages and remove any posts that violate the organization's policies and practices for appropriate behavior.
   • The NJYS, where applicable, and/or NJYS member organizations, where applicable, should inform the legal guardian of a Minor Participant of any prohibited posts, as well as the organization's administrator(s).

Local Travel

Local travel consists of travel to training, practice, and competition that occurs locally and does not include coordinated overnight stay(s).

Mandatory Components

1. Application: This policy applies to all Covered Adults
2. Transportation
   • The NJYS and/or NJYS member organizations do not arrange for local travel
   • Covered Adults who are not also acting as a legal guardian, should not ride in a vehicle alone with an unrelated Minor Participant, absent emergency circumstances, and may only drive with at least two other Minor Participants or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Minor Participant's parent/legal guardian in advance of each local travel.

Recommended Components

1. Shared or Carpool Travel Arrangement: NJYS encourages parents/legal guardians to pick up their child, a Minor Participant, first and drop off their child, a Minor Participant, last in any shared or carpool travel arrangement.

Team Travel

Team travel is travel to a competition or other team activity that the NJYS and/or NJYS member organization(s) plan and supervise.

Mandatory Components

1. Application: This policy applies to all Covered Adults.
2. Team/competition travel: When only one Covered Adult and one Minor Participant travel to a competition, the Minor Participant should have his/her legal guardian's written permission in advance and for each competition to travel alone with the Covered Adult. c.
3. Hotel rooms: Covered Adults should not share a hotel room or other sleeping arrangement with a Minor Participant (unless the Covered Adult is the legal guardian, sibling, or is otherwise related to the Minor Participant).
4. Meetings
   • Meetings should be conducted consistent with the NJYS's policy for one-on-one interactions - i.e., any such meeting should be observable and interruptible.
   • Meetings should not be conducted in a hotel room.

Recommended Components

1. Team travel policies should be signed and agreed to by all Minor Participants, parents, and Covered Adults traveling with the NJYS and/or NJYS member organization(s).
2. Covered Adults who travel with the NJYS and/or NJYS member organizations should successfully pass a criminal background check and other screening requirements consistent with the organization's policies.
3. During team travel, when doing room checks, attending team meetings and/or other activities, two-deep leadership and observable and interruptible environments should be maintained.