Safeguarding refers to the measures taken by ISB to ensure that our students experience a safe and nurturing environment in which they can grow and develop to their full potential, and are protected from harm. Child abuse and neglect are violations of a child’s human rights and are obstacles to children's education as well as to their physical, emotional, and spiritual development. International School Bangkok is guided by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and acts in compliance with the Thai Child Protection Act (2003) to protect all children from harm. All children have equal rights to protection. Some children face particular risks and difficulties in getting help, because of their race, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, social background, language proficiency or culture. Educators at ISB have a professional and ethical obligation to identify any child under the age of 18 or ISB student who is in need of help and protection and to take appropriate action to ensure their wellbeing.
Definition of Terms
Definitions of abuse are complex and can differ across various cultures. ISB defines abuse and neglect in accordance with international standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:
Physical Abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person by way of bodily contact. This includes, but not be limited to, hitting, beating, kicking, shaking, biting, strangling, burning, poisoning, or suffocating.
Neglect is the failure of a parent or other person with responsibility for the child to provide needed food, clothing, shelter, hygiene or medical care where there is an ability to do so, or failure to provide supervision, resulting in threatened harm to the child’s health, safety, and well-being.
Emotional Abuse is persistent emotional maltreatment that impacts on a child’s emotional development. Emotionally abusive acts include restriction of movement, degrading, humiliating, bullying (including cyber bullying), and threatening, scaring, discriminating, ridiculing or other non-physical forms of hostile or rejecting treatment.
Sexual Abuse involves forcing, coercing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact or non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet).
Grooming is a pattern of behavior designed to increase opportunities for sexual assault, minimize victim resistance, and reduce the likelihood that the victim will disclose the abuse. Perpetrators often target significant adults and the environment as well as the victim to gradually gain their trust, desensitize them, sexualize the relationship with the child and maintain secrecy and control. Grooming may occur in person or online.
Child exploitation: Exploitation is the abuse of a child where some form of remuneration is involved or whereby the perpetrators benefit in some manner – monetarily, socially, politically, etc. Exploitation constitutes a form of coercion and violence, detrimental to the child’s physical and mental health, development, and education.
Sexual Exploitation is any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential of power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, threatening or profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.
Student-on-Student Abuse: Any form of physical abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation, emotional abuse, financial abuse, or coercive control, exercised between students and within student relationships.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
ISB conducts risk assessment for all appropriate events/activities involving children and for programs/projects that involve children and develops strategies to minimize risk.
ISB employs safe recruiting practices as detailed in this manual to ensure the suitability of prospective employees to work with children.
Background checks must be conducted for all ISB employees and associates as specified in the safeguarding manual. Background checks are part of the hiring process for new employees. Applicants for ISB positions (and current employees) agree in writing with the terms of this policy as part of the contracting process.
Checking evidence of identity and the authenticity of qualifications, requesting self-declarations about previous convictions, and a minimum requirement of at least two references are carried out in all cases.
ISB will make an assessment of the safeguarding practices of partner organizations prior to engagement.
ISB must remain accredited in Child Protection from a reputable agency.
Behavior Protocols and Code of Conduct
ISB Code of Conduct details the specific expectations regarding relationships with students, the publication of student images and identifying information, and social media use.
Education and Training
ISB communicates this policy annually to ISB employees and associates, parents and students (where appropriate).
Child abuse prevention and awareness training is provided for ISB employees and associates, students, parents, and the Board of Trustees as specified in the Student Safeguarding Manual.
Reporting procedures are detailed in the Student Safeguarding Manual and is communicated to all stakeholders annually.
Partner organizations must be briefed on child protection and their responsibilities under the policy upon engagement with the organisation.
Children and families are informed about ISB’s commitment to child safeguarding and what to do if they have concerns about a child.
All ISB Employees and Associates with direct responsibility/supervision of students on campus must complete ISB’s Safeguarding Training. Individuals that work with students in a non supervisory manner, and are always supervised by an ISB Employee or Associate, must complete the ISB Visitor Code of Conduct. Details regarding the varying levels of training for employees and associates can be found here (external link).
Reporting
ISB develops and maintains Student Protection Procedures for faculty and staff to address the prevention, reporting, and investigation of child abuse.
All ISB employees and associates must immediately report suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect whenever there is reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered or is at significant risk of suffering abuse or neglect. ISB employees must report to the Head of School, Deputy Head of School, Division Principal, or Counselor any suspected abuse or neglect either in or out of school.
Information related to the suspected abuse or neglect is strictly confidential and shall only be shared with those with a need to know within the school. The identity of the person making the report is protected, to the extent that this is possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation. Reports may be submitted anonymously. Information related to the suspected abuse or neglect shall not be disclosed to the public or made known to the public, advertised or disseminated by means of the media or any other kind of information technology in any manner whatsoever. Violation of confidentiality laws may result in criminal liability.
Reporting and follow-up of all suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect will proceed in accordance with administrative regulations respective to this policy (see Procedures for Reporting Concerns about Abuse or Neglect). If abuse or neglect has occurred the school will assess the need for medical attention or intervention to safeguard the safety of the child, and develop a follow-up plan. Furthermore, cases of suspected child abuse or neglect will be reported to the Thai authorities when required by Thai law.
In the case of a staff member reported as an alleged offender, ISB will follow ISB procedures to conduct a full investigation, keeping the safety of the child at the highest priority.
Monitoring and Review
This policy, and all procedures, guidelines and programs developed under it, will be consistent with Thai law.
The policy will be reviewed at least once every three years by the Board of Trustees and annually by the ISB Leadership Team.
The implementation of this policy will be monitored by the Head of School, who will report on the effectiveness of the implementation to the Board of Trustees.