Youth Protection
& Minor Safety.
LBFA is committed to creating safe, observable and appropriate environments for children and teenagers participating in Alliance activities, events, education and community programs.
Safe. Observable.
Appropriate.
Youth protection is built around practical safeguards: appropriate conduct, clear boundaries, visibility, responsible supervision and prompt action when a concern arises.
Observable Interactions
Interactions with minors should occur in environments that are reasonably open, visible and appropriate for the activity.
Age-Appropriate Conduct
Adults and volunteers must maintain clear professional and appropriate boundaries with minors.
Protect First
When a credible safety concern arises, protective action may be taken immediately while facts are reviewed.
Anyone Trusted
Around Youth.
These standards apply when a person is acting through or on behalf of LBFA in a role involving minors.
Board members, officers and designated leaders are expected to follow youth-safety standards whenever their role involves minors or youth programming.
Volunteers working directly with or supervising minors must follow applicable screening and conduct requirements.
Individuals assigned direct responsibility for youth-focused fishing activities, clinics, events or community programs are covered by this policy.
When outside personnel are acting in an LBFA youth-facing role, LBFA may require appropriate screening, conduct standards or written agreements depending on the activity.
General membership alone does not automatically place someone in a youth-supervision role. Additional requirements apply when a member accepts direct youth-facing responsibilities.
Youth-Facing Roles
Carry Extra Responsibility.
LBFA separates ordinary membership screening from the stronger requirements that may apply to direct youth-facing roles.
Registry Screening
Every individual LBFA member is subject to applicable governmental sex-offender registry screening under the Membership Eligibility & Screening Policy.
Additional Background Screening
Individuals directly working with, supervising or being assigned responsibility for minors may be required to complete broader criminal-background screening before serving in that role.
Clear Boundaries
Protect Everyone.
Open & Observable Interaction
Whenever reasonably practical, interactions between adults and minors should take place where other responsible people can observe or access the activity.
Appropriate Physical Contact
Physical contact must be appropriate to the situation and never sexual, coercive, secretive, humiliating or exploitative.
Professional Communication
Communication with minors must remain appropriate to the activity and should avoid secrecy, sexual content, grooming behavior or inappropriate personal dependence.
Respect for Guardians
Parents and guardians should receive appropriate information about youth activities, logistics and expectations when their involvement is relevant.
Privacy & Dignity
Minors must be treated with dignity. Private situations such as changing, restroom use, medical issues or personal information require appropriate boundaries.
Safe Transportation & Logistics
Transportation, pickup, drop-off and remote-location arrangements should be planned in a manner that reasonably protects minors and avoids unnecessary one-on-one isolation.
Some Behavior
Is Never Acceptable.
The following conduct is inconsistent with LBFA participation and may result in immediate protective action.
Sexual Conduct
Sexual activity, sexualized communication, sexual jokes, solicitation or sexual contact involving a minor is prohibited.
Grooming
Building secretive, coercive, manipulative or inappropriate relationships with minors is prohibited.
Abuse or Exploitation
Physical abuse, emotional abuse, exploitation, humiliation, coercion or deliberate endangerment is prohibited.
Secret Communications
Adults should not use secret accounts, disappearing messages or other methods designed to conceal inappropriate communications with minors.
Improper Images
Sexualized, exploitative or inappropriate images of minors are prohibited. Photos used for legitimate LBFA purposes must respect privacy and applicable permissions.
Retaliation
No person may retaliate against a minor, guardian, witness or reporter for raising a good-faith safety concern.
Protect Privacy.
Keep Communication Appropriate.
Communication With Minors
When direct communication with a minor is necessary for an LBFA activity, it should remain limited to legitimate activity-related purposes and use reasonable transparency whenever practical.
LBFA may establish additional communication procedures for specific programs or age groups.
Photos, Video & Personal Information
Youth images and identifying information should be handled carefully. LBFA may require parent or guardian permission before publishing names, recognizable images or other personal information.
Safety-sensitive information such as home addresses, schedules, school information or other unnecessary identifying details should not be publicly disclosed.
Fishing With Youth
Requires Good Judgment.
Hooks, knives, gaffs, heavy tackle, cast nets, vehicles, drones and other equipment must be handled in a manner appropriate to the age and skill level of participants.
Surf, currents, weather, darkness, unstable shoreline, piers, jetties and wildlife hazards should be considered when planning youth activities.
Alcohol, illegal drugs and impairment are prohibited during LBFA-sponsored, organized, sanctioned or affiliated youth activities.
Youth activities should have reasonable emergency contacts, communication access and procedures appropriate to the activity and location.
Protect First.
Document and Report.
When suspected abuse, exploitation or an immediate youth-safety concern arises, legal reporting obligations and immediate protection take priority over internal organizational convenience.
Protect
Address immediate danger and separate a minor from an unsafe situation when appropriate.
Report
Follow applicable mandatory-reporting or law-enforcement requirements.
Notify
Notify designated LBFA leadership when doing so is safe and appropriate.
Restrict
LBFA may immediately remove or suspend a person from youth-facing duties pending review.
Review
Internal disciplinary review may proceed separately from any external investigation.
Build the Memory.
Protect the Kid.
Youth fishing should create confidence, skills and positive memories. LBFA's responsibility is to make sure the adults, systems and activities surrounding those experiences meet a meaningful safety standard.