Session 3 Developing a Support System for Youth Exchange Students

1
ROTARY YOUTH AND HARASSMENT PREVENTION TRAINING

• Session 3 - Developing a Support System for Youth
  Exchange Students

2
DID YOU KNOW?

• 96 OF ROTARY DISTRICTS PARTICIPATE IN ROTARY
  YOUTH EXCHANGE

3
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN RYE?

• PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
• COORDINATE PARTICIPATION IN RYE
• COMMUNICATE WITH INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS
• COORDINATE SELECTION ORIENTATION
• ASSIST CLUBS WITH HOST FAMILY SELECTION
  TRAINING
• MEET WITH STUDENTS REGULARLY
• MONITOR PROGRAM

4
HOW DOES A SUPPORT SYSTEM PROTECT RYE STUDENTS?

• ENSURES THAT STUDENTS HAVE CONTACT WITH MANY
  TRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE
• GIVES STUDENTS INFORMATION ABOUT ABUSE AND
  HARASSMENT, LOCAL CONDITIONS, SAFE HABITS, AND
  PLACES TO GO FOR HELP
• ASSIGNS ADULTS TO MONITOR STUDENT PROGRESS
• PROVIDES EARLY SUPPORT BEFORE A PROBLEM ESCALATES

5
HOW CAN YOU HELP STUDENTS BE INFORMED?

• TALK OPENLY ABOUT PREVENTING ABUSE HARASSMENT
• HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND OUR CULTURE WHATS
  NORMAL BEHAVIOUR WHATS INAPPROPRIATE
• PROVIDE A LIST OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES
• TALK ABOUT NEIGHBOURHOODS TO AVOID, SAFE TRAVEL,
  GOING IN SMALL GROUPS

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HOW CAN A CLUB/DISTRICT CREATE A POSITIVE SUPPORT
SYSTEM?

• Ensure student regularly attends clubs meetings
  activities
• Help student get to know individual Rotarians
• Help the student develop a communication routine
  with many Rotarians
• Encourage the student to participate in school
  community activities

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HOW CAN A CLUB/DISTRICT CREATE A POSITIVE SUPPORT
SYSTEM?

• Invite students for a meal with your family
• Counsellors set up a schedule for meetings
  calls
• Make sure student has phone numbers to reach
  counsellor at any time
• Get to know school teachers and guidance
  counsellors
• Meet with host families
• Establish individual emergency plans

8
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A CONSITENT PREVENTION
REPORTING SYSTEM?

• We can be confident all districts are meeting
  same standards including where our students are
  traveling to
• Proper response can prevent abuse or mitigate its
  effects
• The program is more attractive to prospective
  students and host families

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WHICH INDIVIDUALS MAKE UP THE SUPPORT SYSTEM?

• Student
• Their parents
• Host parents
• Club counsellor
• Club Committee
• Club President
• Friends
• Teachers 7 counsellors

• District youth exchange committee
• Other exchange students in district
• Rotex alumni
• District Governor

10
What special barriers separate exchange students
from their host communities

• Language
• Cultural misunderstandings
• Reluctance to talk about sensitive matters with
  people they dont know well
• Shame
• Feeling they did something wrong
• Feeling they disappointed family or Rotary

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Barriers
How will you overcome these barriers?

• Language
• Cultural misunderstandings
• Reluctance to talk about sensitive matters with
  people they dont know well
• Shame
• Feeling they did something wrong
• Feeling they disappointed family or Rotary

• Emergency contact that speaks their language
• Train students volunteers to talk about
  situations non-judgementally
• Provide many adult contacts so students can speak
  to whomever they are comfortable with
• Conduct inbound orientation with club counsellors

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SOME QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

• As a district volunteer you dont have regular
  contact with students. How will you now when to
  suspect abuse or harassment without actually
  seeing the student?
• What kind of club reports should put you on
  alert?
• What kind of signs might you see in an email from
  an outbound student from your district?

13
SOME QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

• How will you distinguish between a challenging
  host family situation abuse or harassment?
• Between cultural miscommunication and abuse or
  harassment?
• Between the reaction of a concerned parent whose
  child is abroad for the first time and abuse or
  harassment?

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CONCLUSION

• Abuse and harassment are real problems that any
  student may face
• Every student should have a strong support system
• Effective support systems include a focus on
  abuse harassment prevention and response
• Prevention response are critical to the
  protection of Youth Exchange Students