Child Safeguarding Statement

This statement applies to all Halteres Associates, LLC, (Halteres) staff, including employees, anyone working on the behalf of Halteres and its consultants.

The purpose of this statement is to acknowledge the protection of children who are directly influenced by Halteres’ services. This includes the children of adults who use our service.

A child as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child, is a person below the age of 18; unless the laws of a particular country set the legal age for adulthood younger. Child abuse is defined as (1) physical injury inflicted on a child by another person, (2) sexual abuse, or (3) emotional abuse. Child neglect is defined as negligent treatment which threatens the child's health or welfare. The different types of child abuse/neglect can be categorized as follows:

• Sexual abuse is the victimization of a child by sexual activities, including molestation, indecent exposure, fondling, rape, and incest.
• Physical abuse is bodily injury inflicted by other than accidental means on a child, including willful cruelty, unjustifiable punishment, or corporal punishment.
• Emotional abuse is nonphysical mistreatment, resulting in disturbed behavior by the child, such as severe withdrawal or hyperactivity. Emotional abuse includes willfully causing any child to suffer, inflicting mental suffering, or endangering a child's emotional well-being.
• General neglect is the negligent failure of a parent/guardian or caretaker to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or supervision where no physical injury to the child has occurred.
• Severe neglect refers to those situations of neglect where the child's health is endangered, including severe malnutrition.
• Exploitation means forcing or coercing a child into performing activities that are beyond the child's capabilities or which are illegal or degrading, including sexual exploitation.

Halteres has a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and to keep them safe. As a company, we are committed to practice in a way that protects them. Halteres staff members should promote and practice the welfare of children no matter where they are.

Halteres believes that children should never experience abuse of any kind. It is the responsibility of all staff members to raise concerns, however distressing that it maybe, for the physical and mental health of a child. Halteres believes that the welfare of a child must come first. Should a staff member witness the abuse of a child, it is the responsibility of that staff member to report that abuse to the proper authority. Additionally, should the witnessed abuse directly involve Halteres, that abuse should be reported to the Managing Partner and/or the Founding Partner of Halteres, and any such report filed with the Halteres Managing or Founding partner shall be held in confidence, excepting for notification of the proper authority of such witnessed abuse.  Halteres shall promptly notify the proper authority of any reported abuse and shall keep written and/or electronic records of any such claims made and/or reports filed, as well as any actions taken or other resolution. Any staff member expressing a concern about their safety following a disclosure will be give all necessary support to enable them to continue in their role with security.

Additionally, Halteres will take positive action to prevent child abusers from becoming involved with Halteres in any way. Abuse of a child by any staff member is grounds for disciplinary action including and not limited to termination and legal action.

Lastly Halteres does not promote the practices of prostitution and sex trafficking of children. Nor does it encourage the filming or viewing of child pornography on its equipment, on its premises and at all by Halteres staff members. Discussion of children in a sexual nature by a staff member is grounds for disciplinary action including and not limited to termination and legal action.

Halteres Associates discourages the abuse and sexualization of children. Halteres is committed to the safety and protection of all children on and off our premises and holds all staff members accountable to the same commitments no matter where they are.