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KNOW
YOUR
RIGHTS

Know your rights

Your safety is important to us! This is why we came up with a few tips for you to keep in mind when working on your project in a location other than your home or when working with other people (students, mentors, teachers…).

Tips for staying safe

  • Always tell your parents where you are and try to travel in groups of people.
  • Never stay alone in a room with an adult you don’t know or don’t feel comfortable around. If you are meeting with a mentor, bring your team members, friends or a parent.
  • If you have a phone, make sure it is charged and you know who to contact in an emergency.
  • Stay safe on the internet with our tips here.

Sexual harassment

  • What is it?
    • Younger audience: This is when someone says or does things that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe (putting an arm around you, giving you a kiss, or any kind of physical contact without you saying it’s okay). Remember that it’s never your fault if someone if making you feel uncomfortable. .
    • Older audience: Sexual harassment can involve comments, gestures, actions, or attention that is intended to hurt, offend, or intimidate you or another person. With sexual harassment, the focus is on things like a person’s appearance, body parts, sexual orientation, or sexual activity. The harassment can be verbal, virtual (via text, social media…), or physical. Sexual assault is never your fault.
  • How can you get help?
    • Younger Audience:  It is OK to say no to an adult if something that is happening feels wrong. You can say “I don’t like that and I want you to stop.”
    • Older audience: Tell the person harassing you to stop and let them know that you are not OK with the situation. For example: “I don’t like that and I want you to stop.” or “I’m not comfortable doing that.”
    • It can help to keep a record of the events that have happened. Write down dates and short descriptions in a journal. Save any offensive pictures, videos, texts, or IMs as evidence.
    • Find an adult you trust and explain what is happening.
    • If you find the adult you talk to doesn’t help you, you may have to repeat yourself or find someone else who will listen.
    • If the person harassing you is blocking your way, try to get away from the person and yell until someone comes for help.
    • If you feel it in immediate danger, call the police/law enforcement.
    • If you feel uncomfortable calling the police but are not sure how to discuss what just happened, reach out to a hotline [insert our hotline choices here, after we decide those].
  • What to do if you see someone who is being harassed?
    • Take action:
      • If it feels safe to speak up, say, “Come on, let’s get out of here” to the person you see getting harassed.
      • It is okay to lie or distract to get someone out of a harassing situation. You can use the line “We need to check on our team mate” or “Come with me to go find our mentor” or anything else that you think of on the spot.

If you don’t feel you can say something at the time you see the incident, report the event to an adult (teacher, parent, principal…) right away.

Additional Reading: Harassment, Kidshealth.org