Ballet Arts Studio has a commitment to zero tolerance for sexual abuse and misconduct. Below are patterns for recognizing grooming behaviors and characteristics of sexual abusers and harassers.

 

• Victim selection: Abusers often observe possible victims and select them based on ease of access to them or their perceived vulnerability.
   

• Gaining access and isolating the victim: Abusers will attempt to physically or emotionally separate a victim from those protecting them and often seek out positions in which they have contact with minors.
   

• Trust development and keeping secrets: Abusers attempt to gain trust of a potential victim through gifts, attention, sharing “secrets” and other means to make them feel that they have a caring relationship and to train them to keep the relationship secret.
   

• Desensitization to touch and discussion of sexual topics: Abusers will often start to touch a victim in ways that appear harmless, such as hugging, wrestling and tickling, and later escalate to increasingly more sexual contact, such as massages or showering together. Abusers may also show the victim pornography or discuss sexual topics with them, to introduce the idea of sexual contact.
   

• Attempt by abusers to make their behavior seem natural, to avoid raising suspicions. For teens, who may be closer in age to the abuser, it can be particularly hard to recognize tactics used in grooming. Be alert for signs that your teen has a relationship with an adult that includes secrecy, undue influence or control, or pushes personal boundaries.
   

• Comment on someone’s looks, dress, sexuality or gender in a derogatory or objectifying manner or a manner that makes them uncomfortable.
   

• Make obscene comments, jokes or gestures that humiliate or offend someone.

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Faculty at Ballet Arts Studio will have physical contact with dancers during class in order to correct or adjust their body while teaching. If a caregiver or dancer does not want any physical contact to occur during class, it is very important that the Artistic Director is notified upon registration for any class so that this request can be communicated to the faculty.

All faculty and staff reviews our Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Policy and receives training in sexual abuse awareness, prevention and reporting. They sign a Statement of Acknowledgment and Agreement indicating that they understand the Policy and agree to comply with it.

All hiring of both faculty and staff includes a thorough background check including questions in regards to if the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime.