HOW TO NETWORK SAFELY

AND RESPECTFULLY
This is a short practical tool to support you to feel safe, empowered and knowledgeable at meet-ups
with other young people. It includes some basic practical tips and examples.

Key Points
 Be aware of different cultural norms and sensitivities. What’s ok in your group,
community or country may not be ok everywhere. Learn about the different cultural norms
within a group or workshop and take note of the dominant voices and languages within a
group.
 Recognise your own power and privilege over other people in the group. This might be
because of your gender, language, education, economic class, race/ethnicity, sexual
orientation or something else.
 Be professional and appropriate in conversations and when using tools like
WhatsApp. What may be perceived as friendly to you, may be perceived as unwanted
flirting or inappropriate sexual harassment to someone else. Stick to discussing relevant
topics. Do not ask personal questions and do not use language that may be of a sexual
nature.
 Protect others’ identities. Don’t share someone else’s contact information unless they
have explicitly asked you to for networking purposes.

What does abuse mean?

Abusive behaviour involves treating someone with cruelty or violence. It can take many forms,
including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, as well as neglect and exploitation. There are four
main types of abuse. These can be defined as:

Physical abuse – use of physical force against a youth delegate that doesn’t happen by accident and
causes injury (e.g. injury)
Neglect – failing to provide a youth delegate with appropriate care, support and attention to their
needs
Sexual abuse – any type of sexual act/approach by an adult towards a youth delegate or by a youth
delegate to another youth delegate. The can be face-to-face or using technology
Emotional abuse – a pattern of denying a care, safety, security or mistreating a youth delegate in the
way an adult speak to them or acts (e.g. bullying, yelling, isolating)

Plan staff will never treat someone in any of these ways. Youth should also not abuse each other.

Codes of behaviour with your peers

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 To make sure that you also feel safe and protected when you are with peers, here are some guidance
on how to behave towards each other.

Young people are expected to: Young people must not:

√ Cooperate with and listen to each other
√ Respect each other’s differences
(religion, gender, background, ethnicity
views and opinions, experiences)
√ Be friendly, helpful and supportive
√ Treat participants and attendees with
respect
√ Report anything that worries or concerns
you a trusted adult
X X Pick on or make fun of each other
X X Bully or be abusive to each other
X X Yell or shout at others or each other
X X Use technology to be abusive or to cyberbully (for example
– using mobile phones to send nasty messages, taking and
sharing photos without permission, sending nasty emails)

Personal tips for self-reflection

Finally, make sure that you are looking after yourself and reflecting on your own behaviour.

 Check in with yourself - Ask yourself during spare moments how you are feeling, become
self-aware of your level of comfort and act accordingly.
 Be aware of the dynamics of extroversion/outspokenness in the group - Notice who
the “loud” and “quiet” people are in the group and which you are. If you are a loud/dominant
participant in discussions, consider using that to make space and invite the opinions of
quieter members of the group.
 If you are called out, take time to consider your response - Being called out is a
common experience in advocacy/activism. Read up on how to navigate a situation where
you’ve perhaps made a mistake.
 If you find another person to be rude of offensive - Always consider your response from
a place of empathy and kindness. You do not have to put up with poor behaviour, but
understanding that poor behaviour often comes from difficulties in another is always a good
place to start.

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Examples Scenario Considerations / Suggested Next Steps
Someone in the group sends
you 1:1 Whatsapp messages
to talk about your
advocacy/activism
You want to engage with
someone 1:1 on a professional
matter about their
advocacy/activism
Someone you are talking to
about professional topics asks
you something you’re not
comfortable with
You are having a professional
conversation with another
young person over WhatsApp
and you want to become closer
friends with them
You want to introduce new
contacts to each other to build
your network with people you
meet at a conference / summit
A journalist or photographer
wants to take your personal
contact details to follow-up
If a Plan staff member or
partner contacts you 1:1 on
email/WhatsApp/Facebook
You’re invited or start a new
WhatsApp/Facebook group.
There are people from different
countries and cultures.
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Think about whether you are comfortable with a 1:1 discussion.
If so, continue chatting. If not, either block that person or tell them you would
prefer to speak in the group chat only.
If they persist or you feel uncomfortable, tell a trusted adult or peer.
Ask yourself if that level of privacy is really necessary. If so, kindly ask the other
person if they are okay with speaking to you on a 1:1 basis, and explain to them
the nature of what you wish to discuss.
What to do if the matter turns personal?...
Block that person if you feel comfortable doing so or tell them simply that their
language is unprofessional and you would prefer not to speak 1:1 anymore.
Report the incident to a staff member or your chaperone.
Remember, they probably see you as a professional contact. You should respect
this boundary.
Try asking 1:1 if they are comfortable speaking outside of the group chat.
Before sharing anyone’s personal information, confirm with them that they are
happy with it and know who is receiving their contact details and why.
Confirm what information they would like to share e.g. email, phone number.
If that person is under 18, ask their chaperone first of all.
If you are under 18, ask them to speak with your chaperone or a staff member to
take their contact details instead.
Ignore or block this person and report is to a trusted adult at Plan. If this is the
only Plan staff member you are in contact with, speak with a trusted peer to
identify a second Plan staff member to report this to. It is forbidden for Plan staff
to contact you in a personal capacity.
Find out what the different language are and technical accessibility before
choosing a platform.
Try out translation sites like Google Translate and Deepl.com.
Don’t invite new people in without asking the group first and never share
personal contact information (address, phone numbers, schools photos in an
open group)
Do not advertise the group on other social media channels - it may cause risks
for others in the group.
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