Child-Level Event Definitions Document

Child-Level Event Category Definitions

Emergency Significant Incident Report

Category & Subcategory	Definition
DEATH OF A UC	A child dies while in ORR custody
INCIDENTS INVOLVING WEAPONS Possession Use	A weapon is defined as an object that 1) is not permitted to be in the child's possession and 2) can reasonably be used to physically harm themselves or others; or an object that the child is permitted to have but is not used for its intended purpose
MEDICAL EMERGENCY	Signs or symptoms that would reasonably be considered to require immediate medical attention to prevent death, loss of or significant damage to an organ or body function, or a pregnancy complication
Acute Illness	A medical condition that arises suddenly/without any pre-existing symptoms resulting in need for immediate medical attention
Exacerbation of a chronic medical condition	An increase in the severity of a pre-existing medical condition/symptoms that warrants immediate medical attention
Injury or misadventure	Bodily harm that results from accident or horseplay and requires immediate medical attention
Pregnancy-related	A medical condition that arises due to pregnancy and requires immediate medical attention. This is not for abortion requests
Psychiatric admission	Child is admitted to a psychiatric facility
Severe abuse/neglect	Intentional bodily harm, or harm that occurs through neglect (failure to provide food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or other basic entitlement that results in endangerment to the child's health or well-being) that subsequently requires immediate medical attention
Severe medical error	A preventable adverse effect from a medical-related mistake that requires immediate medical intervention
Severe mental health symptoms, without self-harm	Sudden changes in behavior or thinking that suggest acute psychosis or mania; expression of homicidal intention with a plan; or displays of non-redirectable severe aggression
Severe self-harm	Self-injury that requires emergency medical attention
Substance use	The use of prescribed/over-the-counter medications for purposes other than as prescribed by a medical professional, illegal drugs, or alcohol, which requires immediate medical attention or impacts normal function to the extent that the child is at greater risk for injury or harm. This may be related to an underlying substance use disorder, but also may be an isolated incident
Suicidal ideation with a plan	Child expresses the desire to end their life and communicates a plan
SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINOR BY ADULT	Sexual abuse—as defined by the Interim Final Rule, Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment Involving Unaccompanied Children—that is perpetrated by care provider staff against a child
Actual or simulated sexual intercourse	A staff member having sexual intercourse with a child or simulating an act of sexual intercourse with a child
Any display of staff's uncovered buttocks, breast, or genitalia in the presence of a child	A staff member exposes their uncovered buttocks, breast, or genitalia in the presence of a child
Bestiality	A staff member intentionally penetrates an animal's anal, oral, or genital area by a body part or object
Forcing a child to engage in sexual exploitation of another child	A staff member forces a child to molest another child
Masturbation	A staff member touches their own genitals for sexual pleasure
Molestation	A staff member penetrating or touching a child's buttocks, breasts, anal, oral, or genital area with a body part or object in a way that is unrelated to official job duties with the intent to abuse, arouse, or gratify sexual desire
Possession or use of child or adult pornography	A staff member has in their possession media (magazine, photo, video, etc.) of naked or partially clothed adults or children, and the media is intended for sexual pleasure or gratification; A staff member shows such media to a child
Prostitution of a child	A staff member selling or exchanging the sexual favors of a child to another person
Sadistic or masochistic abuse	A staff member receives sexual pleasure or gratification when inflicting suffering on a child, or having it inflicted upon their own self
Voyeurism	Inappropriate invasion of privacy of a child by staff for reasons unrelated to official duties, such as viewing a child perform bodily functions or bathing; requiring a child to expose his or her buttocks, genitals, or breasts; watching a child change clothing; recording images of all or part of a child’s naked body
Any attempt, threat, or request to engage in any of the activities above	A staff member attempts, threatens, or requests to engage in any of the activities above with a child
SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINOR BY MINOR	Sexual abuse—as defined by the Interim Final Rule, Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment Involving Unaccompanied Children—that is perpetrated by a child against another child
Bestiality	A child intentionally penetrates an animal's anal, oral, or genital area by a body part or object
Child prostitution	A child is paid or is provided an exchange of favors/objects to perform sexual acts
Forcing a child to touch/penetrate genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or the buttocks of themselves or another child	One child forces another child to touch/penetrate genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or the buttocks of themselves or another child
Intentional touching, directly or through clothing, of another's genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks	Child receives an intentional touch by another child directly or through clothing, of another's genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks. Incidental touching through horseplay or sports, as well as accidental touching, do NOT constitute sexual abuse
Knowingly masturbating in another person's presence	A child intentionally rubs their genitals for sexual pleasure in front of other people with the intent of being watched/viewed
Lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a person or animal	A child purposely exposes buttocks, breast, or genitalia of self, another child, or animal for the purpose of sexual gratification or arousal or eliciting a sexual response
Penetration of another child's anal, oral, or genital area by a body part or object	Child penetrates another child's anal, oral, or genital area with a body part or object
Possession or use of child pornography	A child possesses or views media (magazine, photo, video, etc.) of naked or partially clothed children for sexual pleasure or gratification
Sadistic or masochistic abuse	A child receives sexual pleasure or gratification when inflicting suffering on another child, or having it inflicted upon themselves
UNAUTHORIZED ABSENCE	A child leaves their ORR placement without permission, and the shelter does not know the whereabouts of the child or is unable to get the child to return. Momentary lapses in line-of-sight supervision do NOT constitute an unauthorized absence, such as when a Youth Care Worker realizes a child is missing, but subsequently finds the child in the bathroom, their own room, in the hallway, on the recreation field, etc. Note for Long-Term Foster Care programs: Care providers may wait 4 hours from discovery of the child’s absence to determine whether the unauthorized absence attempt was successful before reporting to law enforcement, state licensing, and NCMEC. If the child returns to the provider within 4 hours, the event may be documented as a Behavioral Note.

Non-Emergency Significant Incident Report

Category & Subcategory	Definition
ABUSE/NEGLECT BY ADULT	Abuse and neglect allegations that are perpetrated by care provider staff. These SIRs are NOT for reporting alleged behaviors by children
Non-medical child neglect	Failure to provide adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, or other basic necessities, as well as punitive, careless, and/or unnecessary denial of access to other basic entitlements such as education, legal aid, exercise, recreation, bathroom usage, and communication/correspondence with families, sponsors, or attorneys
Physical abuse	Causing non-accidental physical harm to a child that includes, but is not limited to, bruises, cuts, sprains, in addition to physical mistreatment such as punching, shoving, kicking, beating, hitting, biting, shaking, or dragging a child
Verbal or emotional abuse	Criticisms, comments, behaviors, or threats that cause harm to a child’s psychological, intellectual, or emotional functioning/stability or self-esteem, which may be exhibited by a child’s anxiety, loneliness, fear, sadness, withdrawal, aggression, and/or loss of trust with staff
BEHAVIORAL SAFETY MEASURE	An intervention to be used only as a last resort to prevent harm to the child or others
Physical Restraints	A restraint involving the physical holding of a child in which a child's freedom of movement is restricted by means of staff physically holding the child for their safety or the safety of others
Seclusion	A de-escalation method of last resort involving placing a child in a room alone while the child de-escalates
Soft restraints	A restraint made of fabric, foam, padding, velcro, etc. that is designed to limit the movements of a child in order to prevent harm to that child or others; examples include soft mitts, seat belts, or fabric limb restraints; see also, UC Policy Guide Section 3.3.17 Use of Restraints During Transport and in Immigration Court
CHILD BEHAVIORAL CONCERNS THAT THREATEN SAFETY	Observations that a child may pose a safety risk to themselves or others because of their potentially dangerous or aggressive behavior
Destruction of property	A child's destruction of property that threatens their own safety or the safety of others
Physical aggression	A child's physical behavior that threatens their own safety or the safety of others
Use of drugs or alcohol	A child's use of illegal drugs or alcohol
Verbal aggression	A child's verbal behavior that threatens their own safety or the safety of others
EXTERNAL THREATS TO UC	Concerns that a child in ORR care may be susceptible to an external threat after they are released from ORR care, or that a sponsor has experienced a threat of potential harm
Actual or potential fraud schemes	Knowledge or suspicion that the sponsor or child in ORR care has received threats by fraudulent actors in the United States
Labor trafficking concern or risk identified	Knowledge or suspicion that a child in ORR care may be at risk of being forced to perform labor under coercion, force, intimidation, or fraud by a perpetrator in the United States after they are released from ORR care
Sex trafficking concern or risk identified	Knowledge or suspicion that a child in ORR care may be at risk of sexual exploitation by a perpetrator in the United States after they are released from ORR care
Threats related to crime or organized crime	Knowledge or suspicion that a child in ORR care may be at risk of criminal exploitation by a perpetrator in the United States after they are released from ORR care
HEALTHCARE ERROR	Errors by care provider staff involving medical treatment or diagnosis
Health-related neglect	Failure to provide medical treatment or mental health care needed by the child that leads to potential or actual minor harm to a child; or failure to recognize obvious signs of physical injury or medical/mental illness that do not warrant emergency medical attention
Inappropriate health intervention (i.e., incorrect procedure, incorrect patient)	An evaluation, diagnostic procedure, or treatment plan that is done incorrectly or inappropriately, or performed on the wrong child
Medication/vaccine administration error	Staff gives a child the wrong medication or vaccine (or incorrect dose thereof) and causes a preventable medical error that results in either minor medical effects and does not lead to a medical emergency, or lacks the potential to cause harm to the child
INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR	Inappropriate sexual behaviors committed by either care provider staff or a child
	Singular instances of inappropriate, sexual, derogatory, or offensive conduct that 1) are not serious enough to rise to the level of sexual abuse and 2) have not occurred repeatedly so as to constitute sexual harassment. Additionally, in the case of a child perpetrator, the conduct must involve behavior that is not developmentally appropriate for the child's age. For example, an adolescent may draw genitalia on a chalkboard or yell an obscenity across a classroom, but these are typical, developmentally appropriate behaviors that should not be labeled, punished, or documented as an Inappropriate Sexual Behavior SIR
INCIDENTS INVOLVING LAW ENFORCEMENT ON-SITE	Any instance of law enforcement activity at a care provider
Arrest	A law enforcement arrest occurs when law enforcement come to the facility or foster home to arrest a child
Interview	A law enforcement interview occurs when law enforcement come to the facility or foster home to question a child
Investigate/Response	A law enforcement investigation/response occurs when law enforcement come to the facility or foster home in response to a request for assistance involving an incident that requires notifying the police
Search	A law enforcement search occurs when law enforcement come to the facility or foster home to look through the child's room, their possessions, or the child's person
INTENTIONAL DOCUMENT/INFORMATION FRAUD	Concerns about fraud perpetrated by either an adult claiming to be an unaccompanied child, or by a child’s sponsor. Purposeful falsification of information on identity documents or other relevant paperwork.
MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS	Concerns about a child’s mental health that may warrant some form of support, assistance, or intervention
Hallucinations	Child has a known history of psychosis or hallucinations and expresses that symptoms are actively presenting, but remains cooperative and redirectable
Homicidal ideations without a plan	Child has thoughts of harming others but has no plan or intention to do so
Self-harm that does not require emergency medical intervention	Non-suicidal self-injury that is minor and does not require medical attention
Suicidal ideation without a plan	Child generally states that they have thoughts of ending their life, but does not express any specific details, intention, or plan to do so
REQUEST FOR TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY	A child who is pregnant requests to terminate their pregnancy and is not in need of immediate medical attention or assessment
RUNAWAY ATTEMPT	A child 1) runs away but immediately returns on their own, or 2) runs away but is soon thereafter recovered by program staff, or 3) makes a clear attempt to leave but is prevented from doing so
SEXUAL HARASSMENT	Sexual harassment—as defined by the Interim Final Rule, Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment Involving Unaccompanied Children—that is perpetrated by either care provider staff or a child
Repeated gestures of a derogatory or offensive sexual nature	Repeated flirtatious conduct that may not necessarily be intended to elicit a sexual response but is nonetheless sexual in nature or inappropriate/offensive
Repeated and unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors	Repeated conduct that is intended to elicit a sexual response by the child victim
Repeated verbal comments, phone calls, and/or all electronic communications that are derogatory or sexual in nature	Repeated verbal comments, phone calls, and/or electronic communications that are derogatory or sexual in nature
STAFF CODE OF CONDUCT & BOUNDARY VIOLATION	Staff Code of Conduct violations that are romantic or sexual in nature or that otherwise violate the professional boundary between care provider staff and children
Cohabitating with a UC before the child turns 21 years old	A staff member who lives with a child before the child turns 21 years old post-release
Engaging in a romantic relationship with a UC while the child is in ORR care or before the child turns 21 years old	A staff member who engages in a romantic relationship with a child in ORR care or before the UC turns 21 years old post-release
Failing to confine relationships with UC families and sponsors to within scope of duties	A staff member who fails to confine relationships with a child's family or sponsor to within scope of duties
Failing to report any knowledge, suspicion, or information about sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or inappropriate sexual behavior	A staff member who fails to report any knowledge, suspicion, or information about sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or inappropriate sexual behavior
Having any contact with any UC outside of the care provider facility beyond scope of duties while the child is in ORR care or before the child turns 21 years old	A staff member who has any contact with a child outside of the care provider facility beyond scope of duties while the child is in ORR care or before the UC turns 21 years old post-release
Providing letters, gifts, pictures, or any personal contact/social media information with any UC in ORR care or before the UC turns 21 years old	A staff member who provides letters, gifts, pictures, or any personal contact/social media information with a child in ORR care or before the UC turns 21 years old post-release

Historical Disclosure

Category & Subcategory	Definition
ABUSE/NEGLECT IN DHS CUSTODY
Abuse/neglect by CBP or ICE	See definitions for Physical Abuse, Non-Medical Child Neglect, Health Related Neglect, Sexual Harassment, and Inappropriate Sexual Behaviors above in the Non-Emergency SIR Section and definitions for Sexual Abuse in the Emergency SIR section above; also includes reports of deficient living conditions, disability accommodations complaints, use of force, religious accommodations complaints, retaliation by staff, and staff keeping children's money, documents, medicine, or other possessions to which the child is entitled to keep
Family separation by DHS	The separation of a child and their parent or legal guardian by DHS
Previous enrollment in DHS Migrant Protection Protocols program	The Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) was also known as the "remain in Mexico" policy whereby immigrants who arrived at the Southern Border were forced to wait in Mexico for their duration of their immigration proceedings. While MPP was not supposed to be applied to UC, it is possible that during MPP's broad use between January 24, 2019 and June 30, 2022, it may have been erroneously applied to some UC
Restraints or isolation in CBP or ICE custody	Use of any type of restraint or seclusion method, for any reason, that limits a child's mobility or prevents their interaction with others
PAST ABUSE/NEGLECT NOT IN ORR CARE OR DHS CUSTODY
Physical abuse	See definitions for Physical Abuse, Non-Medical Neglect, and Health Related Neglect above in Non-Emergency SIR section
Verbal or emotional abuse	See definition for Verbal/Emotional Abuse above in Non-Emergency SIR section
Sexual abuse	See definitions for Sexual Abuse in the Emergency SIR section above
Sexual harassment	See definitions for Sexual Harassment in the Non-Emergency SIR section above
Labor trafficking concerns	Any scheme, plan, or pattern to recruit, transport, hold, or use a child for the purpose of performing labor through force, fraud, or coercion
Sex trafficking concerns	Any indication that a child was recruited, held, transported, or solicited for—or otherwise made to engage in—a commercial sex act in exchange for something of value (food, shelter, money, debt, etc.), regardless of whether there was fraud, force, or coercion
Smuggling	Any indication that a child was transported across an international border and made subject to exploitative conditions over the course of their journey (This is not to be used where a child simply discloses they received some kind of assistance with getting to the U.S., but rather when that assistance was accompanied with some kind of exploitation)
Forced marriage with adult still in home country	Any indication that the child was forced to marry someone else against their will in home country
Forced marriage with adult in United States	Any indication that the child has arrived with an adult whom they were forced to marry in home country, the child does not want to be in the marriage, and there may be reason to believe the child is being abused or exploited in the marriage and should therefore be separated from the spouse for their safety
Neglect/abandonment	See definitions for Non-Medical Child Neglect and Health Related Neglect above in Non-Emergency SIR Section
Domestic violence	The use of violence, intimidation, and/or abuse by one family member on another. The frequency, duration, and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically across circumstances
Adolescent/teen dating violence	Teen dating violence—also referred to as intimate partner violence—includes any kind of abuse or harassment in an adolescent romantic relationship
Inappropriate health intervention	A health service that is medically unnecessary, harmful, and/or against the child's wishes
Past mental health concerns	Any concerns raised by the child related to anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, or other mental health symptoms or challenges
Witnessing traumatic events	Instances where a child is not the victim of a traumatic event but was still a witness to the event
Other harmful or traumatic events	Traumatic events that are not captured above but may be worth noting for the purpose of providing relevant support services
SELF-DISCLOSED JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
Self-Disclosure of past juvenile delinquency charges	Child discloses instance from home country where he was charged with a crime under that country's laws
Self-Disclosure of past juvenile delinquency convictions	Child discloses instance from home country where he was convicted of a crime under that country's laws
Self-Disclosure of past harm to others that lacks a charge or conviction	Child discloses instance from home country where he engaged in potentially unlawful behavior for which he was never charged or convicted

Behavioral Note

Category & Subcategory	Definition
BEHAVIORAL INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER UC	1) Behavioral interactions between children that demonstrate positive habits, resilience, personal growth, skill-building, or other meritorious actions/traits; 2) Behavioral interactions between children that do not threaten immediate safety and are otherwise benign and developmentally appropriate, but potentially worth documenting in the event that a behavioral pattern emerges that requires intervention or support
BEHAVIORAL INTERACTIONS WITH ADULT	1) Behavioral interactions between a child and care provider staff that demonstrate the child's positive habits, skill-building, resilience, or other meritorious actions/traits; 2) Behavioral interactions between children and staff that do not threaten immediate safety and are otherwise benign and developmentally appropriate, but potentially worth documenting in the event that a behavioral pattern emerges that requires intervention or support
INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR	1) Behavioral observations involving a singular child that demonstrate the child's positive habits, skill-building, resilience, or other meritorious actions/traits; 2) Behavioral observations involving a singular child that do not threaten immediate safety and are otherwise benign and developmentally appropriate, but potentially worth documenting in the event that a behavioral pattern emerges that requires intervention or support