Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

The General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous (Australia) (GSB of AA) is a registered charity, the purpose of which is to serve the fellowship of AA.

AA’s 12 Traditions provide guiding principles to ensure the welfare, unity, stability, and effective functioning of the AA fellowship. The Traditions help maintain AA’s integrity and support its primary purpose of helping alcoholics achieve and maintain sobriety.

The General Service Board affirms that:

  • The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.
  • AA groups have a duty of care to all people attending their meetings.
  • All people, regardless of their length of sobriety, age, gender, race, religious beliefs, family or social backgrounds, regardless of health conditions, disability or impairments, sexual orientation, or gender diversity, have equal rights to protection from abuse, neglect or exploitation.
  • AA’s Traditions do not excuse or protect people engaging in unsafe or illegal behaviour. Any activity taking place in an AA meeting is subject to the same laws and local regulations that apply outside the group’s meeting.
  • Addressing unsafe or illegal behaviour, including asking someone to leave a meeting or contacting the appropriate authorities, when necessary, is in line with AA’s Traditions.
  • AA Groups are autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole. As such AA groups have the primary responsibility for managing safeguarding in their meetings.
  • The GSB of Alcoholics Anonymous in Australia is the custodian of AA’s Traditions and serves AA Groups. The GSB plays a role in informing, guiding and resourcing Groups to make their meetings as safe as possible. To this end, the GSB recommends that groups access available safeguarding resources and use this policy to help create a safe meeting environment in which alcoholics can focus on achieving sobriety.
  • Groups are encouraged to share group experience in dealing with and managing safeguarding issues through their Group Service Representative, and Area Delegates and to develop their own contingency plans for dealing with safeguarding issues.

This Policy is intended to assist the AA community in managing incidents including:

  1. Sexual harassment, bullying or abuse.
  2. Criminal, sexual, financial, or other offences.
  3. Threats of, or actual violence, or verbal, emotional or social abuse.
  4. Cultural or identity abuse, such as racial, sexual or gender-based discrimination, or hate crime.
  5. Coercion or exploitation.
  6. Abuse of power.

Bullying is repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a person or group that creates a risk to health and safety.

Harassment is any form of behaviour that is not wanted, offends, humiliates or targets a person because of that person’s sex, pregnancy, ethnicity, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or carer’s responsibilities.

These types of incidents can result in:

  • Mental and physical harm to the affected people
  • Civil or criminal sanctions for individuals or the fellowship
  • Community anger, reputational damage and negative media attention for AA
  • Disruption to AA services
  • Decreased unity and morale among members
  • Inability to attract new members, staff and volunteers
  • Damage to our common welfare.

Tradition 1 States that: Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA unity.

Safeguarding at AA meetings is of vital importance to the AA fellowship’s common welfare as well as personal recovery.

How Can Groups Address Safeguarding Issues?

AA Groups are autonomous. Therefore, they have the primary responsibility for safeguarding within their group.

All Group members and holders of service positions should be aware of this policy, the Australian Service Manual, and the Group Handbook.

As part of the Group literature supply, the Safety in AA flyer and Safety Card should be included and drawn to Members’ attention.

Groups, through their conscience meetings, may establish contingency plans to deal with safeguarding issues. This may include appointing a group or local Safeguarding Representative, having an appropriate action plan if there is a safety issue and discussing the Code of Conduct and how it applies to the Group.

Districts and Areas are advised to hold regular workshops on safeguarding issues and ensure all holders of service positions are aware of the safeguarding policies.

What Action Can Be Taken?

In dealing with any unacceptable behaviour the response must be measured and reasonable, given all the circumstances. Members should neither place themselves in danger physically nor open themselves or the Group to legal repercussions. If an incident cannot be defused quickly and safely, Members and Groups may have to consider involving the appropriate authorities.

Personal Action

It is often sufficient for the recipient of behaviour they feel is inappropriate to raise the difficulty with the person creating the problem by pointing out that the conduct is offensive. Anyone has the right to challenge unacceptable behaviour from any other member of AA at any stage and request that the behaviour stop.

Support and help – it should be possible for the recipient to prepare for this conversation with the help of their sponsor or another member if they wish. If they find it too difficult or embarrassing to raise the issue with the person creating the problem, it may be appropriate for the recipient to have the conversation with their sponsor or another trusted member.

While face-to-face communication is often appropriate, members are under no obligation to engage in it, especially if they feel it may be unsafe.

Group Action

When a personal approach fails or the recipient feels that this method is inappropriate, the recipient may approach a group member or another trusted servant for help and guidance, feeling secure in the belief that any safeguarding issue will be considered as a serious matter.

Where it is safe to do so, the alleged offender should be told of the complaint as soon as possible.

If the situation is sufficiently serious or complex, it may be necessary to involve members from outside the group or appropriate outside authorities.

If the group conscience decides it is necessary, unacceptable behaviour may result in temporary exclusion from the group. The ultimate decision on the return of the offender rests with the group conscience.

The reporting of safeguarding instances to the appropriate outside agencies may be required and is entirely consistent with AA Traditions.

Reporting Safeguarding Concerns

If any AA member, Trustee or GSO staff member believes that the actions of an AA member, or someone in contact with the Fellowship, give rise to a safeguarding concern within AA, they should consider taking the following actions:

  • In the case of an emergency or if there is immediate risk of harm call 000
  • Preserve any evidence
  • Report all concerns to a Trusted AA group member and/or local AA Safeguarding Rep or appropriate local authority
  • If a crime has been or may be committed report to the Police.
  • If you are unsure of the appropriate course of action or would like some guidance, please contact the General Service Office for further guidance.

When an incident has caused significant harm to an individual, is affecting other groups or is likely to bring either the GSB or the AA fellowship as a whole into disrepute please contact the General Service Office for further guidance.

Safety in the Digital Age

Virtual platforms and social media have become a significant resource for connecting current AA members and potential members in ways our founders never imagined. The AA Traditions that apply to in-person AA settings also apply to AA phone, online and social media settings. Many groups discuss the relationship between safety and anonymity and incorporate guidelines in their opening announcements.

To help keep meetings free from cyberbullying or harassment, some virtual groups have created specific services or positions. Virtual AA groups that have experienced harassment from internet “trolls” have adjusted the group’s security settings, created safety procedures and/or sought professional technical support.

Primary Purpose

Service in Institutions

Institutions expect any member of AA attending prisons, hospitals or any institution requiring security clearance, to abide by the rules of the organisation and follow their safeguarding policies. See also Guidelines GL 16 and GL 22.

Telephone Lines/Live Chat

Volunteers responding to the 1300 number or Live Chat should be aware of the Code of Conduct and this policy. It is strongly recommended that volunteer management include a system for ensuring that each volunteer has read and understood this policy, its intent, and their responsibility.

Central Service Offices and Districts should ensure that a record of the roster of volunteers be kept in case a safeguarding issue comes up.

Minors Attending AA

Minors are defined as individuals under the age of 18. There are times when minors may attend AA meetings and Conventions. It is the responsibility of Group Members to exercise due care when minors are in attendance. We aim to support minors who believe they may have a drinking problem. While we strongly encourage involving a parent or legal guardian, this is not always possible. In such situations, minors who have attained a sufficient level of maturity and can understand the nature and implications of participation have the right to make their own informed decisions about attending AA.

Minors are recognised as particularly vulnerable and at risk of harm. Group members must exercise all due care and ensure that appropriate safety protocols are in place for the safety of minors attending meetings or AA events.

Any reasonable suspicion that a minor is being abused or is at risk should be reported to the police immediately.

The New Member

Often when a new Member joins AA a feeling of hope and the lifting of despair can lead to thinking that every AA Member has their best interests at heart. Experience shows that most AA Members will offer great support, but a few may not. Groups may wish to include the pamphlet Safety and AA Flyer in their Newcomer literature pack and encourage new Members to join a Group and participate in the Group Conscience.

Sponsorship

Within AA good Sponsorship is vital for both our recovery and service. There is a pamphlet Questions and Answers on Sponsorship, which can be very helpful and it is suggested that Groups have this readily available on their literature table. A man for a man, and a woman for a woman has often been suggested as working best.

However sexual and/or romantic attraction, regardless of sexuality or gender identity, can be problematic and may create safeguarding issues.

Good Sponsorship involves making the Sponsee aware that Sponsors are not trained counsellors. All we have is our own experience of recovery from alcoholism. We believe that most Sponsors would want to make the Sponsee aware of the importance of personal confidentiality and trust.

Staff

All GSO staff and staff of any entity associated with AA services have the same rights and responsibilities as AA Members regarding safeguarding. No AA staff member will tolerate abuse or exploitation in any form from AA Members.

Members of the Public

Regarding members of the public coming into contact with AA, be that at Public or Open AA meetings, or for any other reason, they are entitled to the same level of safeguarding as any member of AA.

Incident Report

While groups hold primary responsibility for managing incidents, there are circumstances where submitting an incident report is important, such as:

  • If someone has been injured
  • If the incident is of a serious nature, for example, involving police or emergency services.
  • If the incident may impact AA as a whole, such as by harming its reputation; or
  • If guidance is sought on how best to respond.

While the Board and General Service Office (GSO) will assist as much as possible, it’s important to recognise that their ability to intervene directly in group matters or mediate local disputes is limited.

To obtain an incident report form, please contact the General Service Office manager at [email protected] or by phoning the office.

All incident report information must be retained securely and confidentially to ensure the privacy and safety of all individuals involved. The following guidelines apply to the retention of these forms:

  1. Storage: Incident reports must be stored in a secure location accessible only to authorised personnel, who may include GSO staff and relevant Board members.
  2. Access: Access to incident report forms is restricted to authorised personnel only. Sharing of these forms is strictly limited to those who need to know for safeguarding purposes or legal compliance.
  3. Confidentiality: The confidentiality of all individuals involved in an incident must be always maintained. Information from incident report forms must not be disclosed to unauthorised persons.
  4. Review: Incident report forms should be periodically reviewed by designated trusted servants to ensure that any patterns of behaviour or repeated incidents are identified and addressed promptly.
  5. Retention Period: Incident reports should be retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of the incident. After this period, they should be reviewed, and if deemed no longer necessary, they should be securely destroyed.
  6. Destruction: When the retention period expires, incident report forms should be securely destroyed using methods that ensure the complete obliteration of the information, such as shredding.

By adhering to these guidelines, we ensure the responsible management of incident report forms, protecting the privacy of our members and maintaining the integrity of our safeguarding processes.

More Information

The Australian Alcoholics Anonymous Service Manual (and Guidelines)

The Australian Group Handbook

Safety and AA flyer Code of Conduct Incident Report Form

AA Group Conscience pamphlet Guideline on Safety at meetings

AA Child Safety Guideline

Document Control

This document is controlled under the policies and procedures of Alcoholics Anonymous. Any updates or revisions will be distributed through official channels.

Revised: November 2024

For an uncontrolled version (if printed or distributed without control):

Uncontrolled Document if Printed

This printed document may be outdated. Please refer to the latest controlled version available through official channels.

If you’d like a copy of this document please contact the General Service Office.