Child protection in the club

Friday night, your parents drop you off at the club and head home without a worry. Have you ever stopped to think why? It's not luck: it's a system of written rules, designed so that nothing bad happens to any child — not at the meeting, not at camp, not on the trip to camporee. In this article you'll learn those rules, find out what Brazilian law requires, and, most important, discover who to tell if something goes wrong.

🛡️Why does the club have child protection rules?

The Pathfinder Club is the Seventh-day Adventist Church's program for boys and girls ages 10 to 15. Every week, thousands of families trust their children to the club's leaders. That trust doesn't just happen: it's backed by a rulebook called the Manual Administrativo do Clube de Desbravadores (Pathfinder Club Administrative Manual), published by the South American Division (DSA) — the office that coordinates the church in eight South American countries. It's one of the official manuals every director needs to study.

Inside the manual there's an entire section dedicated to the topic: 2.10, "Abuse Prevention". It states a double goal: prevent and identify any form of violence — physical, emotional, or sexual — against the child or teen, and also protect staff members from false accusations. In other words: the rules look after both sides at once.

Think of it like an online game: moderation rules don't exist to ruin the fun — they exist so everyone can play in peace. It's the same at the club. In fact, the manual calls Pathfinders "juveniles" — it's just the formal way of saying a child or teen aged 10 to 15. You'll see that word in the quotes below.

🚦What's normal at the club — and what isn't?

The manual defines abuse as any treatment that threatens a child's or teen's safety or leaves physical or emotional marks. It splits abuse into three types: physical abuse (an injury that wasn't an accident), emotional abuse (humiliating, name-calling, demeaning nicknames, violent language), and sexual abuse (any violation of sexual privacy, whether by touch, words, or images). And here's an important detail: the manual notes that abuse can also happen between two children or two teens — it isn't only something adults do.

What's normal at the club: instruction given in front of the group, a game everyone agreed to, help from a leader with other adults nearby, a fair reprimand with another adult present. What is not normal: an adult who wants to be alone with you, a conversation that "has to stay secret," touch that makes you uncomfortable, a nickname that humiliates, any physical punishment.

🔑What are the golden rules every leader follows?

The most-quoted part of section 2.10 answers a direct question: how do you protect club leadership from false accusations? The answer became the set of rules every Pathfinder leader knows by heart. The first, and most famous, is this: a leader is never alone with a Pathfinder. Ever. Even the most serious conversation in the world happens where others can see it.

The others follow the same "always more eyes" logic: Pathfinders are supervised at all times; no one applies discipline unless another adult, aware of the situation, is watching; any form of corporal punishment is banned; and a child only gets help in the restroom if a second adult is nearby and knows why. At pickup, a Pathfinder is only released to their father, mother, or legal guardian — any other adult needs express, written permission.

And the strictest rule of all, no exceptions: people convicted, accused, or found to have committed physical or sexual abuse cannot work in any activity or program run by the church for children, teens, or adults. It's not "case by case." The door is closed.

Leaders should avoid being alone with a juvenile. This protects both of them from possible accusations.Manual Administrativo do Clube de Desbravadores (DSA)

Rules from section 2.10 (Abuse Prevention) of the Manual Administrativo do Clube de Desbravadores, DSA edition.

⛺How does safety work at camp?

At camp, protection becomes geography. The manual requires that the girls' section and the boys' section be properly separated — boys and girls never sleep in the same area, let alone the same tent. And the staff tents (the director and the adults who assist them) must be strategically placed between the sections and between the units' own tents, in the manual's words, "to prevent disturbances and ensure the physical and emotional safety of the boys and girls."

In other words: adults sleep in their own tents, separate from the juveniles' tents, and keep an eye on everything — like a school hallway monitor, only outdoors. A unit, by the way, is the small group of 6 to 8 Pathfinders led by a counselor, a more experienced leader who stays close to the group throughout the event.

This layout isn't organizational fussiness: it's the same "always more eyes" logic applied at night, when everyone's asleep. Even the camp's layout protects.

🗣️Something went wrong: who do you tell?

The first step, always: tell a trusted adult — your parents, your counselor, the director, or the pastor. The manual is clear: any behavior that seems abusive or inappropriate must be reported to the pastor or the church administration. You don't need absolute certainty or proof: reporting a suspicion is already the right move.

And it doesn't stay inside the church. The manual states that, as required by law, even in cases of mere suspicion, the report must be made to the Conselho Tutelar — the public body that exists in every Brazilian city to protect children and teens. For leaders, the manual leaves no room for doubt: reporting is mandatory and the responsibility is non-transferable, meaning a leader who fails to act can be held liable in court.

The manual also teaches leaders how to handle the moment well: listen calmly without interrupting, take everything the child says seriously, don't promise secrecy before knowing what it's about, write down the account as soon as possible, and protect the identity of whoever spoke up. A report can be made by phone, in writing, or in person — and it can be public or confidential: you can report without giving your name.

🧾Why does the director ask for a notarized form before camporee?

Picture the scene: it's two weeks before camporee — the big camp-out that brings together several clubs from a region (learn what a camporee is) — and the director starts asking every family for a notarized form. It sounds like annoying red tape, but it's federal law.

The ECA — Brazil's Child and Adolescent Statute, the 1990 law that protects everyone under 18 — states in article 83 that minors under 16 cannot travel outside the judicial district where they live (in practice, the district is the city and region served by the same court) without their parents, except in specific situations. It was Law 13,812 of 2019 that raised that age: before, the requirement applied only to minors under 12.

Since the club caravan travels with leaders — who aren't the parents — every Pathfinder under 16 needs to bring a written authorization from their parents or guardians with a notarized signature (the notary confirms that the signature really belongs to the person who signed), naming the adult accompanying the trip. There are two important exemptions: traveling with an adult relative up to the third degree (grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings over 18), proving the relationship with documents, or traveling to a neighboring district, in the same state or the same metropolitan area. And once you turn 16, you're free: for domestic trips, a photo ID is enough.

Rules from article 83 of the ECA (as amended by Law 13,812/2019), according to TJSP, TJPR, and Agência Brasil.

⚖️What else does the ECA say to protect the Pathfinder?

Beyond travel, several ECA articles apply directly to everyday life at the club. Article 232 makes it a crime to subject a child or teen under your authority to humiliation or coercion, with a penalty of 6 months to 2 years in detention. In other words: a humiliating hazing ritual, a "joke" that exposes someone to ridicule in front of the group, isn't a joke — it's a crime.

Article 243 bans selling, supplying, or giving — even for free — alcoholic beverages or addictive substances to minors, with a penalty of 2 to 4 years in detention plus a fine. And article 244-B punishes what's called corruption of minors: inducing someone under 18 to commit an offense. That's why Pathfinder events have no heavy hazing, no alcohol, and no dangerous "courage tests" — any adult who suggests something like that is breaking both the club's rules and the law.

🤝How do parents and the club work together?

Child protection isn't distrust: it's partnership. Parents can — and should — ask who the leaders are, how supervision works, ask to see the Manual Administrativo, and check whether authorizations and members' annual insurance are up to date. A well-run club answers these questions with pride, not annoyance.

If you're a parent checking out the club for the first time, we've already answered the big question in detail: is the Pathfinder Club safe? The short answer: yes, when the rules in this article are followed — and now you know exactly what they are, so you can ask for them, watch for them, and trust the club.