The Tutor's Power and Position of Trust

1. A Position of Power and Trust

As an adult working in an education setting, a tutor is in a position of trust in relation to the
children that they tutor. 

What does this mean for my role as an Acadsoc tutor? 

Broadly speaking, a relationship of trust is one in which one party, because of their work or
authority, is in a position of power or influence over another. It is therefore important that
tutors recognize the power that their position can give them over their pupils, and hence
the responsibility they must exercise as a consequence of this relationship.

The relationship between an adult tutor and a child or young person is not a relationship
between equals. In particular, there is potential for exploitation and harm of vulnerable
young people. As a tutor you therefore have a responsibility to ensure that this unequal
balance of power is not used for personal advantage or gratification.

How can I ensure that I don’t misuse this position of trust?

You can achieve this by always maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and
avoiding behavior which might be misinterpreted by others. You should report and record
any incident where you feel there is potential for such misinterpretation.

As a tutor you must also always be observant of any laws relating to online activity that are
in force in the country from which you are operating.  For example, in some countries it is a
criminal offence to cause or incite a child to engage in or watch sexual activity.

2. Propriety and Behavior in the Tutor Role

As an adult tutor, you have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare of every child that you
engage with online.  You must adopt high standards of personal conduct in order to
maintain the confidence and respect of your pupils, their parents and your professional
colleagues.  You will always act in the best interests of the child and safeguard the
reputation of Acadsoc as a trusted education provider.
As an Acadsoc tutor your obligation to behave responsibly extends beyond your direct
contact with young students and their parents.  It would be inappropriate for a tutor’s
personal life to come under scrutiny from the media or the public authorities in such a way
as to compromise their position in their workplace or indicate an unsuitability to work with
children. Misuse of drugs, alcohol or acts of violence would be examples of such behavior.

This means that as a tutor you should not:

 behave in a manner which would lead any reasonable person to question your
suitability to work with children;
 make, or encourage others to make, unprofessional personal comments which
demean or humiliate, or which might be interpreted as such.

And that as a tutor you should:

 be aware that behavior in your personal life may impact upon your work with
children;
 follow the codes of conduct as required by Acadsoc.

3. Dress and Appearance

A tutor’s dress and appearance are matters of personal choice and self-expression. However,
you should dress in ways which are appropriate to your role.  This may need to be different
to how you dress at other times.  You ought to avoid wearing clothing which could put
make you open to criticism or allegations. 

What sort of clothing might prove problematic for me as a tutor?

Where possible, you should avoid clothing that:

 is likely to be viewed as offensive, revealing, or sexually provocative;

 might distract, cause embarrassment or give rise to misunderstanding;
 presents slogans that are political or otherwise contentious;
 could be considered to be discriminatory or culturally sensitive.

4. The use of Gifts and Rewards

The giving of gifts or rewards to pupils is prohibited for Acadsoc tutors, as is receiving them
from pupils.  In cases where a parent might wish to pass a small token of appreciation to a
tutor (e.g. on special occasions or as a thank-you) this must be declared to Acadsoc and
logged. However, it is unacceptable to receive gifts on a regular basis or of any significant
value.
5. Infatuations
From time to time, a child may develop an infatuation with an adult who has regular contact
with them. In such situations, the tutor should deal with this sensitively and appropriately to
maintain the dignity and safety of all concerned.  Such infatuations carry a high risk of
words or actions being misinterpreted and as a tutor you should therefore make every effort
to ensure that your own behavior is always appropriate.

What should I do if I become aware of a developing infatuation?

If you become aware that a child is developing an infatuation, you should discuss this at the
earliest opportunity with your Acadsoc TM, so that appropriate action can be taken to avoid
any hurt, distress or embarrassment.

This means that you should:

 report and record any incidents or indications (verbal or written) that suggest a child
may have developed an infatuation with you or another Acadsoc tutor;
 always acknowledge and maintain professional boundaries.

6. Grooming
Grooming is a course of behaviour adopted by adults where the sole purpose is to gain the
trust of a child and manipulate that relationship so that sexual abuse can take place.  Given
the prominence that this behaviour is given in modern society, a tutor must be aware that
consistently conferring inappropriate special attention and favour upon a child might be
construed as being part of a 'grooming' process and as such will give rise to concerns about
their behaviour.

What should I watch out for in my attitudes, demeanor and language?

This means that you should not:

 have any form of communication with a child student which could be interpreted as
sexually suggestive or provocative i.e. verbal comments, letters, notes, electronic
mail, phone calls, texts;
 make sexual remarks to, or about, a child student;
 discuss your own sexual relationships with or in the presence of a child student;
 use language or conduct that gives rise to comment or speculation.

7. Contact with pupils outside Tutoring

As an Acadsoc tutor you must not make separate personal contact with any children who
are your pupils.  You are required to maintain Acadsoc’s reputation for integrity and
responsibility and should not enter into any social or other arrangements with children that
Acadsoc is providing tutoring to.  This restriction also applies to contact with the
parents/guardians of such students.

8. Use of Technology
Tutors must always follow Acadsoc policies where carrying out tuition in relation to use of
technology.  The following will help you keep safe:

 Always have your mobile phone on silent or turned off during tuition sessions.
 Never give your e-mail address or phone number to a pupil.
 Never engage with pupils via Social Networking websites.
 Never record an image of a child when online.
 Never post online anything disparaging about a child or parent.

9. Social Media
As a tutor your use of social media can pose risks for your professional career, as the
boundaries between your online and offline worlds can easily become blurred.  You should
familiarize yourself with the policies and procedures of Acadsoc in this regard.

Under no circumstance should a tutor engage in any contact with school students on social
media of any form. Whilst this list is not exhaustive, this includes:

 Facebook
 WhatsApp / WeChat
 Snapchat
 Instagram
 Twitter / Weibo

You should not add to your social contacts the parents/guardians of children that you tutor,
nor disclose to them contact details of your personal social media.  All digital
communications with parents should be via the Acadsoc systems established for this
purpose.

10. Reflection Exercise

The parent of a child you are tutoring requests that you share some information with them.

How should you respond to each of the requests listed below?  Think about how you would
frame your response and the reasoning for your decision.

1. Share your WeChat identity

2. Exchange pictures using a social media messaging site
3. Recommend websites useful to English learners
4. Tell us about your partner or other details of personal life
11. Reflection Exercise
Establish what the popular social networks in China are for your pupil groups. Find links and
reports on their use and note these links below.

1. ...

2. ...

3. ...