Cadet Protection & Safety

Civil Air Patrol's Cadet Protection Program (CPP) provides the following support elements for CAP squadrons and cadet activities: 

• Best practices in establishing a safe and healthy learning environment

• Reporting of suspicious behavior and/or suspected abuse

• Training for Adult Leaders through mandatory CPP educational programs

• Partnerships with parents and family members

Safe and Healthy Learning

CAP has established protocols to ensure that cadets can learn in a protected environment which provides for the most opportunity to practice leadership principles while in a supervised, well-planned, and risk-mitigated training setting. 

Two-Deep Leadership:  All cadet activities must have a minimum of two (2) Adult Leaders providing supervision and direction. 

Rule of Three:  Whenever Adult Leaders work with cadets, at least three (3) individuals must be present: either two cadets and one Adult Leader, or two Adult leaders and one cadet. 

Field Rule of Four:  Activities conducted in a field setting (i.e., backcountry) require a minimum group of at least four (4) persons. 

Click here to learn more about Adult Leaders in Civil Air Patrol.

Weather Impacting Cadet Activities:  CAP provides instructions for Extreme Hot & Cold Weather which may impact cadet activities (e.g., required rest breaks; hydration; cold weather gear). The squadron has also established a policy on Hazardous Weather which may impact activities (i.e., event cancellation; travel concerns). 

Abuse Prevention & Reporting

CAP takes strong effort to prevent: 

• Abuse:  Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker (e.g. CAP Adult Leader) that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or alternatively, an act or failure to act that presents an imminent risk of serious harm

• Cadet-on-Cadet Bullying:  Instances in which cadets mistreat one another by causing unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance

• Hazing:  Any conduct whereby someone causes another person to suffer or to be exposed to any activity that is cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive, demeaning, or harmful

• Boundary Concerns:  Situations in which individuals violate CAP's Cadet Protection Program where cadets may be inappropriately mentored or groomed for later abuse

Suspected abuse or boundary concerns should be reported through the chain of command in accordance with CAP Regulation 60-2, Cadet Protection Program. 

Training for Adult Leaders

All CAP members over the age of 18 years (including cadets) are required to undergo Cadet Protection Program training before being permitted to work with/around cadets without supervision by an already-trained Adult Leader. 

Click here to learn more about training for Adult Leaders in Civil Air Patrol.

Partnering with Parents

It is important for parents to be aware of their cadet's participation in CAP, both in their individual development and progression as a leader-in-learning and by understanding what their cadets are involved in (i.e., activity schedules). 

Calendar of Events:  CAP requires units to maintain a web-based calendar which parents may access to see upcoming activities which their cadets may have the opportunity to participate in. 

Permission Slips & Other Forms:  Weekly meetings are the "norm" of cadet activities; however, there are a number of activity opportunities beyond the weekly meeting which cadets can become involved in. These activities typically require a parental permission form. Some activities may require additional information, such as special parental consent at higher-risk activities or the submission of health information. Parents should become familiar with CAP's most common cadet forms/paperwork to assist their cadets in quickly signing up for activities as they become available and also to help support activity staffs in collecting required paperwork before cadets may participate. 

Click here to learn more about common cadet forms and paperwork.