Project VIC International Code of Conduct

Published 10/21/2025.
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Our Pledge
This  Code of Conduct documents the standards of conduct by which we hold our board members, employees, steering committee members, volunteers, and licenscees (collectively "our stakeholders") accountable.

In the interest of fostering an open and welcoming environment, the leaders of the Project VIC International community pledge to make participation in our projects and community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, employment, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

‍Victims First: Our work impacts the safety and welfare of children. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and respect in all our interactions. Here are examples of what we expect of our stakeholders:

- All Project VIC stakeholders must uphold a victim- and survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive standard of conduct—treating every person with dignity and respect; prioritizing safety, privacy, and informed choice; and rigorously avoiding actions that could re-traumatize victims or survivors.

- Always Strive to Use the Appropriate Terminology: Do your best to follow the Second Edition of the Terminology Guidelines for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

- Professional Communication: Using welcoming and inclusive language in all interactions.

- Respectful Collaboration: Being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences.

- Constructive Feedback: Providing and gracefully accepting constructive criticism.

- Community Focus: Focusing on what is best for our mission so that we help make the world a safer place for children everywhere.

- Empathy and Understanding: Showing empathy towards other community members.

- Mission Alignment: Keeping our shared mission of protecting children at the center of all decisions.

- Confidentiality: Respecting the sensitive nature of our work and maintaining appropriate confidentiality. Follow a strict Need to Know with respect to the knowledge of any law enforcement investigation or operations, or corporate investigations, that we may be privy to - do not share this knowledge with other stakeholders unless they have a clear Need to Know.

- Maintain Professional Boundaries: Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, especially when working with law enforcement, their equities, and any sensitive data we may be privy to.

- Privacy: Follow our Privacy Policy to protect all stakeholders' privacy.


Unacceptable Behaviors
Examples of unacceptable behavior by any Project VIC International stakeholder includes:

- Harassment: The use of sexualized language or imagery and unwelcome sexual attention or advances

- Discrimination: Trolling, insulting/derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks

- Privacy Violations: Publishing others' private information, such as a physical or electronic address, without explicit permission

- Inappropriate Conduct: Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting

- Mission Compromise: Any behavior that could compromise the safety, security, or effectiveness of our child protection mission

- Confidentiality Breaches: Sharing sensitive information about investigations, victims, or proprietary technology without authorization

- Impersonation: Misrepresenting affiliation with law enforcement agencies or other organizations
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Enforcement Responsibilities
Project VIC International's Executive Director is responsible for clarifying the standards of acceptable behavior, if necessary, and takes appropriate and fair corrective action in response to any instances of unacceptable behavior. Community leaders have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject comments, commits, code, wiki edits, issues, and other contributions that are not aligned to this Code of Conduct, or to ban temporarily or permanently any contributor for other behaviors that they deem inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful.
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Scope
This Code of Conduct applies within all Project VIC International physical and virtual workspaces, including: GitHub repositories and discussions, Issue trackers and pull requests, Community forums and chat channels, Email communications, Events and conferences. Any other forums created by Project VIC International for community interaction.

This Code of Conduct also applies when an individual is officially representing Project VIC International in public or private spaces. Examples of representing our community include using an official e-mail address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event.

ReportingIf you experience or witness unacceptable behavior—or have any other concerns—please report it by contacting us at:
‍support@projectvic.zendesk.com

‍All reports will be handled with discretion and confidentiality. We are committed to protecting the identity of the reporter and will not retaliate against anyone who reports violations in good faith.
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What to Include in Your Report
When reporting, please include:Your contact informationNames (usernames, real names) of any individuals involved. When and where the incident occurred. A detailed account of what happened. Any additional context or supporting materials.
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Enforcement
All Project VIC International leaders are obligated to respect the privacy and security of the reporter of any incident.
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Enforcement Guidelines
Project VIC International leaders will follow these Community Impact Guidelines in determining the consequences for any action they deem in violation of this Code of Conduct:

1. Correction
Community Impact: Use of inappropriate language or other behavior deemed unprofessional or unwelcome in the community.
Consequence: A private, written warning from community leaders, providing clarity around the nature of the violation and an explanation of why the behavior was inappropriate. A public apology may be requested.

2. Warning
Community Impact: A violation through a single incident or series of actions.
‍Consequence: A warning with consequences for continued behavior. No interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with those enforcing the Code of Conduct, for a specified period of time. This includes avoiding interactions in community spaces as well as external channels like social media. Violating these terms may lead to a temporary or permanent ban.

3. Temporary Ban
Community Impact: A serious violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior.
Consequence: A temporary ban from any sort of interaction or public communication with the community for a specified period of time. No public or private interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with those enforcing the Code of Conduct, is allowed during this period. Violating these terms may lead to a permanent ban.

4. Permanent Ban
Community Impact: Demonstrating a pattern of violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior, harassment of an individual, or aggression toward or disparagement of classes of individuals.
Consequence: A permanent ban from any sort of interaction with Project VIC International, including possible revocation of all Project VIC International software licenses to the banned person's affiliated organization.
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Attribution
This Code of Conduct is adapted from the CASE Community, version 2.0, available at https://caseontology.org/resources/coc.html.
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Contact Information
For questions about this Code of Conduct, please contact: support@projectvic.zendesk.org
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Remember: Our work saves children. We hold ourselves to the highest standards because the stakes are that high.


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