Limits to cross-gender viewing and searches.

  1. Law
  2. CFR 45
  3. Public Welfare
  4. Regulations Relating to Public Welfare
  5. Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services
  6. Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment Involving Unaccompanied Children
  7. Prevention Planning
  8. Limits to cross-gender viewing and searches.

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§ 411.14 Limits to cross-gender viewing and searches.

(a) Cross-gender pat-down searches of UCs must not be conducted except in exigent circumstances. For a UC that identifies as transgender or intersex, the ORR care provider facility must ask the UC to identify the gender of staff with whom he/she would feel most comfortable conducting the search.

(b) All pat-down searches must be conducted in the presence of one additional care provider facility staff member unless there are exigent circumstances and must be documented and reported to ORR.

(c) Strip searches and visual body cavity searches of UCs are prohibited.

(d) Care provider facilities must permit UCs to shower, perform bodily functions, and change clothing without being viewed by staff, except: In exigent circumstances; when such viewing is incidental to routine room checks; is otherwise appropriate in connection with a medical examination or monitored bowel movement; if a UC is under age 6 and needs assistance with such activities; a UC with special needs is in need of assistance with such activities; or the UC requests and requires assistance. If the UC has special needs and requires assistance with such activities, the care provider facility staff member must be of the same gender as the UC when assisting with such activities.

(e) Care provider facilities must not search or physically examine a UC for the sole purpose of determining the UC's sex. If the UC's sex is unknown, it may be determined during conversations with the UC, by reviewing medical records, or, if necessary, learning that information as part of a broader medical examination conducted in private by a medical practitioner.

(f) Care provider facilities must train youth care worker staff in proper procedures for conducting pat-down searches, including cross-gender pat-down searches and searches of transgender and intersex UCs. All pat-down searches must be conducted in a professional and respectful manner, and in the least intrusive manner possible, consistent with security needs and existing ORR policy, including consideration of youth care worker staff safety.


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