Both you and the people you invite need to know the expectations for the safety circle. This is why the invitation needs to be explicit - they need to know that as part of a safety circle, they have responsibilities!
People in your kid’s safety circle need to:
⭐ Know and follow their Body Safety Rules
⭐ Ensure other adults and children follow their Body Safety Rules
⭐ Learn signs of child grooming and abuse, and *act* if they see anything
suspicious
⭐ Believe and *act* if your kid tells them someone has broken a Body Safety Rule
What does it mean to *act*?
It depends.
If they see something minor, like a misunderstanding of your kid’s Body Safety Rules, they should help your kid hold their boundaries. If the issue recurs or it’s an adult breaking the rules, they should let you know.
If they see something concerning, like signs of grooming or abuse, they should let you know and follow up with you. If your response doesn’t satisfy them, they should follow their gut, and if they think it makes sense, report to authorities.
And of course, if your kid reports assault to them or they witness assault, they should tell authorities immediately.
NOTE: you are telling the people in your safety circle that they can take action *despite* you if they don’t think you’re taking whatever they’re concerned about seriously enough. Like it or not, we all have blind spots. Giving people explicit permission to report if they see something can help them get over any hesitancy they may have felt.