FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to learn more about SafeComm? Here are some questions we get asked often.
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- Why SafeComm
- Safety
- Organizations
- Users
- Misc
Why should we use SafeComm for messaging? My school/club/organization already has a team management app that has a messaging function included.
SafeComm is the only app 100% dedicated to solving the modern challenges of communicating with today’s youth. The SafeComm messaging ecosystem is built to ensure transparent communication between your organization, children, and their parents/guardians at all times. With SafeComm, every communication — whether a team announcement, a group chat, or a private message — requires parents/guardians receive a copy, helping to moderate actions and language used.
The result is transparency that demands organizations act with the utmost professionalism and parents take an active role in monitoring how teachers, coaches, and other community leaders interact with their child(ren). And while the app is built to protect children from the horrors of sexual assault and hate speech, it also has proven to be an invaluable tool for organizations to ensure that all employees comply with documented communication policies and procedures. No team management app is so dedicated to the important role of messaging, so no other messaging app for youth can compare.
What other youth sports/education apps link the child to their parent/guardian?
None. Linking a child to their parent/guardian may seem easy to do, but that could not be further from the truth.
In fact, to build a truly safe messaging ecosystem, SafeComm had to create patented technology that is able to:
- Automatically links parents to their child
- Eliminate loopholes to circumvent the linking feature
- Report usage to help organizations preemptively identify unauthorized activity, and
- Meet the standards of numerous youth sports and education organizations.
The result is that every announcement, every chat group, every private message can be seen by the child’s parent(s)/guardian(s). It is a standard of excellence in professional communication that most organizations are adapting to and that we at SafeComm believe everyone should demand.
Does SafeComm share or display private contact information of its users, data such as phone numbers or e-mail addresses?
No. The private contact information of SafeComm users — phone, e-mail, etc. — is never displayed or made available to other users. Users are identified in the app by their proper, verified name only (e.g. John Smith, not jsmitty420).
Using only verified names forces users to message each other with the SafeComm app and helps to promote proper, professional communication at all times. This feature:
- Limits the ability of parents to communicate with coaches and/or organization leaders at their whim (ex. off-hours communication, harassing messages, etc.)
- Prevents coaches from using contact details to communicate with children (or parents) via phone or text messaging (SMS or MMS).
Why are parents/legal guardians required to receive an invite from an organization in order to set up the user account for their family?
An invitation to use SafeComm is the first step in a multi-step authentication process needed to ensure the parent/legal guardian is aware of SafeComm being used and guarantee that they are copied on all communications between the organization/coach/teacher and their child. This by-invitation only step in the process also safeguards children from being asked to use SafeComm by themself or coerced into using other communication methods (phone, text).
What is MAAPP and why is it important?
MAAPP — the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policy — was created by the US Center for Safe Sport. SafeComm is the only communication app for youth sports that is built to be MAAPP compliant; notably all “Mandatory Components” and applicable “Recommended Components” detailed in its section dedicated to Social Media & Electronic Communications:
- Application
- Content
- Open and Transparent communications
- Requests to Discontinue
- Hours
The standards set by MAAPP and implemented by SafeComm are done in accordance with the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017.
The U.S. Olympic Committee and national governing bodies are all considered to be “covered organizations” and, as such, are required to follow MAAPP. To help prevent sexual abuse. SafeComm highly recommends that all youth sports organizations, including those not required to adhere to MAAPP (ex. cheerleading), follow the policies thoughtful guidelines.
How do I set up a SafeComm account for my organization?
Set up of a SafeComm account starts with verification of your organization, a step necessary to protect children by ensuring the SafeComm messaging platform is used only by credible youth sports, education, and community groups. To get started follow these steps:
- Go to Create an Organization
- Once the form submitted for your organization has been confirmed, you will receive a link to your new SafeComm web portal, click that link.
- Follow the steps to complete setting up organization — setting up users, uploading contacts, etc.
How do I create a SafeChat Group?
A SafeChat Groups can only be created by the organization — administrators, coaches, etc. You can create a SafeChat group using the web application or mobile app by following these steps:
- Click “Contacts”
- Select the names you want to add to your SafeChat Group
- Click the button labeled “Create SafeChat Group” (third from the left)
Learn more about SafeChat Groups (anchor link to previous Q, above)
How do I send an announcement from the app?
Announcements are one-way communications from the organization. Using the web app or mobile app organizations can send announcements to everyone, to SafeChat Groups, or to individual contacts.
To send an announcements on the web app;
To All:
- Click “Announcement To All” on the homepage; a pop-up window will appear.
- Type your message
- Click “Send Announcement”
To a SafeChat Group(s):
- Click “Groups” in the left-hand navigation
- Select the group(s) you’d like to send the announcement to
- Click the “Send Announcement” button in the upper-right corner
- Type your message
- Click “Send Announcement”
To a specific contact(s):
- Click “Contacts” in the left-hand navigation
- Select the contact(s) you’d like to send the announcement to
- Click the “Send Announcement” button in the upper-right corner
- Type your message
- Click “Send Announcement”
To send an announcement using the mobile app:
To All:
- From the home page, tap the three dots at the bottom
- Select “Announcements To All”
- Type your message
- Tap “Send Announcement”
To a SafeChat Group(s):
- Tap “Groups”
- Select the group(s) you’d like to send the announcement to
- Tap “Send Announcement”
- Type your message
- Tap“Send Announcement”
To a specific contact(s):
- Tap “Contact”
- Select the contact(s) you’d like to send the announcement to
- Tap “Send Announcement”
- Type your message
- Click “Send Announcement”
How does a Parent or Legal Guardian set up an account?
SafeComm requires all parents/legal guardians to be invited by the organization in order to create an account. Parents/Legal Guardians cannot use SafeComm until they’ve:
- Receive an invitation — this will come by both e-mail and text message. Follow the link in that invitation.
- The link will take the parent/guardian to the teams SafeComm web portal; follow the instructions to create the family’s account, invite other parents/guardians, and set up the child.
- Note: For families that have multiple children participating in the same organization, a separate invitation will be sent for each child.
- After setting up the account for your family, visit the Apple or Google app store to download SafeComm.
The invitation to use SafeComm is the first step in a multi-step authentication process needed to ensure the parent/legal guardian is aware of SafeComm being used by organization and guarantee that they are copied on all communications between the organization/coach/teacher and their child. This by-invitation only step in the process also safeguards children from being asked to use SafeComm by themself or coerced into using other communication methods (phone, text).
Who can set up SafeChat groups?
Only officials of the school or club are able to create SafeChat groups. This limitation is necessary to ensure that all communications are specific to the organization/team and its goals, preventing parents/children from creating a potentially infinite number of tangential and/or unrelated topics. Simply stated, SafeComm is a communication tool for organizations, not a social messaging/chat platform.
Can a user be including in multiple chat groups?
Yes. Chat Groups are a function to organize communications within an organization into clear categories. For example, a family might have a child using SafeComm for their hockey club; that club might have groups for age levels (8U, 10U, 12U, etc.) as well as skill level specific groups within each age level (14U-AA, 14U-A, and 14UB), that allow messaging/communications to be target to their specific audience(s).
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Bartlett, IL 60103
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