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Tales&Legends' Youth Protection Concept

Version of 25 August 2026 — responsible: the management of Tales&Legends gUG. This concept is based on the German amateur-theatre umbrella associations' safeguarding framework (Dachverbandliches Schutzkonzept im Amateurtheater, LABW/BDAT, 05/2026) and was adapted for the specific context of Tales&Legends youth events. It applies from August 2026 and is reviewed at least once a year.

This is a translation. The concept was adopted in German, and the German version is the binding one — it cites German child-protection statutes whose terms have no exact English equivalent. Those references (§ 8a SGB VIII, § 72a SGB VIII, JuSchG, erweitertes Führungszeugnis, Jugendamt) are kept in German here for that reason, with a short explanation where they first appear.

The essentials

  • Everyone who works with young people at our events presents an extended background check (erweitertes Führungszeugnis, § 72a SGB VIII) and signs our self-commitment declaration.
  • Staffing ratio: at most 1:8, and 1:6 for overnight events and under-14s.
  • Every event has a named youth-safeguarding officer (Jugendschutzbeauftragte Person), recognisable and approachable.
  • In-game safety tools: X-Card, brake system, Lines & Veils, and a debrief after every event.
  • Under 16 only with written parental consent; digital communication with minors only through official group channels.
  • We take reports seriously: nils@talesandlegends.org, or externally the responsible Jugendamt (youth welfare office) or the German helpline Nummer gegen Kummer (0800 111 0 333, free of charge).

I. Introduction and self-conception

Tales&Legends gUG is a non-profit company that runs youth events in pen-and-paper role-playing, LARP (live-action role-playing), tabletop games and related creative formats. These events create space for creative expression, social learning and shared experience — and they bring children, young people and adults into intense situations together.

That same intensity carries particular responsibility alongside its opportunities. Tales&Legends gUG takes that responsibility seriously: we want every participant — young people above all — to experience our events as safe, respectful and enriching places.

This safeguarding concept describes how we live up to that responsibility. It sets out the principles, structures, rules of conduct and procedures intended to prevent boundary violations, to recognise them early, and — where necessary — to respond appropriately.

Scope

This concept applies to all Tales&Legends youth events, workshops and activities involving minors (under 18). It is binding for all paid and volunteer staff as well as for all external game masters and freelancers.

II. Guiding principles and values

Safety and dignity

Everyone taking part in our events has a right to physical and psychological integrity. We create spaces in which boundaries are respected — in play as well. A fictional setting releases no one from the duty to respect other people's real boundaries.

Respect and appreciation

All participants are treated as equals regardless of age, gender, background, level of experience or physical ability. Hierarchies — between game masters and participants, for instance — are shaped deliberately and responsibly.

Transparency and participation

Rules and procedures are communicated openly. Young people are involved in shaping events. Feedback and complaints are taken seriously.

Acting responsibly

All staff know their responsibility and act in the interest of child protection. In case of doubt, the wellbeing of children and young people outweighs other interests.

III. Foundations and terminology

Forms of boundary violation and violence

  • Boundary-crossing behaviour: behaviour that oversteps another person's personal boundaries, without the person acting necessarily being aware of it.
  • Transgressive behaviour: boundaries are crossed deliberately, often by exploiting imbalances of power.
  • Psychological violence: humiliation, emotional manipulation, bullying — including under the cover of in-game action.
  • Physical violence: bodily harm or unwanted physical contact.
  • Sexualised violence: violation of sexual self-determination, including verbal assault, unwanted touching, or sexual content in scenes without consent.

What is specific to role-playing

Creative formats such as LARP and pen-and-paper carry particular risks because of their fictional frame: the line between character and person can blur, boundary violations can be disguised as "part of the game", and intense scenes can trigger people.

Principle: the game ends when a real person is harmed. No fictional context justifies a real boundary violation. Safety signals (such as "stop" or "brake") are always binding and are respected immediately.

IV. Legal basis

  • § 8a SGB VIII (duty of protection where a child's welfare is at risk): where there are indications that a child's welfare is endangered, the Jugendamt must be involved.
  • § 72a SGB VIII (extended background check): people in regular contact with minors must present an erweitertes Führungszeugnis.
  • Jugendschutzgesetz (JuSchG), the German youth protection act: governs event times, permissible content and duties of supervision.
  • GDPR / BDSG: personal data is processed in compliance with data protection law; photos and video require explicit consent (for minors, from those with parental responsibility).

Tales&Legends gUG is obliged to conclude an agreement with the responsible Jugendamt under § 72a SGB VIII governing the presentation of extended background checks for all relevant staff and volunteers.

V. Risk and resource analysis

Specific risk situations

  • Scenes with emotional or physical intensity
  • Multi-day events with overnight stays
  • One-to-one supervision and one-to-one conversations
  • Digital communication beforehand (Discord, WhatsApp)
  • Mixed-age groups
  • The shifting of boundaries specific to role-play

Protective factors already in place

  • Established safety tools (X-Card, brake system)
  • An experienced team with pedagogical sensitivity
  • Small, manageable group sizes
  • An open culture of communication

VI. Prevention and protective measures

Structural measures

  • A youth-safeguarding officer is named for every event.
  • At youth events at least two adult staff are present; for overnight stays, a balanced ratio of female and male points of contact.
  • Recommended staffing ratio: at most 1:8 (under 14: 1:6).

Extended background check

All staff and volunteers working regularly and directly with minors must present an erweitertes Führungszeugnis under § 72a SGB VIII before taking up their duties — no more than 3 months old, renewed every 5 years. The certificate itself is not retained (data protection); only the date of inspection and the person responsible are recorded.

In-game safety tools

  • X-Card: stop a scene at any time and without giving a reason — respected immediately and without comment.
  • Brake system: "brake" changes the intensity or direction of a scene, "full stop" ends it altogether.
  • Lines & Veils: topics agreed bindingly before every event that must not appear at all (lines) or only be alluded to (veils).
  • Debrief: after intense scenes, separating character from person (de-roling).

Informing parents

Before registration, those with parental responsibility receive full information about the programme, the staff present, the safeguarding concept and the safety tools. For minors under 16, written parental consent is mandatory.

VII. Points of contact and complaint channels

A youth-safeguarding officer (Jugendschutzbeauftragte Person, JSB) is named for every youth event and introduced by name to all participants — and, for multi-day events, to those with parental responsibility as well. They are the first point of contact for questions, uncertainties and complaints, receive reports of boundary violations and coordinate what happens next.

Complaints can be made in person, in writing, anonymously or through a third party. They are treated confidentially; nobody is disadvantaged for making one.

External advice services (current contacts in Appendix E) include the responsible Jugendamt, child protection counselling centres, the helpline Nummer gegen Kummer (0800 111 0 333, free of charge) and, in an emergency, the police (110) and emergency services (112).

VIII. Procedures in the event of an incident

The following applies to every incident: stay calm, take the person affected seriously, draw no hasty conclusions, do not confront the person reported without consultation, do not intervene alone — act as a team, and involve external specialists where in doubt.

Suspicion of sexualised violence or of a child's welfare being at risk

Stabilise the person affected, do not decide alone (consult the safeguarding officer and the management), involve an experienced child-protection specialist under § 8a SGB VIII, document everything, inform those with parental responsibility (unless doing so would endanger the child), and notify the Jugendamt where the suspicion is concrete. In acute danger, call 110 or 112 immediately.

IX. Digital safeguarding and use of media

Communication with minors goes through official group channels, not private one-to-one chats. Staff use official accounts only. Photos and video require prior written consent — for minors, from those with parental responsibility — and may only be published after asking again; participants can request deletion at any time.

X. Quality assurance and further development

The concept is reviewed at least once a year by the management together with the staff and updated where needed. All staff receive regular training on child protection and prevention; new staff are briefed before their first assignment. Feedback from participants and from those with parental responsibility feeds actively into its further development.

For other clubs and organisers

This concept may be copied. We wrote it for our own events, but most of its building blocks — the self-commitment declaration, the code of conduct, the reporting channel, the parent information — fit any LARP club, any organiser and any youth group that needs a safeguarding concept. Take the appendices as templates, adapt the names and responsibilities, and have your own team adopt them. If you have questions, or want to tell us what you changed: write to us. We are glad to learn.

This concept is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0): you may share and adapt it, including commercially, as long as you credit Tales&Legends.

—. Internal point of contact

Management: Nils — nils@talesandlegends.org. The event-specific youth-safeguarding officer is named before each event.