Safeguarding Policy.
When the assessment surfaces something that needs more than a report.
01 · Why we have this policy
JBYSY exists to help couples assess readiness for marriage. Honest self-reporting on questions like communication and conflict will occasionally surface circumstances where the right response is not a "module commentary" — it is connection to professional help.
This policy describes how the platform detects those circumstances, what happens next, and what we will and will not do. It is written so users, counsellors, and any concerned third party can read it in full.
02 · Scope
This policy applies to every assessment taken on the platform — individual and couple — and to every counsellor account on the platform. It does not apply to interactions between counsellors and their clients outside the platform; those are governed by the counsellor's own professional code.
03 · How a flag is raised
A specific subset of the 135 questions are designated safeguarding triggers. They cluster around disclosures of physical or emotional harm, coercive control, financial control, isolation patterns, or threats. In the assessment, triggers concentrate in three modules: Emotional Maturity, Conflict Resolution, and Intimacy & Sexuality. A flag is raised when:
- A response to a designated trigger question crosses a defined threshold; or
- A combination of responses across the questionnaire satisfies a composite rule (for example, withdrawal pattern + control pattern); or
- The combination of two assessments in a paired couple satisfies a composite rule.
The full rule set is versioned and operated by the JBYSY scoring engine. Every flag is recorded with the rule that raised it, the engine version, and an immutable timestamp.
04 · Severity tiers & SLAs
Flags are classified into three severity tiers, each with a defined response SLA.
Triage within 24 hours.
Disclosures of physical harm, credible threats, coercive control, or imminent danger. Direct contact is attempted; resources are surfaced in-report immediately; mandatory reporting criteria are checked.
Triage within 72 hours.
Persistent withdraw/escalate conflict patterns, financial-control language, family-pressure indicators. Resources and counsellor visibility surface; case logged for review.
Marginal note · 5 days.
Soft signals — for example, isolation indicators on a single module. Tracked across any subsequent assessments to detect pattern accumulation. No required action; counsellor visibility but no escalation.
05 · The safeguarding pathway
When a flag fires, the report is rendered through a separate pathway rather than the standard module pathway. This means:
- The standard module commentary is suppressed for the affected module.
- The safeguarding pathway is rendered in its place: a calm, plain-language explanation; a list of professional resources and helplines; an option to surface the report to a linked counsellor.
- Lower-severity flags from other modules appear as marginal notes at the end of the report, not as overriding pathways.
- The user's payment for the report is honoured in full; we do not withhold the report.
Internally, the case is opened in the super admin safeguarding queue with the SLA clock started.
06 · Helpline resources
The following resources are surfaced in safeguarding pathway reports. The list is reviewed quarterly.
The full list, with contact details and operating hours, is delivered inside the report itself for the user's own location.
07 · Counsellor visibility
If a user has a linked counsellor at the time a flag fires, the flag is surfaced in that counsellor's dashboard. The counsellor sees:
- The severity tier (High / Medium / Low)
- The module and the rule reference (e.g. "M04 · SR-04-M-02")
- A brief plain-language description of what the rule pattern detects
Counsellors do not see the user's raw responses, even on flagged questions. The user may revoke counsellor access at any time, including in the moment a flag is raised — in which case the counsellor's view is severed and an audit entry is written.
08 · The Four Counsellor Principles
Every verified JBYSY counsellor is trained in a four-step response to a safeguarding flag. These principles are taught in Module 4 of the Counsellor Certification Programme and form the operational standard for pastoral response on the platform.
Pause.
Do not proceed with the joint couple session until you have reviewed the flag and met individually with the flagged respondent. The joint session is not the room for first disclosure.
Engage.
In the individual session, create space for the person to share. Do not interrogate or confront. Pastoral listening precedes pastoral action — never the other way around.
Assess.
Use pastoral judgment to determine whether the situation requires professional referral, continued pastoral support, or both. JBYSY does not prescribe a mandatory referral pathway; the discernment is yours.
Protect.
Maintain confidentiality. A safeguarding flag is not to be disclosed to the other partner without careful pastoral judgment and, where necessary, appropriate consent.
The principles are not optional. A counsellor who repeatedly fails to follow them is subject to certification review under §11 below.
09 · Mandatory reporting
JBYSY complies with Nigerian law on mandatory reporting. We will report to the relevant authority where:
- The case concerns a minor and discloses abuse or imminent harm;
- The case discloses imminent risk of serious harm to an identifiable adult; or
- A valid Nigerian legal process compels disclosure.
We do not report ordinary relationship difficulty, score divergence, or non-imminent concerns. We do not share data with employers, churches, families, or any other third party absent the criteria above.
Plainly: the safeguarding pathway exists to help, not to surveil. The default action is to surface help — not to alert anyone outside JBYSY without you. The narrow exceptions above are precisely what Nigerian law requires of us.
10 · Audit & review
Every safeguarding action is recorded in the append-only audit log: who acted, when, on which case, with what outcome. The full rule set, severity classifications, and SLAs are reviewed quarterly by our Safeguarding Lead in consultation with our clinical and pastoral advisors. Material changes are versioned and disclosed on this page.
11 · Counsellor code of conduct
Verified JBYSY counsellors sign a code of conduct at activation. The relevant safeguarding clauses require counsellors to:
- Maintain confidentiality of client data and reports
- Disclose conflicts of interest at the start of any client relationship
- Refer cases beyond their competence to appropriate clinical professionals
- Report suspected breaches of this policy by themselves or another counsellor to the safeguarding lead
Counsellor breaches are investigated by our safeguarding lead. Outcomes range from a written warning to immediate de-verification and account termination. Material breaches that constitute a criminal matter are reported to law enforcement.
12 · Contact & concerns
If you are a user or third party with a concern about how a safeguarding case has been or is being handled, write to safeguarding@jbysy.com. Concerns are reviewed by the safeguarding lead within 7 days.
For unresolved complaints, you may also write to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (for data-handling matters) or the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (for matters covered by the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015).