The Detroit Area Intergroup has been grappling with how to handle youth (i.e., children and teens under legal age) who wish to attend SA meetings. We’ve been discussing this ever since one of our local meetings sent away two girls last year. Many of us agreed that although our own addictions began when we were still teenagers (and for most of us that was before the Internet), we also recognize some serious legal, ethical, and practical concerns about minors attending meetings.

After discussing this topic at length with each other and with SA members around the globe, Detroit approved the guideline shown here. We offer this tool in the spirit of encouraging conversation throughout the fellowship.

We wonder whether other groups have had children or teens attend? What would you do if they did? What if they were 14 years old? Or 17? How does Tradition One apply in this instance? What about Traditions Three, Four, or Five? Is it safe or helpful for children or teens to listen to SA meetings? What about the safety of adult SAs?

We hope you’ll continue this conversation with your own sponsors, sponsees, Intergroups, and regions. Perhaps there will be discussion on the subject at the upcoming International Convention in Denver.

A group of us are hosting a breakout session at the Nashville International Convention in January 2010 to discuss this issue further. If you’ve had experience with minors attending SA meetings, or would like to hear how other groups have handled similar situations, please watch the Nashville Convention program guide for more information.

We hope to see you there!

Guideline for Responding to Youth

Background: In 2008/9, the Detroit Area Intergroup discussed a local incident in which two teenaged girls tried to attend an SA meeting to get help with their behavior. The girls were asked to leave, and our Intergroup discussed the issue over the next several months. As the result of these discussions, we developed the following suggested guideline.

Individual SA groups may choose to follow the Intergroup’s approved guideline or not. Please consider Tradition Four: “Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or SA as a whole,” and discuss within your own meeting whether you will adhere to the guideline.

Suggested Guideline: In March 2009, the Detroit Area Intergroup decided to strongly urge all local meetings to only allow individuals who are 18 years and older to attend SA meetings.

Concerns: The attendance of teenaged boys and girls at SA meetings poses multiple concerns. Most of all, we want to protect the safety of children as well as of all current members of SA. Some SAs are legally required not to have contact with children. Some content in SA meetings could be considered abusive or harmful for children to hear. Children at SA meetings expose the fellowship to legal, ethical, and public relations problems from parents and other community members who might find out about their attendance. If a minor at a meeting describes sexual acting out with an adult, some SAs are legally required to report this behavior, thus breaking the speaker’s anonymity.

Such attendance also poses a variety of legal questions. The Intergroup investigated both Michigan and national laws about contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Various laws stipulate 16 and 17 years of age as “legal,” but we feel strongly that the most restrictive age guideline best serves our fellowship and future members.

What To Do: If you suspect a visitor to your meeting may be under 18 . . . ask! It’s better to ask the age of 100 25-year-olds than to allow one 17-year-old to stay for a meeting because of fear of giving offense or making a mistake. We suggest that two members of the meeting take the young person outside of the room and say:

• This is not a safe or appropriate place for you to get help.
• We’re glad you’re seeking help. We hope you’ll come back when you are of legal age.
• Please accept this resource guide of some other organizations that might be helpful.

[Note: The Detroit Intergroup has not yet developed the final resource guide. Example resources might include national suicide hotlines, runaway hotlines, domestic violence shelters, sexual assault shelters, or your local Child Protective services.]