Field guide
Blameless after-action review
A short, kind meeting that turns what happened into a better plan without blaming the child or anyone else.
6 Phase 6 of 6 · Learn
Four questions
- What did we expect to happen?
- What actually happened?
- Why was there a difference?
- What will we change?
Ground rules
Do
- Focus on the process, not the person.
- Let the child choose whether to attend and what to share.
- Write down fixes, not faults.
Don’t
- Don’t assign blame.
- Don’t pull out private details that aren’t needed.
- Don’t turn it into a lecture.
30-minute agenda
| Minutes | Topic |
|---|---|
| 0–5 | Thank everyone; state the ground rules |
| 5–15 | Walk through the four questions |
| 15–25 | Pick the top three fixes |
| 25–30 | Assign owners and dates; update the plan |
Template
| Finding | Why | Fix | Owner | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Protect dignity
Keep the child’s name and details out of anything shared beyond those who need them. The goal is to make telling easier next time.
Awareness Is Prevention is a prevention and education nonprofit, not a crisis line, law firm or law enforcement agency. This is general guidance, not legal or medical advice. In an emergency call 911.
Related
Safety is built before the crisis
Pick your part and see it through. Prevention works when people follow through.