Who wrote the Code of Ethics?

The short answer is, youth workers did.

The Code of Ethics is intended to be a living document, and is reviewed every two years to ensure it maintains its relevance.

Discussions about the need for a national youth work code of ethics started as early as 1995 among youth worker networks, and between youth workers and government in 2002.

But it wasn’t until 2007 that the National Youth Workers Network Aotearoa initiated consultation with youth workers around the country with their ‘Let’s Not Be Uncode’ roadshow.

From there, a Code of Ethics working group was set up, made up of people who represented the diversity of youth work in Aotearoa New Zealand.

At the same time a Māori representative group, Te Rōpū, was set up under the National Youth Workers Network Aotearoa, and together with the working group they developed the first edition of Code of Ethics.

The first edition was launched at the 2008 Involve youth development conference, and following feedback and consultation, the second edition was released in February 2011.

We encourage all youth workers and people working with young people to use the biennial submission process to give their thoughts on the code.