In the context of a clinical setting, a chaperone is a person (often a type of medical professional rather than the patient’s friend or family member) who serves as a witness to an encounter for both the health care provider and patient. Particularly used when the examiner is the opposite gender or during intimate encounters, such as examination of genitalia, the perianal area, or breasts. The chaperone serves as a safeguard for ensuring that professional boundaries are maintained during an encounter and can attest to such if necessary.
The contents of this glossary is funded in part through a sub-award from RTI as the lead partner for the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence through a Cooperative Agreement from the National Institute of Justice (2011-DN-BX-K564 and 2016-MU-BK-K110), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies and any services or tools provided).