 Introduction. This document was made available to all Foundation personnel in the International SCP Foundation Network on December 4, 2024 by the Ethics Subcommittee for Sentient and Sapient Anomalies. It is intended to provide a comprehensive review of what modern standards for the ethical treatment of human anomalies involve, as well as offer the Ethics Committee's insight into the topic. This document is based upon existing policy and Ethics Committee consensus. It is intended as a strongly encouraged set of guidelines updated for the modern age, though it cites some definitive regulation as well. 1. Detaining Human Anomalies. Historically, even in cases where immediate cooperation was shown, containment and retrieval teams had a zero-tolerance policy on allowing human anomalies to be unrestrained, or in some cases even conscious during the period of transport from the pickup location to the containment site. As the period can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on location, it was clear from the beginning that the method was far from ideal. However, the risk posed by a potential escape was seen as a direct threat to maintaining the veil of normalcy, and thus nothing changed until the air of public operation was entered. In the present day, human anomalies must be approached differently. Foundation personnel are more numerous and more frequently present in public areas contributing to overall security. The Ethics Committee suggests the following as a flexible base on which individual containment and retrieval teams can frame their methods. No matter what, one of these approaches is always possible. Conversation should always be attempted before physical force is used. It is possible for an anomaly to fully agree to their detainment even in cases where cooperation was not expected based on preliminary profiling, and this has occurred before. If legally applicable, a human anomaly should first be approached in a public area. Bipersonnel wearing plain clothes was not to distract passersby who should provide proof of Foundation identification and explain the legal reasons that the anomaly had to be contacted about their effects. If it is not possible to converse, it is possible to explain. Only if an anomaly is physically violent or extremely disruptive is physical restraint appropriate. The moment an anomaly is drawing excessive attention to themselves or the situation, they should be removed from the area for the safety of the public, personnel, and themselves. However, once privately in transport, personnel should still attempt to explain the legality of the situation and the necessity of containment to the anomaly, as well as listen to their concerns. It is important to note that many anomalies supposedly affiliated with groups hostile to the Foundation are not in such a position willingly. They may be bound to a contract they have no legal right to opt out of, or subservient to a group's demands while showing reckless disregard for their own personal safety or health, or simply feel that affiliation with a group experienced in handling the anomalous is a safer option than living on their own with their effects. Thus, these anomalies should be approached the same as an unaffiliated anomaly. An anomaly's initial containment date is the most influential point in the Foundation's interaction with them, as it is their first perception of the Foundation's motives and operating methods and will affect their opinion of all personnel handling them for years to come. If initial containment takes longer with these methods than brute force, this is an acceptable price to pay. The above assumes, however, that the anomaly in question is a legal adult, in cases where the anomaly is a minor, Foundation policy and non-Foundation law becomes complex. In most cases, child anomalies with effects considered excessively disruptive and or causing immediate or late and harmed other persons or property within the context of applicable local law may be detained with or without parental consent for no more than three weeks. Following this results vary depending on the relevant state or country law, and can either yield state-ordered continued containment or state-ordered release to state-owned containment facilities, among other options. In cases where parental consent is given, anomalous children may be contained as indefinitely as adult anomalies can be, and may be visited by parents and guardians frequently, as is determined by reasonable and safe assigned psychologist and containment specialists. Provided at least two psychologists deem it necessary for a child's health and containment personnel deem it safe for all involved, the parents and guardians may reside on site in an adjacent room for up to two weeks per month. 2. Treatment and Documentation. The Ethics Committee encourages personnel to refer to a given human anomaly by their preferred first name and pronouns rather than by their SCP designation and IT or ITS pronouns when in their presence. Doing this is no notable effect on formal documentation and is psychologically beneficial for the anomaly. In the past, the vast majority of human anomalies were non-compliant and or hostile, particularly due to the lack of public knowledge of the Foundation's existence and the negative view of the Foundation and the majority of informed groups held. This consistent behavior pattern allowed for lax regulations which permitted individual research teams to determine what privilege a human anomaly should or should not have. This approach was not conducive to cooperation. Rumors spread of teenagers who weren't allowed books or entertainment because of a bad attitude, and elderly humans whose requests for luxurious amenities such as a softer mattress or a desk chair were denied for being unnecessary, which created a stifling environment detrimental to anomalies' health. In response to this, and perhaps years too late, an organization-wide standard for privileges was developed and instated by the Ethics Committee in use since March 2023. 1. Contained. Uniform ID Stripe Color. Red. Qualifying parameters. The anomaly either has been in containment since before the Foundation became public or actively attempted to conceal their possession of anomalous effects while originally under investigation, and in either case continues to be uncooperative or actively hostile. Requirements and permissions. These anomalies may not leave their chamber unless for research purposes, and is not permitted to wear plain clothes or possess items not directly approved in signature by their containment specialists or specialists due to the security threat they pose. 2. Uniform ID Stripe Color. Orange. Qualifying parameters. Regardless of history, the anomaly is unpredictable, meaning reasonable requests are frequently denied and behavioral outbursts are possible, but some compliance is shown. Requirements and permissions. The anomaly may not leave their chamber unless for research purposes, and is not permitted to wear plain clothes or possess items not directly approved in signature by their containment specialists or specialists due to the security threat posed. 3. Compliant. Uniform ID Stripe Color. Yellow. Regardless of history, the anomaly is consistently, or over three months non-hostile towards Foundation personnel, does not deny reasonable requests and shows comprehension of why their containment is necessary and or how their anomalous effects function and or how to control them if applicable. Requirements and permissions. Unless, in direct exception cases, due to effects, the anomaly may leave their chamber with the supervision of two or more qualified C-class personnel and is required to wear plain clothes with identification card displayed, and own items given to them by personnel or civilians provided externally sourced items were screened and no items compromised security or pose a threat to the anomaly or personnel. 4. Limited Civilian. Uniform or ID Stripe Color. Green. Qualifying parameters. The anomaly has either been recently contained or otherwise still legally retains their civilian identity. Additionally, the anomaly is consistently, or over three months non-hostile towards Foundation personnel, does not deny reasonable requests and shows comprehension of why their containment is necessary and or how their anomalous effects function and or how to control them if applicable. Requirements and permissions. Unless, in direct exception cases, due to effects, the anomaly may visit public areas with the supervision of two or more qualified C-class personnel and is permitted to wear plain clothes with identification card displayed and own items given to them by personnel or civilians provided externally sourced items were screened and no items compromised security or pose a threat to the anomaly or personnel. 5. Civilian. Uniform or ID Stripe Color. Blue. Qualifying parameters. The anomaly was originally non-anomalous and developed effects not severe enough in their impact on the surrounding world to necessitate or in some countries make legal on-site containment. Requirements and permissions. The anomaly resides off-site is monitored by the appropriate personnel and will contact personnel if effects worsen and can ask personnel to detain them if safety concerns arise. While the system above does not make outlier cases impossible, data from psychiatric researchers reports has indicated an overall improvement in the mental health status of contained humans since the system's inception. 3. On unhealthy compliance. While compliance as a general trait is typically desirable in contained anomalies, there are circumstances under which expressing it can signify serious psychological issues. The committee finds it necessary to call attention to this topic not just when briefing foundation psychologists but in communication with all foundation staff at all levels via this document. In July 2022, following investigation into the root causes of an egregious personal misconduct case, the ethics committee defined DSF syndrome, Dependency, Subservience and Failure syndrome, sometimes referred to as DSF Stockholm syndrome, as a mentality under which a human anomaly in Foundation Cassidy first acknowledges that they are dependent on the foundation due to their anomalous traits but then develops the acknowledgement into feelings of obligation to comply with even unreasonable demands from personnel, culminating with a conclusion that they are not worth the foundation's resources and or that they owe personnel something in exchange for foundation resources. While DSF syndrome may appear identical to Stockholm syndrome, it is definitive in genuine cases. It is not considered possible outside of settings such as Foundation Cassidy, wherein a person's anomalous effects not only prevent swift reintegration into society but also induce them into an awareness the foundation has more control over them than they do and needs to have that control in order to ensure their safety. Anomalies with DSF syndrome meet some or all of the following parameters. The anomaly was non-compliant when initially contained and only became amicable towards Foundation personnel after recognizing the stabilizing results of containment. The anomaly does not want to possess anomalous effects, has no interest in the possibility of controlling their effects or otherwise considers their anomalous nature to be undesirable. The anomaly has effects which are not containable through the sole use of technology and require regular interaction with personnel and the anomaly has effects which require frequent physically or emotionally invasive procedures to be carried out by personnel. All cases of DSF syndrome on record affected anomalies which were or would have been considered to have the system been in place class 1 through 3. Anomalies with ongoing or recent access to their civilian lifestyles appear to be minimally at risk. Science in an anomaly has developed a DSF syndrome can include but are not limited to the following. Expressing friendliness towards personnel that could be described as abnormally affectionate or clingy behavior. A fixation on the notion of removing their anomalous effects prioritized over their mental and physical health. Expressing that they view the foundation as more important than they are. Treating personnel as equal representatives of the foundation as a whole rather than a specialist or individuals and speaking to personnel with language that clearly conveys this generalization. Making inappropriate advances toward or offers for personnel especially of an intimate nature and especially if actions are offered in exchange for treatment that would take place regardless such as receiving food. Early onset can be influenced or exacerbated by unrelated mental illness if applicable but experiencing periods of reversed attitude towards the foundation meaning random short episodes of expressing hatred and non-compliance before reverting to the opposite viewpoint again. It is important to note that some signs of DSF syndrome can be benign when isolated but clusters of behavior fitting these patterns warrant psychiatric investigation and or ethics committee involvement. The committee's primary concern is that DCF syndrome opens opportunities for abuse to take place. An anomaly with DSF syndrome will typically comply with any orders given and the foundation is not and never has been immune to corruption. Foundation employment offers multiple positions which allow total control over a group of people or a person and as the civilian world has shown us with cases from law enforcement and similar some people who wish to exercise their will on others for their own gain will seek out positions of power for this purpose. Now that foundation employment is open to the public the ethics committee wishes to emphasize that greater care than ever must be taken in assigning thoroughly vetted personnel to positions which involve direct influence or access to anomalies. Ultimately the committee urges all personnel to consider how both environment and culture influence frame of reference and thus how lacking respect for the basic rights of human anomalies from a supposedly clinical standpoint can be a dangerous contributing factor in settings where DSF syndrome can develop and or corruption can be circumstantially invited. Overview. The foundation's obligation to human anomalies is first and foremost to protect them whether this is from themselves groups of interests or the civilian world. The foundation's characteristic coldness is generally not appropriate for human anomalies. We are in many cases the only force on the planet capable of providing for an anomalous human and no anomalous human should be made to feel like they are nothing more than a scientific curiosity. Containment and protection are interconnected concepts prioritizing protection does not mean neglecting containment but rather means approaching containment differently than we do for inanimate and non sapient anomalies only by recognizing our shared humanity can the foundation successfully fulfill its obligations to anomalous humans. Humanity defined what is or is not anomalous and while any sapient anomaly is capable of comprehending its own existence only an anomalous human has to live their life with the knowledge that their own species deems them as not fully a part of it published by the Ethics Subcommittee for sentient and sapient anomalies December 2024 internal unavailable for public viewing and discussion direct inquiries to Chairman Elaine Stark or Dr. John Blanchard.