This comprehensive guide includes:

Basic code of conduct theory

How to prepare to enforce a code of conduct

Step-by-step instructions on how to respond to a report

In-depth discussion of relevant topics

Dozens of real-world examples of responding to reports

Valerie Aurora and Mary Gardiner were the lead authors of the Ada Initiative anti­-harassment policy, which is the basis of thousands of codes of conduct in use today. Valerie has more than 8 years of professional experience writing and implementing codes of conduct for software-related companies, venture capital firms, and non-profits. For more information on code of conduct training and consulting, click here.

“As part of co-chairing an international conference which did not have a code of conduct in its earlier editions, I have to write a principled and precise code of conduct as well as respond to reports. This book was an invaluable help, as I had no previous training in this area. This book is an important contribution to making academia a safer and more welcoming place. I recommended it to many of my colleagues.” —Vincent Lostanlen, postdoctoral fellow at Cornell Lab of Ornithology

“I highly recommend Val Aurora’s new book on code of conduct enforcement. Until reading it I had no idea how unprepared I’d been to deal with a code of conduct violation at the Tech Intersections conference. It was also interesting to read.” —Ellen Spertus, computer science professor at Mills College

“Valerie helped us write and adopt a code of conduct that could be a model for our industry as well as a guide for our firm. She is deeply experienced and gave nuanced, direct advice and we look forward to using her book to train our staff.” —Samantha Wong, partner at Blackbird Ventures

“Val was a trusted adviser to us as we planned and practiced responses to Code of Conduct incidents that might arise at conferences or in our open source communities. Her advice was practical and paired with a diverse set of potential scenarios to build confidence, and with it we felt prepared to act in a responsible and orderly way.” —Brandon Philips, co-founder and CTO of CoreOS

“Valerie advised us when creating the code of conduct in Wikimedia’s technical spaces. Her input was invaluable in navigating the challenge of creating a code of conduct that was co-created by our community. Her advice was practical, flexible, and informative, and empowered us to produce a code that represents our communities’ values, has a framework for updates and improvements, and continues to improve the experience of our technical contributors all over the world.” —Moriel Schottlender, Senior Software Engineer, Wikimedia Foundation