Steinmühle – a safe place

The Steinmühle offers protection and takes responsibility

It is both a safe space and a space for growth.

As a boarding school, Steinmühle is a place of learning and living for young people who spend a significant part of their daily lives here. This entails a special responsibility that shapes the actions of the entire institution.

The Steinmühle sees itself as a safe and experimental space: an environment where security and trust form the foundation for trying new things, exploring boundaries, and developing one’s personality. Reliable structures, clear guidelines, and a culture of attentiveness create the conditions for this.

Protection and care are not merely a supplementary aspect of our work, but rather part of Steinmühle’s institutional DNA.

Children’s Rights and Responsibility

Our protection and prevention strategies are guided by children’s rights and the social challenges young people face as they grow up today. They are continuously reviewed and refined and are subject to oversight by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs and the Ministry of Social Affairs of the State of Hesse.

The focus is on the best interests of the child. Protection against violence in all its forms—especially sexual violence—is a top priority.

At the same time, the concept of protection at the Steinmühle is understood more broadly: as a responsibility to create conditions that enable healthy development and strengthen resilience.

Current Challenges

The challenges facing young people are diverse and constantly changing. They range from traditional risk factors, such as addictive substances, to new forms of dependency, overwhelming demands, and digitally shaped environments.

Protection strategies take these developments into account and aim to strengthen awareness, orientation, and responsible decision-making in everyday life. The central question is always: What conditions promote health, stability, and personal development?

Support and Confidence in Taking Action

Protection means more than just prevention. Steinmühle creates structures that enable early support, ensure intervention in critical situations, and provide spaces for stabilization and healing after traumatic experiences.

A multidisciplinary support system comprising school educators, social educators, school social workers, and psychologists supports young people in their daily school and boarding school life. This network is complemented by areas of responsibility for key protection and prevention issues.

Participation and Cooperation

Safety plans are not only embedded in the organizational structure, but are also collectively upheld and further developed in everyday life. Participation is an essential part of this process.

There are clearly defined areas of responsibility for key topics—such as prevention, youth media protection, and other areas of protection. At the same time, Steinmühle works closely with external specialized agencies and institutions, both in the area of prevention and in counseling and intervention.

Quality and Continuous Improvement

All of these measures are part of Steinmühle’s institutional quality management system. Safety and prevention measures are regularly reviewed, refined, and audited as part of both internal and external procedures.

Children’s Rights and Responsibility

The focus is on the best interests of the child. Protection against violence in all its forms—especially sexual violence—is a top priority.

At the same time, the concept of protection at the Steinmühle is understood more broadly: as a responsibility to create conditions that enable healthy development and strengthen resilience.

Current Challenges

Support and Confidence in Taking Action

Participation and Cooperation

Safety plans are not only embedded in the organizational structure, but are also collectively upheld and further developed in everyday life. Participation is an essential part of this process.

Quality and Continuous Improvement

Steinmühle Support Team

Conflicts, emotional and social stress are part of any community and, therefore, also part of everyday school life. Often, conflicts resolve themselves quickly, or problems can be overcome. However, when a dispute or a difficult situation escalates, it can become overwhelming for the person involved.
At Steinmühle, therefore, counselors are available to address a variety of situations and issues.

The overview lists the contact persons on the support team. Click on the respective link to view more information.