Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Vulnerable Adults in Sport u u uDr Ian Whyte Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Vulnerable Adults in Sport uBy the end of this workshop, you should be able to: u uidentify and recognise the key principles of good practice, when working with children and the implications for your teaching/coaching/management urecognise the signs and indicators of child abuse uidentify appropriate action if misconduct and/or abuse is suspected. OHT 1 Workshop Principles uEach person in the group has experience and knowledge which is valuable and will be valued. Within the workshop the following principles will be adopted: u uanonymity uprivacy usupport uconfidentiality uprofessionalism uownership uanti-discriminatory behaviour u uSOME OF THE TOPICS COVERED MAY BE DIFFICULT OR CHALLENGING – IF YOUNEED ‘TIME-OUT’ , PLEASE TAKE IT u OHT 2 Code of Conduct for Adults Working with Children – Key Principles uRights u uRelationships u uResponsibilities: personal standards u uResponsibilities: professional OHT 4 Rights ADULTS/LEADERS must respect and champion the rights of every individual to participate in sport create an environment where every individual has the opportunity to participate Øcreate and maintain an environment free of fear and harassment Ørecognise the rights of all athletes to be treated as individuals Ørecognise the rights of athletes to confer with other leaders and experts Øpromote the concept of a balanced lifestyle, supporting the well-being of the athlete both in and out of the sport. OHT 5a Relationships ADULTS/LEADERS must develop a relationship with athletes (and others) based on openness, honesty, mutual trust and respect Øshould promote the welfare and best interest of their athletes Øshould empower athletes to be responsible for their own decisions Øshould clarify the nature of the coaching services being offered to athletes Øshould communicate and cooperate with other organisations and individuals in the best interests of athletes. Ømust not engage in or tolerate behaviour that constitutes any form of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect, bullying) OHT 6a Responsibilities – personal standards Adults must demonstrate proper personal behaviour and conduct at all times Ømust be fair, honest and considerate to athletes and others in their sport Ø Øshould project an image of health, cleanliness and efficiency Ømust be positive role models for athletes. OHT 7a Responsibilities – professional standards To maximise benefits and minimise the risks to athletes, ADULTS/LEADERS must attain a high level of competence through qualifications and a commitment to ongoing training that ensures safe and correct practice Øgain qualifications appropriate to the level at which they coach/teach/instruct Øbe professional and accept responsibility for their actions Øpromote safe and correct practice Øprovide a safe environment that maximises benefits and minimises risks to athletes Ømake a commitment to providing a high quality service to their athletes OHT 8a Truths or Myths? 1. Children are abused mostly by strangers. 2. It is only men who sexually abuse children. 3. Disabled children are less likely to be victims of abuse. 4. Girls are much more likely to be abused than boys. 5. It is more acceptable in some cultures for children to be abused. 6. If social services are involved, children are usually removed from their homes. 7. Children are resilient and therefore recover quickly from abuse. 8. Children under the age of five are more likely to be abused than older children. 9. More children are abused now than 20 years ago. 10. Children often lie about abuse. 11. There is widespread reported occurrence of abuse in sport. 12. Adult leaders have many opportunities to abuse children emotionally as well as physically OHT 9a Feedback 11. False u 22. False u 33. False u 44. False u 55. False u u 6. False 77. False u 88. True u 99. False u 1010. False u 1111. True u u 12. True OHT 10 Acceptable/Unacceptable Behaviour (continued) A twelve-year-old child being left alone in the house for the evening A father smacking his twelve-year-old daughter because she was two hours late getting home A male coach entering the girls’ changing room to talk before the competition A male coach physically supporting a young female gymnast during a tumbling routine A coach having sexual intercourse with one of his fifteen-year-old athletes A male coach expressing his delight following good performance by slapping the buttocks of one of this young athletes A female coach working alone with a squad of male athletes A teacher who regularly undermines the efforts of a fifteen-year- old girl and publicly reports all the errors she makes on her schoolwork A coach driving an eight year old to exhaustion during training A player calling another player names. Initiation ceremonies within sports teams 16 OHT 11b 4 types of abuse Neglect includes situations in which adults: ufail to meet a child’s basic physical needs (eg for food, warm clothing) uconsistently leave children alone and unsupervised ufail or refuse to give children love, affection or attention. u u Neglect in a sports situation might also occur if a teacher or coach fails to ensure children are safe or exposes them to undue cold or risk of injury. OHT 12 Physical Abuse, includes situations in which adults: uphysically hurt or injure children (eg by hitting, shaking, squeezing, biting or burning) ugive children alcohol, inappropriate drugs or poison uattempt to suffocate or drown children. u u In sports situations, physical abuse may also occur if performance enhancing drugs are used, or when the nature and intensity of training exceeds the capacity of the child’s immature and growing body. OHT 13 Sexual Abuse. Boys and girls are sexually abused when adults (male or female) use them to meet their own sexual needs. This could include: ufull sexual intercourse, masturbation, oral sex, fondling ushowing children pornographic books, photographs or videos, or taking pictures for pornographic purposes usocial media! u u Sports situations which involve physical contact (eg supporting or guiding children) could potentially create situations where sexual abuse may go unnoticed. u Abusive situations may also occur if adults misuse their power over young people. uBE AWARE OF GROOMING u uhttps://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/age-of-consent-by-country OHT 14 Emotional Abuse can occur in a number of ways. For example, where: uthere is persistent lack of love and affection uthere is constant overprotection which prevents children from socialising uchildren are frequently being shouted at or taunted uthere is bullying, neglect, physical or sexual abuse. u u Emotional abuse in sport may also include situations where parents or coaches subject children to constant criticism, bullying or unrealistic pressure to perform to high expectations. OHT 15 Definition of Bullying u Bullying is deliberate hurtful behaviour, usually repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves. Bullying can be verbal, written or physical. uIncreasingly social media involvement OHT 16 Typical Signs of Abuse include: uunexplained bruising or injuries usexually explicit language/actions usudden changes in behaviour usomething a child has said ua change observed over a long period of time. u u NB These signs may not constitute abuse. In addition you should be aware of behaviour changes or for a cluster of signs. OHT 17 OHT 18 The Coach The Onion – the leader OHT 19 The Hurt Child The Onion – the hurt child Not your responsibility to decide whether or not a child is being abused… •but it is your responsibility to act if you have any concerns. OHT 20 If a child tells me s/he is being abused: uAlways: ustay calm – ensure the child is safe and feels safe ushow and tell the child that you are taking what he says seriously ureassure the child and stress that s/he is not to blame ube honest, explain you will have to tell someone else to help stop the abuse umake a note of what the child has said as soon as possible after the event uinvolve parents where appropriate umaintain confidentiality – only tell others if it will help protect the child ufollow guidelines (eg NGB, LA). u uNever: urush into actions that may be inappropriate umake promises you cannot keep utake sole responsibility – consult someone else (the person in charge or someone you can trust) so you can begin to protect the child and gain support for yourself. OHT 21 Audit Your Organisation and DEVELOP a WRITTEN CODE of PRACTICE CHALLENGE then CHANGE the CULTURE uGOOD LUCK and THANK YOU u uHodně štěstí a děkuji u u Hodně štěstí a děkuji