'CHILD PROTECTION IN SPORT ~
POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND SYSTEMS'
REPORT OF A SPORTS COUNCIL SEMINAR FOR NATIONAL GOVERNING BODIES
Held in conjunction with the
NCF, BOA, CCPR and NSPCC
Hosted by Cheltenham & Gloucester College of HE
Friday June 28 1996, New Teaching
Centre, Park Campus
Edited and produced for the Sports
Council by
Professor Celia Brackenridge
Cheltenham & Gloucester College of HE
Francis Close Hall
Swindon Road
Cheltenham
GL50 4AZ
© Copyright Sports Council/C&GCHE
1996
Not to be reproduced in part
or whole without permission
ISBN 1 86174 017 4
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Introduction & Welcome, Dr Anita White
Programme
'Rules of Engagement' for the
day
Keynote speaker
biographies
'Child Abuse in Sport ~ Whose
problem?'
Professor Celia Brackenridge, Cheltenham & Gloucester CHE
'Child Protection Systems ~ What
Do Governing Bodies Need to Know?'
Bruce Clark, Director of Central Children's Services, NSPCC
Workshop Descriptors
Workshop Reports
Recruitment
& Selection in Sport Organisations
Dealing with
Allegations of Abuse Against 6 Coaches & Volunteers
Training
Issues for Protecting Children in Sport
Listening
to Young Athletes: Promoting their Rights and Safety
Promoting
Good Practice in Sport Dealing with the Aftermath
Protecting
the Most Vulnerable
Maintaining
Safe Boundaries in Coaching
Final Plenary
Session
Sample Governing Body Action
Plan
'The Responsible Sports Coach', NCF leaflet
Further Reading
List of Delegates by Governing
Body/Organisation
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Grateful thanks are extended
to the students, administrative and teaching staff at Cheltenham
and Gloucester College of HE who assisted with the running of
this Seminar, in particular:
Conference Administrators
Sue Watkins, Departmental Administrator, Leisure Management
Kirsty Seymour, Postgraduate Student, Department of Leisure Management
Coordinator of Volunteers
Di Summers, Research Student, Department of Leisure Management
Facilities & Catering Services
Davidica Blackledge, C&GCHE Fullwood Park Ltd.
INTRODUCTION
& WELCOME
Welcome on behalf of the Sports
Council and of those organisations which have collaborated with
us in the setting up of the seminar:
the National Coaching Foundation
the British Olympic Association
the Central Council for Physical Recreation
the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
The fact that there has been
such a good response to this seminar ~ that you are all here
on a Friday in the run up to the Olympics ~ demonstrates sport's
concern about child abuse in sport. We want more children and
young people to become involved in sport, but we have a responsibility
to ensure that they can do so in a safe environment.
Background
Knowing the problem of child
abuse in sport, the Sports Council called a meeting last January
with representatives from swimming, diving, athletics and gymnastics,
together with the NCF, BOA, NSPCC and Celia Brackenridge to discuss
how we, in sport, should best address the issue.
We decided a seminar specifically
geared to governing bodies to raise awareness of the issues and
suggest practical measures for reducing the risk of child abuse
in sport should be the first step. I emphasise
first, because it is what is done after today that matters most.
Programme
We have tailored the programme
assuming that you may know little other than what you have read
in the newspapers. We start with two presentations from acknowledged
experts in the field before breaking into workshops, one before
and one after lunch. We will come back together for a half hour
plenary session at 3.30pm when we will discuss what needs to
be done at a national level.
Please note the 'Rules of Engagement'
for the day and share problems, solutions and ideas with each
other.
Dr. Anita White
Director of Development, English Sports Council
KEYNOTE
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
CELIA BRACKENRIDGE
Celia Brackenridge is Professor of Sport and Leisure at Cheltenham
& Gloucester College of Higher Education. She is a former
international lacrosse player and coach. She has long had a concern
for ethics and sport and has over twenty years experience as
a teacher, lecturer and researcher. She has been extensively
involved in running workshops for governing bodies on a range
of practical issues.
BRUCE CLARK
Bruce Clark is Director of the NSPCC's Central Children's Services,
which include the National Child Protection Helpline, the National
Training Centre and Child Protection Training Group, the Research
and Library Service and a Practice Development Unit. During his
nine years with the NSPCC he has worked in a variety of roles,
prior to which he had worked for ten years in social work and
managerial roles for three local authority Social Services Departments.
RECRUITMENT
AND SELECTION IN SPORT ORGANISATIONS
OBJECTIVES:
1 To highlight the key issues
in recruitment and selection
2 To identify good practice for
sport organisations in recruiting and selecting paid staff and
volunteer help
3 To identify actions for the
future
The workshop was designed to
be participative and to encourage discussion and exchange of
ideas.
Within the time constraints it
was not possible to have in-depth discussions of the many and
various issues of concern to participants. It was acknowledged
that the key issues of being able to identify child abusers from
prospective employees and volunteers was the greatest challenge.
Many of the participants were charged with the task of reporting
back to their governing bodies and associations practical guidelines
for recruitment and selection practices. Many sport organisations
have become aware of their duty of care which must be exercised
towards the general public and children and young people in particular.
The issue of the levels of organisational
responsibility was identified, where governing bodies could ensure
rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, which would benefit
smaller associated bodies, not only through good example but
by providing registers of personnel having been vetted. The difficulties
of control and influence by the governing body were recognised.
At an early stage in the workshop,
participants were asked to complete a 'quiz' to encourage discussion
and exchange of ideas on good practice. There was much discussion
on the use of employment references and the limited security
to be gained from being able to undertake police checks.
We also discussed the one-dimensional
aspect of seeking information from candidates by the sole use
of recruitment interviews. Suitability for the post/position
could be ascertained by a variety of tests and assessments to
give as comprehensive a picture as possible. We agreed that exploring
candidates' reasons for their applications, their working and
personal relationships with children and verification of the
identity were difficult and sensitive areas.
Good practice procedures were
based on several documents, namely:-
- NSPCC's Recruitment and Selection
Code of Practice
- Warner Report 'Choosing With Care' (1992)
- Home Office 'Safe From Harm'(1993)
Clear job descriptions and person
specifications were the first requirements for ensuring that
the process was objective and rational. Requiring candidates
to provide detailed and specific information in application forms
ensured uniformity and allowed employers opportunities to seek
clarification for apparent inconsistencies, gaps etc.
Although the workshop necessarily
focused on procedures for the recruitment of paid staff, the
process for selecting volunteers should follow the same principles
despite the urgent and understandable need to encourage all offers
of voluntary help. The safety and protection of children must
be our paramount concern and the time, effort and resources for
rigorous recruitment and selection procedures are therefore justified.
The implementation of systematic
policies and procedures in Recruitment and Selection will not
guarantee the exclusion of paedophiles but a rigorous and objective
process of information gathering will minimise the risk of employing
the ill-intentioned.
Lack of time prevented delegates
sharing what new things they had learned and what changes they
intended to make as a result of the attending the workshop. They
were asked to consider such plans on their journeys home and
when they returned to their work places.
A number of handouts were distributed.
Workshop Facilitator:
Catherine Walden
Regional Personnel Support officer
NSPCC in the North West
PROMOTING
GOOD PRACTICE IN SPORT
AIM:
To identify the principles of
good practice in sport settings and to begin to build strategies
for promoting good practice.
OBJECTIVES:
1 To help participants build
a picture of the potential impact of an incident of child abuse
in a sports setting
2 To identify the key elements
ion good practice both in prevention and response
3 To extrapolate the lessons
learned to a national perspective with regard to sports national
governing bodies
A grounded understanding
The workshop participants explored
a case study of an incident at a local sports centre. It was
apparent that such an incident would have repercussions far beyond
the individuals concerned and might impact upon the reputation
of a sport as well as the local sports centre staff. The workshop
group also identified that a mix of guilt and confusion amongst
staff and others users might lead to stigmatising and isolating
the child and family involved in addition to the other burdens
these individuals would bear.
The case study also threw up
the wide range of 'needs' following such an incident which included
needs for counselling and support, for reassurance, for rapid
investigation, for good information to all affected ~ 'openness'
was the key word. At the same time there were organisational
issues such as the importance of clear and comprehensive records
to support the work of the investigation.
The principles of good practice
Working back from these conclusions,
the workshop was able to draw up key elements that were required
for good practice and reviewed these with reference to all those
potentially affected if abuse occurred ~ child, family, staff,
other users, the community and others.
Attention was given to the responsibilities
of parents themselves to oversee their children's sports activities
and the potential for parents to take a much more active role
in checking out the coaching record of those teaching their children.
The local community could provide
support to affected families but for this to happen education
and information was required. One of the workshop sessions cited
the example of Dunblane and there was a debate on the place of
'revenge' following tragic situations where children were the
victims.
The workshop saw an important
role for local child protection agencies in providing advice
and guidance to sports organisations and, if possible, training.
All these agencies and individuals
had a role to play but the workshop gave chief attention to those
providing sports organisations, to the need for staff to have
clear guidelines and effective training both in preventing abuse
and in their responsibilities when they suspected abuse. The
importance of 'providers' of services ensuring that parents had
access to their children's sports activities was also stressed.
The national picture
Working from the principles identified
in local settings, the workshop moved on to a necessarily brief
review of the responsibilities of national sports bodies in promoting
such practice. There was a clear need for sports bodies to seek
guidance from child protection agencies at a national level ~
government departments and national voluntaries such as the NSPCC
and others.
National sports organisations
also had a role in helping to educate parents to take a more
active role with regard to sport activities. All were agreed
that 'sport as child minding' was a recipe for disaster. National
bodies could also play a part in educating the public so that
where incidents did occur damage to the image of a sport or to
sport in general was minimised.
Finally, and most important,
national bodies saw that they had a clear responsibility to help
all those 'providing' their sport, whether professionals, local
organisations, or clubs to achieve a satisfactory standard with
regard to child protection awareness and sound procedures. The
very different settings in which different sports were 'delivered'
made generalisations difficult and each participant would leave
to tackle a very different range of issues in achieving these
goals.
Workshop Facilitator:
Helen Armstrong
Independent Child Protection Consultant
LISTENING
TO YOUNG ATHLETES: PROMOTING THEIR RIGHTS AND SAFETY
OBJECTIVES:
For participants...
1 ...to think about and broaden
their awareness about what child abuse is
2 ...to begin to understand the
world of the abused child, and issues for children in disclosing
abuse
3 ...to think about their own
reactions to abuse, and how that affects the way they or their
organisations might respond when abuse is alleged or suspected.
I took as the starting point
for the session the view that in order for anyone to be able
to take the best and most appropriate protective action following
disclosure or suspicion of abuse, they must have an understanding
of what abuse is and how children (and adults) can be affected
by it, and be able to hear and believe what children are trying
to say.
I also aimed to touch on aspects
of listening skills, and the importance of listening to children,
and trying to understand their experience from their point of
view, when dealing with allegations or suspicions of abuse.
My intention was then to present
specific case material and ask participants to think about what
were the issues for the child involved; what were their own feelings/issues/needs;
what would be the most appropriate and helpful response or course
of action.
Session summary
I was not able to take the groups
through all of the work I had planned for the session and it
is clear that I was aiming to cover too much ground in the available
time. Participants seemed to want plenty of discussion and "sharing"
time and the opportunity to ease themselves into the subject.
For example, in an "introductions" exercise individuals
talked about what their organisations had done (or not done)
to develop child protection strategies, and it was clear that
people were keen to spend time talking about specific issues
and situations that had been confronted in their organisations
in the past.
As part of the introduction to
each other and the session participants did a simple listening
exercise. In pairs they talked about themselves and their expectations
of the session and the whole day. Some discovered just how hard
it is to listen to someone else without interrupting, and to
hold and absorb the information they were being given!
It was also clear from these
discussions that people were coming from very different starting
points in terms of awareness and experience in dealing with sexual
abuse. Some individuals and organisations had not previously
had occasion to think about sexual and other abuse, and some
organisations had no experience of having to deal with abuse
allegations, and no proper policy. Other individuals had quite
a wide experience and awareness of child abuse, and some organisations
had already grappled with the issues in their sport, and had
some structures in place to deal with abuse allegations. It was
important in the sessions to recognise the range of experiences
and awareness about the issue, and also to spend some time developing
and discussing questions that arose. We also spent time looking
at the effects of abuse.
Both groups enjoyed and spent
much time engaged in an exercise which looked at a range of scenarios
of abuse. The exercise was designed to get thinking going about
risk factors, the different kinds of abuse, about how our judgement
is influenced by personal beliefs and experiences. It also provided
an opportunity for participants to think about their own reactions
to abuse, as well as to look at the experience of children in
abusive situations from the child's point of view.
Each participant received a pack
of hand-outs containing, amongst other things, information about
ChildLine, communication and listening skills, child abuse and
the law, child protection procedures and the role of the statutory
agencies.
Although it was not possible
to get through the whole agenda of the session, I was impressed
by the enthusiasm and interest with which the participants involved
themselves in discussion on what can be a difficult subject.
I feel that it was valuable to share their experience, but was
also aware what a daunting task it was for some to be the person
in their organisation responsible for developing the work on
child protection further. It was clear, through some of the feedback
at the end of the session, that the fostering on on-going networking
between the sports governing bodies and with the Sports Council
would be advantageous for many in completing the task of developing
workable child protection procedures.
Workshop Facilitator:
John Hall
Counselling Support manager, ChildLine
DEALING
WITH ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE AGAINST COACHES AND VOLUNTEERS
OBJECTIVES:
1 To develop greater understanding
of the dynamics which may occur when an allegation of abuse is
made and of the personal and organisational element of responding.
2 To explore the elements of
a sound policy and procedure for responding to allegations.
The workshop was divided into
two parts:-
1. Initial responses
We used an exercise to look at
some personal responses and at possible individual and organisational
blocks to responding appropriately
These include: shock / anger
/ revulsion
Leading to: disbelief / denial
These are normal reactions. Organisations
and individuals need sound policies and procedures backed up
by staff training and support.
2. Policies and Procedures
We discussed guidelines for individual
responses which include:
- creating a safe environment;
- being honest e.g. about the need to report allegations;
- being clear about what the child is saying ~ listen, clarify,
but don't 'interview';
- recording accurately;
- maintaining appropriate confidentiality;
- not taking sole responsibility;
- following policies and procedures;
- taking the child's welfare as paramount.
We then considered the essential
elements of a procedure.
NB It was recognised that these
will vary, depending upon the structure of the organisation.
- Inform a senior person (or
refer direct to Police/Social Services Dept)
- Notify Police/SSD (do not advise person against whom allegation
is made )
- Police/SSD advise on notifcation to parents and further action
- Notify governing body (as appropriate)
- Consider suspension of individual
- Investigation (led by Police/SSD)
- Criminal
- Child Protection
- Disciplinary
- Action on outcome of investigation.
Issues Arising
- The vulnerability of young
people in many coaching relationships.
- The need to promote communication
and partnership between sports organisations and child protection
agencies.
- The need for procedures to
be developed within organisations and to be 'owned' by everybody
involved.
- Recognition that greater awareness
will create safer environments for children and young people.
- Concern about false allegation
needs to be recognised but the welfare of children is the priority.
Workshop Facilitator:
John Brownlow
Area Children's Services Manager, NSPCC East
TRAINING
ISSUES FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN IN SPORT
OBJECTIVES:
1 To assess the strengths and
weakness of sports personnel, parents and children
2 To identify how best to provide
education and training
3 To identify any support required
from national agencies
Introduction
It was accepted that all children
had the right to live their lives to the fullest potential, to
be protected, to have opportunities for education, to participate
in and enjoy sport, and to be treated with dignity and respect.
There was general agreement that although hundreds and thousands
of children have safe and wonderful experiences in sport, abuse
does happen and NGBs were now accepting that child protection
is an issue and that they have a moral and legal responsibility
~ to provide children with safe, challenging and enjoyable opportunities
through sport, to ensure high standards of child care ~ and have
a duty to care.
Awareness training
It was agreed that there was
a need to introduce all personnel involved in sport ~ coaches,
administrators, managers, officials ~ to awareness of child protection
(CP). It was recognised that in the first phase there was an
immediate need to provide comprehensive in-service training in
a cost effective way. For many NGBs, this would be best focussed
initially at administrative personnel. Other in-service training
might best be delivered through the club structures to coaches,
organisers, officials, administrators and parents. Some concern
was expressed about trying to extend training too widely and
that the training of parents should be undertaken through schools
~ NGBs should focus on their own personnel. The rapid turnover
in voluntary organisations was recognised as a particular problem
which would require on-going training opportunities.
Ultimately it was suggested that
CP training should be embedded into initial training (e.g. into
coach education schemes). This would require training for NGB
trainers to deliver CP material. National seminars and workshops
were proposed to provide general CP awareness training and trainer
training.
Content of training
Some concern was expressed about
the nature of the training and the potential for a little knowledge
to be a dangerous thing. It was generally accepted that CP training
should enable sports personnel to:
be aware of the possible signs
and indicators of abuse
recognize the need to act swiftly, responsibly and sensitively
use common sense in dealing with anything which made them feel
uncomfortable.
Training should emphasize that
sports personnel were not and should not be responsible for determining
whether or not a child is being abused. They were, however, responsible
for reporting any concerns.
Other recommendations
These included the need for:
a code of behaviour for children
(similar in principle to the well-accepted NCF Code of Ethics
and Conduct for Coaches)
support/sanctions from the Sports Council (e.g. the need for
evidence of child protection policies prior to the awarding of
funding)
a national licensing scheme to maintain a register of qualified
coaches and to assist with the tracking of coaches (from sport
to sport, across the country)
a buddying system to provide local support for all coaches.
Workshop Facilitator:
Penny Crisfield
National Coaching Foundation
DEALING
WITH THE AFTERMATH
AIM:
To raise participants awareness
of the possible impact on those around the abused athlete, and
to explore strategies to minimise these, should the situation
arise.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of the
workshop the participants should be able to
1 describe some of the possible
effects on those close to children who have been abused
2 identify the physical, emotional
and mental personal stress indicators they may have experienced
in this instance
3 begin to formulate the elements
of a strategy to prevent or minimise those effects.
Objective 1: Describe some of
the possible effects on those close to children who have been
abused
The scene we created in order
to facilitate an exercise to meet this objective was one in which
a young athlete at a local club had reported being sexually abused
by one of the coaches. The incident had been reported to the
police and an investigation had just begun. The workshop explored
the full range of emotions and feelings likely to be experienced
by the remaining staff and athletes. Participants first worked
in pairs, followed by a 'large group' discussion and input by
the facilitator.
We identified a number of possible
reactions which included: doubt, guilt, fear, revulsion, concern
(for a colleague despite what they were accused of having done)
and others. The group also discussed the concerns we might have
in future regarding contact with children and trust for our colleagues.
The 'additional' reactions of
those in-charge, or at least responsible for the well-being and
safety of children, were then examined. We included in this group
parents/carers, senior coaches and officials. We believed they
would experience the same emotions as those in the other group;
however, we felt they would also be troubled by questions regarding
provision of sufficient training and support systems and procedures
to expose abuse as quickly as possible. They would also carry
a sense of responsibility for those who now needed their support
more than ever.
Objective 2: Identify the physical,
emotional and mental personal stress indicators they may have
experienced in this instance
We worked on the basis that up
to three investigations might take place as a result of this
allegation, i.e. child protection enquiries to determine whether
the parents/carers had failed to protect the child, criminal
proceedings and 'internal' disciplinary procedures. This in turn,
we believed, might cause stress reactions to be experienced through
physical, emotional or intellectual symptoms.
The workshop went on to identify
what these might be and to explore the possible effects on individuals
and those they come into contact with. We agreed our list was
not definitive and that the extent to which people experienced
these would also depend on what support they could draw on from
others.
Those we identified were:
PHYSICAL
neck & shoulder tension
lower back pain/tension
stomach problems
diarrhoea
heartburn
headaches
lethargy/tiredness
high blood pressure
sleep disturbance
lower resistance
EMOTIONAL
irritability
anxiety
depression
anger
tearful
resentment
paranoia
mood swings
alcohol/drug abuse
INTELLECTUAL
lack of concentration
inability to make decisions
inability to prioritise
inability to focus on task
memory problems
loss of perspective
talking yourself down
placing own needs as a low priority
Objective 3: Begin to formulate
the elements of a strategy to prevent or minimise those effects.
In small groups, the workshop
participants then spent some time discussing what they felt to
be the first steps toward the development of a strategy to prevent
or reduce these identified effects happening to those around
the athlete who was abused.
Those agreed were:
1 To begin by establishing a
consultation/communication process.
2 To establish support networks, including links with external
agencies/groups which would have a clearly identified purpose.
3 To prepare for the 'aftermath' through training.
4 To establish clarity of roles and responsibilities of agencies.
5 To remove the sense of isolation through developing local support
systems.
6 To establish plans to re-focus/re-establish the club as soon
as possible.
Workshop Facilitator:
Tom Narducci
NSPCC National Training and Development Officer ~ Child Protection
PROTECTING
THE MOST VULNERABLE IN SPORT
OBJECTIVES:
1 To identify which young athletes
are the most vulnerable and why
2 To identify how to maximise
their protection and to consider what guidelines for good practice
might be useful
3 To identify how to protect
those who work with the most vulnerable children through training,
communication networks and methods of accountability.
The first question we thought
about was: Who are vulnerable children in sport?
The three small groups between
them suggested both global and more specific characteristics.
It was agreed that every child is potentially vulnerable because
there are already power differences between an adult and a child.
Some of the characteristics of potential for powerlessness were
listed.
They may be less powerful because
they are:
- younger
- smaller
- shy
- less assertive
- less able to communicate
- girls
- less able and with physical or sensory disabilities
- Black
- 'elite' athletes, where the stakes are higher
- emotionally disadvantaged, therefore seeking affection
- in sports requiring physical contact from a coach e.g. gymnastics
- under pressure from significant others to succeed
The discussion about the word
vulnerability suggested that if a child is very vulnerable there
may an increased likeliehood of an abuser taking advantage. The
discussion then focused on those who are the most vulnerable.
It was agreed that these are likely to be those who:
have high support needs and are
thus highly dependent upon others
are inhibited in their communication skills
There was discussion about whether
those with sensory or physical disabilities are inherently the
most vulnerable.
We then thought about: Why are
they most vulnerable?
Having agreed that the child's
feelings of powerlessness made them potentially weaker we focused
on some key generalities. A child may be
most vulnerable because:
they are unable to articulate
their feelings or explain their problems
they are part of a 'dependency' syndrome
they are unable to avoid everyday personal physical contact
There is a danger that the weak
or labelled individual may become victimised and that this might
thus increase their vulnerability.
We considered then: What guidelines
for good practice could specifically protect the most vulnerable?
It was agreed that stong guidelines
for the most vulnerable could be beneficial for everyone. But,
the most important and key feature is simply based on respecting
the child in every way.
To reach this the organisation
must have:
a protocol for working relationships
which relies on sound procedures for recruitment and selection
proper boundaries for the roles and responsibilities of coaches
codes of practice that include parents
monitoring and accountability procedures.
These should be achieved through
awareness training and education. Specialist organisations should
be enlisted to consider the needs of children who may be particularly
disadvantaged.
Other more specific suggestions
were:
mechanisms should be put in place
so that there are cross-referencing systems (between clubs, agencies
and sports)
communication structures must
be recognisable and sympathetically designed so that the most
vulnerable child has easy access to them: there should be definite
and recognisable channels for the most vulnerable to share their
concerns
every organisation should set
up 'buddy', mentoring or advocacy schemes: this is essential
for those children who are the most vulnerable
all codes of practice must be
written down, distributed and easily obtained and shared.
To aqchieve all this there must
be a will to act. Sports organisations must provide mechanisms
to give individuals opportunities to articulate their distress
and thus involve others to support them.
Workshop Facilitator:
Vida Pearson
Re-Source, independent consultant (01664-434451 'phone/fax)
MAINTAINING
SAFE BOUNDARIES IN COACHING
AIM:
To examine how coaches might
maintain safe boundaries in their dealings with athletes.
OBJECTIVES:
1 To explore general boundary
issues and norms for coaching behaviour
2 To explore personal boundary
issues around relationships, touch and privacy
3 To clarify participants' views
and feelings
The workshop began with a reminder
to delegates of the 'Rules of Engagement' which had been set
out at the start of the Seminar. The workshop itself involved
two exercises, each intended to raise participants' awareness
of the issues, to stimulate discussion and to give delegates
ideas to take back to their NGBs for further discussion.
The first exercise involved placing
ticks against a whole range of behaviours which a coach might
exhibit towards an athlete to indicate whether the behaviour
was considered 'Always OK', 'Sometimes OK' or 'Never OK'. The
categories of behaviour included aspects of: touch; self-disclosure;
use of language; meeting places and times; presents/lending and
borrowing; and, accepting as an athlete some with whom you had
a non-sport relationship.
Points which emerged from the
discussion of this exercise included:
- differences in the cultures
between sports. For example, one martial arts delegate said it
was never the case that the coach used a first name or showed
anger towards an athlete, however angry they might feel, because
of the heritage of the activity. Others felt that, in their sports,
the norms were different and might allow for much closer interactions
between coach and athlete.
- differences in the cultures
within sports. For example, whereas male athletes and coaches
might find some behaviour 'just horseplay', female athletes might
experience this as harassment or abuse.
- differences between coaching
and instruction. In some sports
instructors were given precise recipes for what to say and do
whereas coaches had a much broader-based guidance for their interactions
with athletes.
- international differences.
For example, a Dutch delegate remarked how norms in Holland were
much more relaxed that in Britain and, in her experience, there
was much more fear of being accused of abuse here.
- individual differences. The
only item which all agreed was 'Never OK' was 'sexual relations
with an athlete'. However, a recently-issued NGB code of practice
even allowed for this using the words "Except during the
normal course of a regular and lawful union, a coach should not
make any sexual advance to an athlete under the age of 18 or
accept any sexual favour...". There was no agreement whether
coach's spouses should be excluded from receiving their coaching
although it was recognised that the BMA did not allow doctors
to practice medicine on their own relatives. Major differences
of view about discussing religious or political opinions also
emerged.
Everyone agreed that 'abuse was
abuse' and that age differential between an athlete and coach
was immaterial i.e. that if an athlete was legally at the age
of adulthood this did not mean that abuse by the coach was any
more acceptable. The power of the coach was accompanied by him/her
also carrying responsibility never to abuse the athlete.
All agreed that most answers
prompted the response 'it depends...' and required more information
about context. The definition of harassment 'invasion without
consent' was thought a useful reminder to coaches to signal their
intentions to touch an athlete so that there could be no misunderstanding.
The question was put 'Can or
should we ever expect to identify a standard set of norms/boundaries
across all sports?'. Most thought not, but it was acknowledged
that young people move from sport to sport and might be confused
or potentially upset by experiencing different norms/boundaries
in different sports. This was not an issue for the coach as s/he
tended to work only within one sport and thus to become accustomed
to the norms for that sport. It was suggested that delegates
promote discussion of these issues with their own NGB colleagues,
especially coaching committees.
The second exercise was completed
alone with no sharing of personal responses required. It, too,
asked delegates to complete a checklist of items but this time
relating their answers to their own experience of the relationship
with the athlete they worked with, or had worked with, most closely.
An analysis sheet which diagnosed potential difficulties produced
some deep feelings of guilt. Many delegates found this exercise
disturbing and some felt it was too powerful to be used with
certain audiences. However, the view was also put that, without
personal experience of such feelings the need for action on child
protection might not be fully appreciated. If those completing
the exercise were not completely honest they would have to answer
only to themselves.
All delegates were asked NOT
to photocopy or disseminate the exercises done in the workshop.
It was agreed that NGB colleagues would need the information
from the two keynotes presentations in order to set their interests,
worries and ideas about child abuse in sport in context first.
Workshop Facilitator:
Celia Brackenridge
Professor of Sport & Leisure, Cheltenham & Gloucester
College of HE
FINAL PLENARY
SESSION
Anita White: What should the
next steps be? The sample Action Plan [also included in this
report] sets out a range of ideas.
The NCF and NASC have now distributed
a Code of Ethics which is intended to be of generic use and which
can be adapted to suit individuals NGBs.
Grievance and disciplinary procedures
exist in some, but not all, NGBs.
Some sports have register of
coaches and it is hoped that access to criminal record will be
extended to the voluntary sector of sport soon.
The NCF offers a module on Working
With Children and has built child protection material into NVQ
H4. It has also produced and circulated a new leaflet for parents,
administrators and others entitled 'Protecting Children From
Abuse, A Guide for Everyone Involved in Children's Sport' which
is also in your pack. Additional copies of these and the new
poster for children may be ordered from the NCF. I should stress
the importance of involving children themselves in the design
of any materials.
Contracts between parents, athletes
and coaches might help to reassure all involved and could be
a simple and inexpensive means of minimising risks to children.
The NSPCC Helpline telephone
number is provided in the materials already mentioned from the
NCF/NSPCC and can be widely disseminated to children.
The adoption of child-centred
and democratic coaching styles will obviously require a great
deal more thought and work by us all.
Links with child protection agencies
are now very good, and are demonstrated by their involvement
in this seminar today.
The dissemination of good practice
has begun in today's workshops and should help to raise the level
of debate throughout sport.
Finally, we clearly need to know
a great deal more about this topic and hope that future research
will assist us.
Fencing delegate: Champion Coaching
has been a flagship project and requires a minimum of NVQ Level
2 of its coaches. The 22 districts have set up a model which
local Authorities can follow, to make sure that the NGBs involved
take up these awards.
Ju Jitsu delegate: There also
needs to be increased awareness of NGBs awards in schools and
in sport centres. Only legitimate awards should be accepted.
Anita White: One action then
is to exert pressure on Local Authorities and schools to insist
on properly qualified coaches for all their sports workers, especially
those working with young people.
Margaret Talbot: Much young people's
sport is delivered via inter-agency work so we must share our
codes of practice and communicate more effectively. Many schools
do know NGB procedures but communication needs to go down to
local level.
British Swimming Coaches Association:
Could there be a central register instead of an NGB-specific
one?
Penny Crisfield, NCF: The NCF
is investigating the setting up of a national licensing system
and register/database of coaches to which NGBs would have access
and which would help child protection across sports. Access to
criminal records may be extended as a result of government plans
regarding the monitoring of paedophiles. The NCF booklet 'Guidance
for NGBs on Child Protection Procedures', of which you all have
a copy in your pack, includes details (in Appendix B) of where
to seek criminal record checks. However, it is important to remember
that vetting or criminal checks are expensive and not in themselves
an effective means of protecting children from abusers.
NASC delegate: We want a louder
voice in coach protection against false allegations etc. A national
register may help but is only one small part of the jigsaw. NGBs
want their own registers of active, working coaches. Technology
could help but this will require finance.
Judo delegate: Has the Sports
Council commissioned any research on this topic?
Anita White: There is a proposal
to the BOA on the table, which the Sports Council is supporting.
Skiing delegate: There are cost
and time implications to all this. How can the Sports Council
help NGBs to afford it?
Anita White: In principle the
Sports Council will help but NGBs must spell out what they want
first. The seminar is only the first step. Please write to the
Sports Council to ask how it can help.
Penny Crisfield, NCF: please
give feedback to the NCF on the generic guidelines to help make
the next draft more appropriate for all NGBs.
Anita White: Finance was made
available to the Amateur Swimming Association to produce the
generic pack. Specific items might be costed on top of these
for other NGBs.
NASC delegate: Regional workshops
on 'Hot Topics' are being run in partnerships, so far, with Local
Authorities. An NGB could put on such a workshop in partnership
with NASC.
Volleyball delegate: There is
real concern whether volunteers can do anything to help this
issue! We can't control those who want to be controlled so how
will we cope with those devious people who don't? We must not
raise expectations too high.
Margaret Talbot: Recent research
on NGBs showed how much money was spent by them rectifying bad
decisions. Child protection is about saving money ~ you can't
afford not to do it!
FURTHER
READING
Brackenridge CH (1995) Educating
for Child Protection in Sport. In L Lawrence, E Murdoch &
S Parker (eds) Professional and Development Issues in Leisure,
Sport and Education. Leisure Studies Association Publication
No. 56. [Available from LSA Publications, The Chelsea School.
University of Brighton, Eastbhourne (UK) BN20 7SP]
Crouch M (1995) Protecting Children
~ A guide for Sportspeople. Available from the NSPCC/National
Coaching Foundation
Childcare (Northern Ireland)
Our Duty To Care: Principles of Good Practice for the Protection
of Children. Available from Childcare. Tel: 01232-234499
National Coaching Foundation
(1996) Code of Ethics and Conduct for Sports Coaches. Available
from Coachwise Ltd. Tel: 0113-231-1310
National Coaching foundation
(1996) The Successful Coach: Guidelines for Coaching Practice.
Available from the National Coaching Foundation
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