How to combat violence against children in sport and ensure their safety and well-being?
Sport is great for children. It brings joy, boosts self-esteem, teaches healthy habits and important life skills. Sport also creates a sense of belonging and supports children adhere to key values like fairness, teamwork, equality, discipline, inclusion, respect and integrity. Unfortunately, children can be at risk in a sports environment. Violence against children in sport, happens far too often in all countries, in all disciplines and from grassroots to elite sport.
Public authorities and sport organisations must overcome the narrative of denial, break down taboos and take concrete measures to protect children and prevent and respond to all forms of violence in sport. To achieve this, comprehensive child safeguarding policies and action plans must be urgently developed and efficiently implemented to keep all children safe in sport.
“Child Safeguarding in Sport” (CSiS) is a European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (COE) joint project aiming to strengthen the ability of partner countries to prevent violence against children and to promote their well-being in sport, by developing effective child safeguarding in sport policies that ensure safe, positive and empowering sport environments for all children. Activities include:
• Designing country-specific roadmaps which include concrete steps for setting up positions of Child Safeguarding Officers in sport.
• Updating and extending the existing online resource centre with examples of practices and initiatives to cover all forms of violence and abuse against children in sport.
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: TOWARDS CHILD SAFEGUARDING IN SPORT - DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROADMAP
CHAPTER 2: STATE OF PLAY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CHAPTER 3: STRATEGY FOR SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTING CHILDREN IN SPORT
CHAPTER 4: THE SETTING UP OF CSO ROLES IN SPORT
CONCLUSION
APPENDIX 50
Stakeholder mapping – prepared by the FWB project coordination
Desk Research Belgium
