Know the Rules®...For Child Safety
in Youth Sports
Millions of children in the United States play in organized, youth-sports
programs.1 There are many benefits to children participating in these
sporting activities including discipline, responsibility, respect, and
good sportsmanship.
Parents and guardians may take steps to protect their children’s
safety, while at the same time helping to keep their experience in organized
youth-sports programs positive and productive. Just like parents and
guardians have expectations about their children’s teachers and
school, they should also have expectations about the coaches and organizers
of their children’s youth-sports programs. Sometimes parents and
guardians lower expectations for sporting activities, especially if the
coach is a volunteer or another parent or guardian. It is important for
parents and guardians to be mindful of and attentive to participants
in these programs who supervise and have access to the children, just
as they are in the school environment, to help ensure their children’s
experiences in these programs remain fun and safe.
Most coaches truly care about children and pose no risk to them. Unfortunately
there are a small percentage of individuals who use the coaching experience
as a means to gain access to children for the purpose of victimizing
them. The word “coach” conveys a sense of trust, respect,
and authority to both children and their parents/guardians. Children
may be reluctant to disclose incidents of victimization because of this
sense of trust and authority. Additionally children may be reluctant
to disclose victimization due to feelings of shame, embarrassment regarding
the event, or fear of not being believed.
Parents and guardians may assess their children’s sporting
activities, the organizational leadership, and those who supervise
and have access to their children by asking the questions noted below.
- Does the sports or youth-serving organization
conduct a background check on coaches and others who supervise and
have access to the children? Any background check should include
a federal and state/territorial criminal-history check; a check of
sex-offender registries; and reference checks. Parents and guardians
should inquire whether the club or organization has a harassment/abuse
policy and whether the coach is certified or a member of a coaching
association with a code of ethics and/or conduct.
- Are
there other adults present, besides the coach, to assist in supervising
children during team events and practices, including any off-site travel?
The coach should not be alone with children during team events, practices,
sleepovers, or trips. You should know the names of the others who supervise
and have access to your children and meet them in advance of any team
activities.
- Does the team use a locker room for
children to dress, and, if so, is there more than one adult present
in the locker room when children are using it? The team should
have at least two adult supervisors, of the same sex as the children
using the locker room, present while the locker room is in use. Parents
and guardians should have access to the locker rooms. The organization
should make accommodations so the children have privacy while still
providing appropriate adult supervision.
- Does
the team or organization communicate with and notify parents and guardians
of the activity schedule?
The organization should keep parents and guardians informed of the
team’s activities and send timely notification of any changes
in the schedule. Practices should remain open to parents and guardians,
and the organization should allow for and encourage proper communication
between the team’s leaders and participating families. Parents
and guardians who are involved with and attend their children’s
sporting events not only show support for their children, but also
have the opportunity to monitor those interacting with the children.
If parents and guardians have a specific concern regarding the team’s
activities, they should first speak with the team’s coach. If
the issue remains unresolved after speaking with the coach, parents
and guardians should discuss their concern with the organization’s
management or administration.
- Does
the coach pay equal attention to all children? Parents and
guardians should be cautious of a coach or others involved with the
team who show excessive favoritism towards one child or repeatedly
want to spend time alone with a child. Parents and guardians should
watch for other potentially harmful behavior such as inappropriate
physical contact, comments or jokes, or gift giving. The organization
should develop and enforce appropriate boundary guidelines governing
the interaction between the child participants and those who supervise
and have access to the children.
- Would
my child know what to do if faced with an inappropriate or uncomfortable
situation? Parents
and guardians need to assess their child to determine whether he or
she has the self-confidence and judgment skills to know how to effectively
handle a potential victimization situation. Open communication and
interaction with your child is essential to help prevent exploitive
situations from occurring. You should ask your child whether he or
she likes the team and enjoys participating in the sport. Specifically
ask your child how he or she feels about everyone who supervises the
sport and has access to them, and carefully listen to their responses.
If your child says he or she does not like someone or does not want
to play the sport anymore, you should discuss it further to determine
if it is a loss of interest in the activity or an indication of a more
serious problem or concern. Speak to your children about personal-safety
issues and reinforce the safety rules with them. Parents and guardians
should reassure and encourage their children to express their feelings
and teach them it is OK to say “no” to anyone who makes
them feel sad, scared, or confused.
1According to the National Council
of Youth Sports’ Report
on Trends and Participation In Organized Youth Sports, in 2008
more than 44 million boys and girls played in an organized, youth-sports
program per page 7 as accessed on March 21, 2011, at www.ncys.org/pdf/2008/2008-market-research.pdf.
Copyright © 2000,
2005, and 2011 National Center for Missing & Exploited Children®.
All rights reserved.
This project was supported by Grant No. 2011-MC-CX-K001
awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view
or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily
represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department
of Justice. Know the Rules®, National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children®,
and 1-800-THE-LOST® are registered trademarks of the National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children. NCMEC Order #34. |
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