Every child and young person who plays football should be able to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from abuse. This is the responsibility of every adult involved in football. It is important to understand the feelings involved but not allow them to interfere with your judgement about any action to be taken.

 

It is everyone's responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm and from neglect or bullying.

 

What is Child Abuse

 

Child Abuse is a term used to describe ways in which children or young people are harmed, usually by adults and increasingly their peers. Often these are people they know or trust. It refers to the damage done to a child's or young person's physical or emotional health. Children or young people can be abused within or outside their own family, at school and within the football environment. Abusive situations arise when adults or peers misuse their power over children or young people. There are five main forms of abuse:

 

Physical Abuse

·         Hitting, shaking, squeezing, biting or burning.

·         Giving alcohol, cigarettes, drugs or poison.

·         Attempting to suffocate or drown.

·         Using excessive and inappropriate training methods.

 

Neglect

Includes situations in which:

·         Basic physical needs are not met e.g. Food, warmth.

·         Consistently left alone or unsupervised.

·         Failure to ensure their safety and welfare.

 

Sexual Abuse

Where adults/peers use children or young people to gratify their own sexual needs through:

·         Full sexual intercourse, masturbation, oral sex, and fondling or anal intercourse.

·         Showing them pornographic books, photographs or videos.

·         Taking photographs for pornographic purposes.

 

Emotional Abuse

·         Persistent lack of love, affection or attention shown.

·         Overprotecting and preventing them from socializing.

·         Being shouted at or taunted.

 

Bullying

This is not always easy to define and can take many forms and is usually repeated over a period of time. There are three main types of bullying.

·         Physical: hitting, kicking or theft

·         Verbal: racist, religious or homophobic remarks, threats and name-calling.

·         Emotional: isolating from individual activities.

 

Indications of Abuse

 

Unexplained or suspicious injuries particularly if situated on a part of the body not normally prone to such injuries.

·        Any injury for which the explanation seems inconsistent.

·        A child or adult expressing concern about the welfare of another child or young person.

·        Unexplained changes in behaviour e.g. becoming quiet, withdrawn or displaying sudden          outbursts of temper.

·        Sexual awareness at an inappropriate age.

·        Being mistrustful of adults, particularly those with whom a close relationship would normally be expected.

·         Having difficulties in making friends.

·         Loss of weight for no apparent reason.

·         Becoming increasingly dirty or unkept.

 

The Responsible Football Coach/Manager Code of Conduct

 

1.      Coaches/Managers must respect the rights, dignity and worth of individuals equally within the context of the sport.

2.      Coaches/Managers must place the well being and safety of each player above all other considerations, including the development of performance.

3.      Coaches/Managers must adhere to all guidelines laid down by the rules of the Football Association.

4.      Coaches/Managers must develop an appropriate working relationship with each player based on mutual trust and respect.

5.      Coaches/Managers must not exert undue influence to obtain personal benefit or reward.

6.      Coaches/managers must encourage and guide players to accept responsibility for their own behaviour and performance.

7.      Coaches/Managers must ensure that the activities they direct or advocate are appropriate for the age, maturity, experience and ability of players.

8.      Coaches/Managers should, at the outset, clarify with the player (and where appropriate parents/guardian) exactly what is expected of them and also what they are entitled to expect from their coach/manager.

9.      Coaches/Managers must co-operate fully with other specialists (e.g. other coaches, managers, officials, doctors) in the best interests of the players.

10.  Coaches/Managers must always promote the positive aspects of the sport (e.g. fairplay) and never condone violations of the Laws of the Game, behaviour contrary to the spirit of the Laws of the Game or relevant rules and regulations of the use of prohibited substances or techniques.

11.   Coaches/Managers must consistently display high standards of behaviour and appearance.

 

Recommendations for Persons Involved with Treatment of Children and Young People in Football

 

1.      It is recommended that no child or young person should be treated in any way in a situation where the child or young person is on his/her own in a treatment room with the door closed

2.      It is strongly recommended that all treatment procedures should be "open" i.e. the door remains open; parents/guardians are invited to observe treatment procedures. Where strict medical confidentiality is to be observed then the parents/guardians of the child or young person should be invited to attend.

3.      It is recommended that if treating an area of the body that is potentially embarrassing to a child or young person (i.e. the groin) a suitable consenting adult who is acting, as a chaperone should be present.

4.       It is important to maintain medical confidentiality and patient dignity at all times.

5.      Prior to medical treatment being carried out on a child or young person parent/guardian consent in written form must be sought where appropriate.

6.      It is recommended that all treatment procedures are explained fully to the child or young person and verbal consent is given before they are carried out.

 

General Guidelines in the Care of Children and Young People

 

1.      It is possible to reduce situations in which abuse can occur and help protect volunteers by promoting good practice.

2.      Always be public and open when working with children or young people. Avoid situations where a coach/manager and an individual child or young person is completely unobserved.

3.      Always treat players in an open environment or, if treatment is required with in an enclosed area, ensure parents/guardians are aware of this.

4.      Where appropriate, parents/guardians should take on the responsibility for their child or young person in changing rooms. If groups have to be supervised in the changing rooms, always ensure coaches/managers work in pairs.

5.      Where there are mixed teams away from home, they should always be accompanied by a male and female coach/manager.

6.      When working with children or young players of the opposite sex, coaches/managers must agree with the parent/guardian when, or if, it is appropriate to enter the changing area. It may be prudent to set a time, for example 10 minutes before a game, when the coach/manager could enter the room accompanied by parents/guardians, at least one of which must be of the opposite sex.

 

Everyone should also be aware that as a general rule it does not make sense to:

 

·         Spend excessive time alone with child/young person.

·         Take child or young person alone on car journeys, however short.

·         Take child or young person to your home where they will be alone with you.

·         If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable, they should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the organization and/or the child/young person's parent/guardian.

 

Adults should Never

 

1.      Allow or engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay.

2.      Share a bedroom with a child or young person.

3.      Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.

4.      Allow children or young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged.

5.      Make sexually suggestive comments to a child or young person, even in fun.

6.      Allow allegations made by a child or young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.

7.      Do things of a personal nature for children or young people they can do for themselves.

8.      Invite or allow children or young people to stay with you at your home unsupervised.

 

It may sometimes be necessary for a coach/manager to volunteer to do things of a personal nature for children or young people, particularly if they are very young or have a disability. These tasks should only be carried out with the full understanding and prior consent of the parent/guardian and the child or young person involved. There is a need to be responsive to a child or young persons reactions – if a child or young person is fully dependant upon you, talk with him/her about what you are doing and give choices where possible. This is particularly so if you are involved in dressing or undressing of outer clothing or where there is physical contact, lifting or assisting a child or young person to carry out particular activities.

 

If you accidentally hurt a child or young person, if he/she seems distressed in any way, appears to be sexually aroused or misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done, report any such incident as soon as possible to another colleague and make a brief written note of it. Parents/guardians should be informed of the incident.

 

 

Action to take if a child or young person informs you directly that he/she is concerned about someone's behaviour towards them or you become aware through your own observations or through a third party of possible abuse occurring within the Football setting.

 

1.      React Calmly So as not to frighten them. Tell them they are not to blame and they were right to tel. Take what they tell you seriously.

2.      Ensure their safety. If the child or young person needs medical treatment, take the child to hospital or call the ambulance. Inform the doctors of the concerns and ensure that they are aware that this a child protection issue.

3.      Avoid leading the child or young person and keep any questions to the absolute minimum necessary to ensure a clear understanding of what has been said.

4.      Reassure the child or young person, but do not make promises of confidentiality of outcome, which might not b feasible in the light of subsequent developments.

5.      Parents and guardians should only be contacted only after advice from social services.

6.      Make a full record of what has been said, head and/or seen as soon as possible.

7.      Report your concerns to the club child protection officer who will take matters further.

8.      If the child protection officer is not available inform them when available.

 

NON-ACTION IS NOT AN OPTION IN CHILD PROTECTION. YOU MUST ACT, DO NOT ASSUME SOMEONE ELSE WILL.

 

Any queries relating to those matters should be made to the BTC (Southampton) FC Club Welfare Officer. Brian Eley – Home Telephone Number 023 8044 0500

 

The football association/NSPCC Child Protection Help line number is 0808 800 5000. This number is for anyone (including children) to ring for advice in child protection matters, whether football related or not.