Self-assessment tool on Child Protection Policies in sports

What is this Tool?

This tool has been developed in the context of the ACTIVE Research project (PROJECT NUMBER: 856826) after extensive research in four EU member states: Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Portugal. Through consultation with 243 sport club professionals, coaches, young athletes and parent/carer s of young athletes (Transnational report can be found here), ACTIVE Self-Assessment Tool is designed to help you evaluate if your sport club organisation is doing everything possible to keep children safe.

What can this tool do for your sport club organisation?

• This tool helps you comply with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in the practical context of your activities.
• It provides guidance on how your club organisation should assess and reflect on your current practices and mechanisms, with a view to improve and/or develop an efficient child safeguarding policy and therefore reap benefits to all parties involved (children and their families as well as sports professionals, managers and other relevant persons).

What is Child-safeguarding?

Preventing child violence and abuse requires a shift of policy, accountability, and processes. By child safeguarding we refer to prioritising children and changing the organization's entire purpose to place their rights, protection, and integrity at the centre of each decision. Children must be protected against any form of “violence” or abuse that may be caused in the sports activities and they have the right to practice sports activities in a safe environment.

Some types of violent and abusive behaviours against children are:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional/ psychological abuse
• Neglect
• Bullying

It is important to recognize that children can experience these forms of harm from older children, from their peer group, as well as from adults.

The sports workforce (volunteer/paid) are also well placed to identify safeguarding concerns that are occurring for children outside of the sport. These may come to light by observing a change in a child’s behavior or presentation, by a direct disclosure from a child, or by someone else sharing a concern about a child with an adult involved in sport. Adults involved in working with children and young people in sport have a responsibility to respond to these concerns early to safeguard children and young people.

To be able to complete the online self-assessment tool it is necessary to read through our Information Package Guide. This will provide you with concrete examples of violent behaviours and important information on child safeguarding that you will need to provide your answers.

Make sure your organisation is doing all it can to keep children safe: complete our free Online Self-Assessment Tool today and get research-driven feedback on how to improve your organisational practices on child safeguarding.