Child Protection in Sport

In light of recent newspaper reports in the Advertiser with regards to assaults on young b/ball players, are Officials of the sport doing enough to protect our young basketballers from falling victims to these predators.
Coaches/club officials are mandatory reporters
( Child Protection Act 1993 - SA section 4 ), it is your duty to provide a safe environment for young children to play in.It is not acceptable for any sporting club to have an internal investigation only, serious assault must be reported to a higher authority SAPOL, CARL ( child abuse report line )for them to investigate. Sticking your head in the sand and hoping the problem will go away is pure negligence.
To those victims whom speak out, you are heroes whom have shown the utmost courage and have saved many potential victims from future abuse. If only every victim had the courage to speak out then maybe the cycle of abuse will stop completely.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Hadn't seen this in the paper but you are right.

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Jack Toft
Years ago

team player, judging by the tone, is there a personal story behind the post? (no details needed)

From what I have seen, clubs are pretty well managed with correct protocols in place. I'll stick my neck out and say that clubs are doing the best they can do with the current guidelines. From what I have read in papers etc, this may be a broad generalisation, but offenders target vunerable kids whom they win over and then "care too much".

From what I understand, most offenders have been victims themselves and so repeat that cycle.

Perhaps in addition to a police clearance, we consider a risk factor score? Would that be discrimination though?

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Anonymous
Years ago

I believe parents need to take greater responsibility for their children and not treat sporting events as a baby sitting service. Stay at practice and go to all the games eliminating the opportunity also parents should educate the children about inappropriate behave from anyone and make sure they are confident enough to tell you about anything that happens.

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Timmfinn
Years ago

Clubs need to be more interested in children's welfare but because of the difficulty in obtaining coaches in some clubs, coaches are being appointed who shouldn't be anywhere near kids.
Basketball has more than its fair share of coaches who have gone out with or married girls they coached from junior ranks and that is a far from desirable thing.
Then there are the boy's issues which seems to be largely ignored.
Many of these things could be prevented by ensuring a male coach has a female manager(and vice versa) who is always present in change rooms and clubs would do themselves a favour if they requested junior girls to change tops in the change rooms not in full sight on the court during training.
Don't think abuse isn't occurring in basketball and be protective of your kids.

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TC2
Years ago

Sorry, why is dating or marrying a girl that you coach (or have coached) less than desirable? Providing they are above the age of consent, what is the issue?

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Jack Toft
Years ago

The legal position is someone who is a "position of authority". I believe this changes the age of consent by 2 years.

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Anonymous
Years ago

The term you're looking for is "fudiciary relationship". From the business dictionary:

Special relationship of trust and confidence which, in the words justice Benjamin Nathan Cardozo (1870-1938; US Supreme court judge from 1932 to 1938) is "something more than the ordinary honor of the marketplace ... the very punctilio of honesty and forthrightness." Fiduciary relationships exist between an agent and principal, testator and trustee, testator and executor, ward and guardian, customer and bank, client and attorney, patient and doctor, partner and partner, stockholders (shareholders) and directors, etc. In these relationships law demands a higher than ordinary degree of care and responsibility from the dominant or trusted party.

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Moses Guthrie
Years ago

Oops - didn't put my name to that last post. It means there is a higher degree of trust in a teacher, coach, parent etc than in a normal relationship between two people. Dating former junior players? Let them grow up first before you go anywhere near them. C'mon folks, that's life 101.

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Anonymous
Years ago

A coach also needs to protect himself from false accusations. The coach should not put himself in a situation where he is alone in the stadium with a kid.

For example: If you are doing an individual training with a minor alone, than insist that a parent (older brother/sister are also there.

If you have to lock the stadium and one kid is waiting for his parentsto pick him up, then wait outside or insist that another parent waits with you.

These simple things that clubs should also tell coaches. Discuss the topic.

There are a lot of good coaches doing it for "the love of the game" or to make money. Protect yourself aswell.

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Anonymous
Years ago

As a coach, my personal policy is to always have a parent in attendance at trainings, individuals, games etc.

With younger children I have refused to do individuals when parents wanted to drop their children off and leave.

Such a simple way to put everyone's mind at rest and in a squad of 16 there should always be one parent hanging around.

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Isaac
Years ago

Worthwhile topic, but please keep it general - any mentions of specific cases will earn instant block.

Reply #255423 | Report this post

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