An article by Maria Athanatsiki, Coordinator of Child Protection Projects, Terre des hommes Hellas, on initiatives for the protection of children at sports clubs and summer camps.
What 'Keeping Children Safe in Sports' is about
Terre des hommes Hellas’ project 'Keeping Children Safe in Sports' is built upon one major principle related to child abuse: child protection is both an ethical and a legal obligation of all adults.
It is also built on the fact that environments where professionals come into contact with children are especially appealing to potential abusers. Terre des hommes designed and is implementing this project with this in mind, and with the goal of helping sport clubs and summer camps take measures to reduce the risk of abuse within their framework.
Studies show that 70–85% of abused children know their abuser, and that 1/3 of children who have been abused do not confide in anyone about their experience. Perpetrators often take advantage of the child’s trust and commit offenses knowing that they can rely on the silence of other adults, as well as on the difficulty a child faces in recognizing they have been abused.
Shocking revelations regarding child abuse at sports and recreational venues that have come to light recently in Greece have made this complex set of factors more than evident.
Since 2019, 'Keeping Children Safe in Sports' has focused on 4 action points: establishing child safeguarding policies (measures to prevent and properly handle incidents of abuse); capacity building through training professionals; empowering children; and promoting international collaboration and exchange of experiences.
How are professionals and children trained?
In line with Terre des hommes’ child protection training methodology, professionals participating in this project are trained to recognize all types of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional and neglect), and to identify behavioural and physical indications of abuse on children. Additionally, they are trained to recognize the behaviours of a potential abuser, as well as how they should react if a child discloses abuse, either directly or indirectly (how to react towards the child and how to properly report the incident). The professionals are also trained on the principles of confidentiality and discretion, and are made aware of their legal obligation to report cases of child abuse.
Moreover, at Terre des hommes, we believe that it is essential to ensure that children themselves participate in matters that affect their lives. Through a series of self-defence activities, children learn how to distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ touch, and the parts of their body that no one is allowed to touch. They are also taught the motto: 'No, Go, Tell,' in order to know how they can respond to abusive behaviour, and how to locate people to turn to for help. In later stages of the project, the activities and accompanying methodology will be published and made available for widespread use.
What we have achieved so far
Today, summer camps from all over Greece (Crete, Thassos, Ofrinio, Chalkidiki, Peloponnese and Attiki) actively participate in the project. At this stage, we are providing them with individualized technical support to help them develop child safeguarding policies in line with international standards and guidelines. The next stages of the project include facilitating specialised trainings for professionals and children, engaging with representatives of state agencies and other child protection actors, an international conference and a national competition for children.
What else are we planning to do?
The project will conclude with the certification of the summer camps that, through our support, will have fulfilled the requirements set forth by international standards and guidelines. We are also in the preparatory stages of implementing a separate project with sport clubs using the experience gained from Terre des hommes’ partnership with UEFA. In the coming years, we hope that approved child safeguarding policies become a prerequisite for the operation of any space where professionals come in contact with children. We will also pursue fostering a cooperation with athletic associations and the Olympic Committee in order to build momentum towards achieving this goal.
At the same time, we are making a similar effort in the realm of primary education. In early 2021, we began the implementation of the EU-funded 'Reinforce Educators, Empower Children' (REEC) project, whose goal is to promote collaboration between educators and social workers in the Municipality of Athens and the Municipality of Milano, in order to reinforce child protection in schools.
Our recommendation
The 'Keeping Children Safe in Sports' project is a step towards our broader recommendation: the adoption of measures to protect minors, on a national level, in every space where professionals come in contact with children.
On the prevention front, these measures could include a thorough check of professionals’ background and relevant history during the hiring process, their training on child protection and safeguarding issues, and the implementation of a Code of Conduct that regulates staff’s behaviour towards children. Additionally, we recommend strict regulations regarding taking and publishing photos of children, mandates that if a child must be in a closed space with an adult that there must be at least another adult present, and that it is strictly forbidden for professionals to connect on social media with children.
In order to properly handle cases of abuse, it is necessary to have a mechanism for incident reporting, both internally and externally, with the responsible state agencies as well as disciplinary procedures for violations of the Code of Conduct. Without a doubt, the most necessary tool for protecting children is a zero-tolerance culture in settings where professionals come into contact with children, wherein every concern is reported, the boundaries between children and adults are clearly defined and the margins where abuse could take place are minimized to zero.
*'Keeping Children Safe in Sports' is coordinated by the Terre des hommes delegation in Romania and is implemented by the delegation in Greece and Hungary with the support of the EU’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship” programme.
*Terre des hommes Hellas is the Greek delegation of Terre des hommes, the international organisation for child protection, which is active in more than 45 countries around the world.
This article was originally published in Greek on ampa.lifo.gr
- Loghează-te sau înregistrează-te să postezi comentarii
- 129 vizualizări
