Children want to be in an environment that is safe and supportive, where they are encouraged to be the best they can be and gain maximum enjoyment from what they are doing.
Safe sport for children is about balancing what children want to get from their sports experience while ensuring they are not subject to harm caused by an adverse social/or physical environment.
Children can be harmed through their experiences of sport and recreation. This harm can take many forms including:
- Physical harm from engaging in a physical activity
- Emotional abuse
- Bullying
- Putdowns
- Inappropriate cultural practices
- Physical and sexual abuse
- Other harmful practices
Harmful practices have no place in children's sport.
Some sports, especially contact sports, contain an inherent risk of some physical harm by participating in that sport. the risk may be entirely acceptable if it is appropriate for the children involved. This risk should be identified, understood and addressed by specific risk management plans/measures to minimise and/or eliminate the risk if appropriate to do so in the circumstances.
These resources are designed to help you:
- Understand what constitutes harm to a child
- Teach you what is needed to keep children safe in sporting environments
- Identify and prevent inappropriate behaviour
- Get further support for children who are in vulnerable situations
Safe Sport for Children resource booklet, video and child protection policy template can be found here.
Further resources to support child protection here.
Sport NZ Child safeguarding policies and proceedures
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