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CHILD SAFE PRACTICES
DO’S & DON’TS
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This work by © Commonwealth of Australia 2021 – Sport Integrity Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial- NoDerivs 3.0 Unported Licence with the exception of:
- the Commonwealth Coat of Arms
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To the extent that copyright subsists in third-party quotations and diagrams, it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material. Content from this publication should be attributed as: Sport Integrity Australia, Child Safe Practices: Do’s & Don’ts.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Sexual misconduct
Professional boundaries
Use of language and tone of voice
Positive guidance (discipline)
Supervision
Use of electronic or online communication
Photographs of Children
Physical contact with Children
Overnight stays and travel arrangements
Use of, possession or supply of alcohol or drugs
Parent/Guardian involvement
Transporting Children
Drop off and pick up of Children
Change rooms arrangements
INTRODUCTION
The Child Safe Practices have been developed to identify and prevent behaviour that may be harmful to children participating in sport. The Child Safe Practices are defined within the National Integrity Framework’s Child Safeguarding Policy.
The following ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ have been developed as a supplementary guide to the Child Safe Practices, to provide practical and tangible actions that can and should be followed by anyone involved in the delivery of programs, services or activities to children participating in sport.
SEXUAL
MISCONDUCT Under no circumstances is any form of ‘sexual behaviour’ to occur between, with, or in the presence of children. This includes, but is not limited to sexual intercourse, kissing, fondling, flirting between adults and children, sexual innuendo, inappropriate text messaging, inappropriate photography or exposure to pornography or nudity.
PROFESSIONAL
BOUNDARIES You must act within the scope of your role (as specified in your position description or contract) when working with children who are involved in your sport.
DON’T Provide any form of support to a child or their family unrelated to the scope of their role, where there is no existing social, personal, or family relationship (e.g. financial assistance, babysitting, provide accommodation).
Transport a child unless specifically approved.
Engage in social activities outside the scope of your role, such as watching a child participate in another sporting activity, playing virtual video games together or attending their birthday party.
Use your personal phone, camera or video camera to take images of children.
Develop any special relationships with children that could be seen as ‘favouritism’.
Wear your uniform or name badge when not undertaking an official role.
Give out personal gifts or special favours to a child other than the provision of official awards.
Confide in, or share overly personal information with a child (for example, sharing financial or relationship problems).
Ask a child to keep secrets, such as asking them not to tell their parent/ guardian when you have communicated with them.
Treat the child as an ‘adult’ under guise of maturity.
Create an emotional dependency between yourself and the child (for example, isolating the child from their teammates, staff, parents/guardians by ‘pitting the child against their teammates’).
USE OF AND
TONE OF VOICELanguage and tone of voice used in the presence of children should provide clear direction, boost their confidence, encourage and affirm them and not be harmful.
DON’T
Use stereotypes, innuendo or sarcasm when communicating with children.
Shame a child or make derogatory or belittling comments (for example, calling a child a loser or telling them they are too fat).
Use obscene gestures and language.
Humiliate, intimidate or regularly criticise a child.
Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged.
Single out a child or denigrate them in front of peers or other members.
POSITIVE
GUIDANCE (DISCIPLINE)
To ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all children participating in sport; strategies that are fair, respectful and appropriate to the
developmental stage of the children must be used. Children should always be provided with clear directions and given an opportunity to redirect their behaviour in a positive way.
DON’T Use training practices that are inappropriate for the stage of psychological and physical development of the child.
Impose any form of punishment that causes a child physical pain or discomfort.
Isolate a child from the group as a form of punishment.
Impose any form of punishment that is degrading, cruel or frightening.
Force a child to do something against their will.
SUPERVISION Supervision is a key aspect of ensuring that children’s safety is protected. Adults must be alert to and aware of risks and hazards and the potential for accidents and injury throughout training and competition, and not just in their immediate area.
DON’T Leave children unsupervised during official sport trainings/ competitions/events.
Engage in unnecessary conversations with another adult that may distract from effective supervision of the group.
Text, talk or browse on a mobile phone when supervising children.
Exclude parents/guardians from attending training sessions.
USE OF ELECTRONIC OR
ONLINE COMMUNICATION
For any electronic or online communication with children, you must adopt a two-deep model, that is, copy in the organisation and a parent or guardian in all communication.
DON’T Befriend the child on social media.
Communicate privately with a child via phone, email or social media.
Request children keep online communication a secret from their parents/guardians or others.
Use electronic communication to promote unauthorised ‘social’ activity or to arrange unauthorised contact.
Use inappropriate language or language that is sexual in nature.
Use any device’s (including a mobile phone’s) recording capabilities, including voice recording, still cameras and video cameras in locker rooms, changing areas, or similar spaces.
PHOTOGRAPHS
OF CHILDREN To ensure the protection of a child’s image and identity, it is essential that:
- the respective parent or guardian has provided prior written approval for any photographs to be taken or video footage to be captured
- the context of the photo or video is directly related to participation in your sport
- the child is appropriately dressed and posed
- the image or video is taken in the presence of other personnel.
DON’T Take photos or videos of children for personal use.
Take or store images of children involved in your organisation on personal devices.
Distribute or publish photos or videos for official purposes (annual report, website, social media) without permission from the child’s parent/guardian.
Forward, share or send on any photos or videos of a child.
Send photos or videos of a child, directly to a child, or to another person.
PHYSICAL CONTACT
WITH CHILDREN Any physical contact with children must be appropriate to the delivery of your sport’s programs or services and based on the needs of the child, such as assisting with the use of equipment, technique, treatment by a health practitioner or administering first aid.
DO Seek a child’s permission to touch or interact when demonstrating an activity.
Check that physical contact is acceptable to a particular child. Even non- intrusive touch may be inappropriate if a child who indicates they do not wish to be touched.
Respect and respond to signs that a child is uncomfortable with touch.
Use verbal directions rather than touch (for example, ask a child to move in a particular way, rather than physically place the child in the required position).
Discourage children from inappropriate expectations of hugs or cuddles. This should be done gently and without embarrassment or offence to the child. For example, offer a high five as encouragement.
Kindly and appropriately tell a child who is inappropriately or excessively touching another child to stop and raise the concern with a relevant person within your organisation.
Use non-intrusive gestures to comfort a child who is experiencing grief and loss or distress, such as a hand on the upper arm or upper back.
Use non-intrusive touch (for example, congratulating a child by shaking hands or a pat on the upper arm or back). Try to accompany such touch with positive encouraging words.
Report any physical contact initiated by a child that is sexualised and/or inappropriate (for example, acts of physical aggression) as soon as possible to your organisation. This ensures the situation can be managed in the interests of the safety of the child and any other participants.
DON’T Under any circumstances, have contact with a child that involves any intimate part of a child’s body (for example, genitals, bottom or breast area).
Initiate, allow or request inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact with a child (for example, massage, kisses, tickling and wrestling games) or facilitate situations that unnecessarily result in close physical contact with a child.
Single out the same child when performing demonstrations.
Have unnecessary contact with a child (for example, assisting with toileting when a child does not require assistance).
Force a child to do something against their will.
OVERNIGHT STAYS
AND TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
Overnight stays involving children should only occur with your organisation’s approval, and consent of each child’s parent or guardian. Practices and behaviour during an overnight stay must be consistent with the practices and behaviour expected during the delivery of your sport at all other times.
DO Obtain written approval prior to the overnight stay. Written approval could include electronic messaging formats such as email or SMS.
Ensure children are provided with privacy when bathing, toileting and dressing.
Observe appropriate dress standards when children are present – such as no exposure to adult nudity.
Ensure the safety of children is not compromised by inappropriate sleeping arrangements (for example, children sharing a bed, or an adult sleeping in the same bed as a child).
Always allow children to contact their parents, or another adult, if they feel unsafe, uncomfortable, distressed, or for any other reason, during the stay.
Make sure there are appropriate levels of supervision. General rule is a minimum of 2 adults with a ratio of 1:8.
Plan appropriate accommodation. If children share a room, they should be the same age and gender and must not share beds.
Plan for emergencies. If you need to administer first aid, do so only if you are qualified and in the presence of others.
Keep parents and guardians informed and let them know:
- the aim of the trip
- destinations and venues
- competition details
- supervision levels
- roles and responsibilities of accompanying adults
- estimated time of arrival and departure.
USE OF, POSSESSION OR SUPPLY
OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS
PARENT/GUARDIAN
INVOLVEMENT
TRANSPORTING
CHILDREN Children are only to be transported in circumstances that are directly related to the delivery of your sports programs, events or service.
DROP OFF AND
PICK UP OF CHILDREN
Open and transparent communication in relation to the drop off and pick up of children is a proactive approach to ensuring their ongoing safety and wellbeing.
CHANGE ROOMS
ARRANGEMENT SChildren are particularly vulnerable in changing rooms due in part to various stages of dress/undress and because they are isolated areas. There is also a risk of child-to-child problems, such as bullying if the changing room is left unsupervised.
DON’T Undress or get changed in the presence of children.
Be alone and unsupervised with a child in a change room area.
Isolate yourself with a child from others in the change room (for example, take them into a cubicle with you).
Enter a change room of the opposite sex.
Allow mobile phones to be used in change rooms. Use bathroom facilities at the same time as a child.
Unnecessarily allow parents into change rooms unless a child requires physical help getting changed (for example, younger children or children with disabilities).
Place pressure on a child to change and/or shower in public if they feel uncomfortable to do so.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
1300 027 232
safeguarding@sportintegrity.gov.au www.sportintegrity.gov.au