Child protection for Young People - Sport Across Staffordshire

KEY CONTACTS
All sports organisations should have a designated child
protection/welfare officer who you can talk to. They are
the first point of contact if you have any concerns.
If you want to talk over any concerns with someone
outside your club/organisation you can contact the NSPCC
Helpline, ChildLine.or the Child Protection in Sport Unit
For more resources and information on child protection and
sport in general visit the Sport Across Staffordshire and Stokeon-Trent
website www.sportacrossstaffordshire.co.uk
SAFESPORT
CHILD PROTECTION
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND CHILDREN
Other Useful Contacts
GETTING HELP
Tell an adult you trust as soon as possible. This could
be: a parent or someone else in your family; another
member of staff at the sports club or sports session;
a teacher or school counsellor; your doctor or school
nurse, or a member of Sport Across Staffordshire staff
Contact one of the child protection helplines listed
overleaf. They will know who can help you in your area
Your local sports development team will have a child
protection officer whose details are listed overleaf. You
can tell them about your worries
Make sure you are not alone again with the person who
has tried to harm you.
REMEMBER YOUR RIGHTS
NSPCC
web: nspcc.org.uk | email: help@nspcc.org.uk
tel: 0207 825 2500
Child Protection Helpline | tel: 0808 800 5000
Child Protection in Sport Unit
web: thecpsu.org.uk | email: cpsu@nspcc.org.uk
tel: 0116 234 7278
Childline | tel: 0800 1111
Helpline | tel: 0808 800 5000
Local Social Services First Response Team
Staffordshire | tel: 01785 354030
Stoke on Trent | tel: 01782 330221
Police
Southern Area Child Protection Team | tel: 01785 235 350
Northern Area Child Protection Team | tel: 01785 234 992
ONLY In emergency dial 999
The NSPCC and the Sport Across Staffordshire partnership
believes that children have the right to enjoy sporting
activities in safety. The work of the Child Protection in
Sport Unit is based on the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child. This Convention spells out how
people should treat you. If you would like to know more,
see what the Convention says about your rights on the
following website www.thecpu.org.uk
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DON’T LET ANYONE SPOIL THE FUN
WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE?
CHILD ABUSE IN SPORT
Sport is fun… it gives you the opportunity to make
new friends, try out new activities and amaze yourself
with what you can do!
However, for a few children the fun is spoilt by adults
and other young people who do or say things during
sporting activities that hurt or frighten them. What
these children are experiencing may be abuse. They
may feel they have no-one to talk to about it, or that
no-one will listen to them or believe what they say.
IS SOMETHING WORRYING YOU?
If you think that you may be being abused, or if you’re not
sure but feel worried and frightened, this section will:
Help you understand what child abuse is
Explain what to do if you are being abused or are worried
about someone at your sports club, or sports session
Tell you about some special helplines that will listen to
you and give advice
Give you links to other websites that have helpful advice
Child abuse is when an adult harms a child or young
person. There are four main types of abuse:
Physical Abuse… this includes being called names all the
time, being threatened or being made to feel small.
Sexual Abuse… this includes being touched in a way you
don’t like by an adult or young person, being forced to have
sex, or being made to look at sexual pictures or videos.
[For some disabled children, it includes if a person
helping them to use the toilet touched them more than
was needed].
Neglect… is when a child is not looked after properly,
including having no place to stay, or not enough food to
eat, or clothes to keep them warm. It also includes if the
child is not given medical care when they need it, including
medication.
[For some disabled children, it could include if their carer
took away the things they needed for everyday life - like
their wheelchair or communication board. Or, if they did
not help a disabled child who needed help using the toilet].
Bullying and racism are also forms of abuse… Bullying
includes hitting or threatening a child with violence, taking
their things, calling them names or insulting them, making
them do things they won’t want to do, and deliberately
humiliating or ignoring them.
ABUSE IS NEVER YOUR CHOICE
AND NEVER YOUR FAULT
Abuse creates all sorts of confusing feelings and emotions,
including feeling frightened, alone, confused, angry,
unloved, guilty or ashamed. Often a child may not realise
that what is making them feel so bad is really abuse. Or
he or she may know it’s abuse and is wrong, but feel that
somehow it’s their fault. It is very important to remember
that the abuse is not your choice and is not your fault.
Here are some things young people have told us about
abuse they’ve experienced:
“…that’s what hurt me most, that people knew it was happening
and they all didn’t do anything about it, and when
they had the chance to do something about it they still
didn’t …”
“…even when you said “no” he kept on at me, so eventually
you just gave up and got it over with.”
“The coach has all the power over you, he decides what
events you enter, what training you do, everything”
DON’T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF
If you think you are being abused, or have been in the
past, it’s really important to tell an adult you trust. This
isn’t easy. You may feel worried about what will happen
if you do. Here are some other reasons why you may not
want to tell anyone:
The abuser may have told you to keep quiet and not to
talk to anybody.
They may have threatened you about what might happen
to you or your place in the team if you tell.
They may have made threats about your friends or family.
They may have said “No-one will believe you” or “Noone
will do anything if you tell”.
You may feel guilty that you didn’t stop the abuse.
The person may be someone who everyone in your
sport looks up to - perhaps including your parents.
You may not want to let your parents down.
You may even think the problem will go away if you ignore
it.
Don’t let any of these things stop you getting help. By
telling someone, you can stop the abuse. You’ll also be
helping to protect other children from the abuser.
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