Reducing the Risk of Sexual Abuse in Sport

Paul Stephenson

Health Warning Emotional topic Ensure care for your self Questions without breaching confidentiality“Preventable not Inevitable”

NSPCC 0808 800 5000NEXUS Counselling 028 90326803ROI Counselling Helpline 180670700

Aim

•Participants to receive information to enhance their understanding of the grooming process

•Understanding of importance of applying this knowledge to their organisational safeguarding procedures

Leisure Centre in web

porn probe

A major probe was last night

under way at a top Ulster

Leisure Centre after a worker

was accused of viewing child

porn. Sunday Life, June 02

Child Photo Charge A man has appeared in court charged with taking an indecent photograph of a child at a leisure centre.

Belfast Telegraph, July 02 48 year old form Olympic

swimming coach from Wexford

Has been found guilty of sexual

And indecent assault against

young boys

Sunday People, June 02

Trio caged for sex

attacks on boys … another of their innocent

victims said that he had been

sexually assaulted in a local

swimming pool. Belfast Telegraph, May 02

Groping Olympic diving coach was

behind bars last night after he was

convicted of assaulting three of his girl

proteges

Gridlock of silence

There is a need for a radical review regarding the management of child sexual abuse.

“The scale of the problem of sexual abuse of children is such that a major rethink of policy is needed – with much greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention”

Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2004

Abduct

How adults get access to children

StrangerFamily Positions

of Trust

Befriend

Child

Who are the Abusers?

Adult Males 50+ % ?Adult Females 5-20 % ?Young people and Children 30 % +

There is no typical sex offender. Overwhelming majority of sex offenders

carefully plan their offences. They actively target and groom children who they wish to offend against.

Most sex offenders will justify their offences in terms that minimise their level of responsibility.

How Sex Offenders Operate

Four pre-conditions to abuseAdapted from: D Finkelhor Child Sexual Abuse: New Theory & ResearchAdapted from: D Finkelhor Child Sexual Abuse: New Theory & Research

MOTIVATION‘Wanting to’

INTERNALINHIBITORS‘Conscience’

OVERCOMEVICTIM

RESISTANCE‘Doing it and getting

away with it’

EXTERNAL INHIBITORS

‘Others’(Creating

Opportunity)

Thoughts

Sex witha child

The abuser say “you are special or talented”

The child thinks……..

“he gives me treats and takes me out. He got me on the team”

Reasons for Not Reporting “didn’t want parents to find out” “it was nobody else’s business” “didn’t think it was serious or wrong” “didn’t want friends to find out” “didn’t want the authorities to find out” “was frightened” (24%) “didn’t think would be believed” (13%) “had been threatened by abuser” (7%)

Child Maltreatment in the UK , NSPCC

Sex Offenders in Perspective Most people do not abuse or harm children We all have strong feelings and views about those

who sexually harm. Our views may be based on misconceptions rather than reality.

Sexual offenders are not ill and cannot be cured- risk must be managed.

Abusers can come from all walks of life; they can be male or female, come from all classes, able bodied or with a disability, from all races and religions and be of any age.

What makes a child more vulnerable? Lack of information Lack of ability to recognise unsafe situations. Age, understanding and reduced communication

abilities. Children who are isolated or inadequately

supervised. “Some” children;

• have very poor experiences of parenting and poor role models about keeping themselves safe.

• actively seek warmth and affection outside the family home if it is not available at home.

What makes a club or organisation more vulnerable?

Lack of information or training Resistance to safeguarding from club management Poor internal communication No vetting or safe recruitment procedures No agreed operating standards Adults ignoring the operating standards Not having clear lines of accountability and reporting No disciplinary process

Positive Statement

“Coaches should ensure they maintain healthy, positive and professional relationships with all athletes. Coaches and others in positions of authority and trust in relation to athletes aged 16 and 17 years must not engage in sexual relationships with them while that unequal power relationship exists.”

www.parentsprotect.co.uk

Confidentiality Policy

Safeguarding policies - summary

Code of Conduct Reporting Procedures

Safe Recruitment & Selection

Training

DisciplinaryProcedure

Information displayed &

distributed

Safeguarding

Policy &

Procedure

Complaints & Grievance Process

Monitoring & Review

Some concerning behaviours may have an innocent explanation. Some seemingly innocent behaviour may not be. It is important to look for patterns and consider context.

Trust your instincts – if something you witness seems wrong to you don’t immediately think that you’re mistaken. Share your concerns with somebody else.

Concerning Behaviours

Contact Numbers NSPCC Helpline

0808 800 5000

www.nspcc.org.uk

Stop It Now UK & Ireland

0808 1000 900

www.stopitnow.org.uk Child Exploitation Online Protection

www.ceop.org.uk

Child Protection in Sport Unit

028 90351135

pstephenson@nspcc.org.uk

www.thecpsu.org.uk