Where to go if you are concernedParents often see sport as a safe place for children to have fun, develop skills, learn valuable lessons and to build character. While involvement in sport remains a positive experience for most players/participants, parents know that children and young people can be adversely affected by the behaviour of others. If you have any concerns, either about your child or other children, or about the behaviour of club coaches, officials or others in positions of responsibility, there are a number of things you could do: - Talk to a Member Protection Information Officer or someone in authority in your club. You should expect your club to take any complaint seriously, act quickly and ensure that your child and others are safe from harm.
- If you are not satisfied with your club's response, consider contacting the State Association for your sport.
- Contact your child protection authority or the police over serious issues such as sexual abuse.
- If you believe your child has been discriminated against or is being harassed - for example, because of their race, sex or age - you can contact your anti-discrimination agency. Anti-discrimination laws also cover sexual harassment.
If you want to raise a concern or make a complaint in relation to inappropriate behaviour in sport (such as harassment, discrimination or abuse), the Australian Sports Commission has developed a chart that will help you work out who to contact initially and how to contact them. Download the chart To help ensure the safety of your child, here is information on: |
