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 SAFE SPORTS & PROGRAMS

SAFE SPORTS ACT

Signed into law in February 2018, new federal legislation has expanded the requirements around sexual abuse reporting and prevention policies for organizations that arrange or sponsor youth sports competitions.

The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, commonly referred to as The Safe Sport Act, was created in response to recent revelations of ongoing abuse within USA Gymnastics.

The new requirements affect organizations that arrange interstate or international amateur athletic competitions for minors, as well as the adults working with minor amateur athletes on behalf of those organizations.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sexual Abuse Statistics

  • 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18.
  • 90 percent of offenders are known by their victim or their victim’s family.
  • 1 in 10 public school children, accounting for 4.5 million students, have experienced sexual misconduct by an educator.
  • Each year, 1 in 7 nursing home residents and thousands of adults with disabilities are abused.
  • There are more than 60 million survivors of child sexual abuse in America; 80 percent never reported their abuse.
  • Child abuse costs the United States approximately $103 billion per year.

Impact on Victims

  • The immediate effects of sexual abuse often include depression, anxiety, aggression, and self-harm. Long-term effects may include poor physical and mental health, impaired social skills and academic performance, developmental and behavioral problems, and an increased participation in high-risk activities like drug abuse or sexual promiscuity.

Victims of sexual abuse are:

  • 3x more likely to suffer from depression
  • 4x more likely to contemplate suicide
  • 13x more likely to abuse alcohol and 26x more likely to abuse drugs
  • 40x more likely to experience marital problems
  • More likely to suffer physically, with an increased risk of heart disease and obesity.

QUESTIONS?

For further information, contact the YMCA director who oversees your sports program by calling 217-544-9846 or YMCA Risk Manager at extension 136, safesports@springfieldymca.org

Youth Sports
Extension 612 or 614

SPY Swim Team
Extension 184

Gymnastic Team
Extension 600

Special Olympics – Swim
Extension 609

Special Olympics – Bowling
Extension 140

 

As a volunteer, we need your help in ensuring that our facilities, and or sporting event locations, remain a safe place for our children. Below are the steps that we must follow in order to be within compliance of the Safe Sport Act.

SAFE SPORTS INFORMATION 

  • Child Abuse

    Volunteers and staff shall not abuse children in any way, including

    • physical abuse—striking, spanking, shaking, slapping, and so on;
    • verbal abuse—humiliating, degrading, threatening, and so on;
    • sexual abuse—touching or speaking inappropriately;
    • mental abuse—shaming, withholding kindness, being cruel, and so on;
    • neglect—withholding food, water, or basic care.

    No type of abuse will be tolerated and may be cause for immediate dismissal.

  • Bullying

    This act includes any misconduct, including bullying, harassment, physical and emotional abuse.

    Bullying is aggressive behavior that

    • Is intentional
    • Is repeated over time
    • Involves an imbalance of power of strength.

    Bullying can take various forms, including:

    • Physical Bullying
    • When one person engages in physical force against another person, such as, hitting, punching, pushing, kicking, pinching, retaining another.
    • Verbal Bullying
    • When someone uses their words to hurt another, such as by belittling or calling another hurtful names.

    Bullying can take various forms, including:

    • Nonverbal or Relational Bullying
    • When one person manipulates a relationship or desired relationship to harm another person. This includes social exclusion, friendship manipulation, or gossip. This type of bullying also includes intimidating another person using gestures.

    Bullying can take various forms, including:

    • Cyberbullying
    • The intentional and overt act of aggression towards another person by way of any technological tool, such as email, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images, or website positions (including blogs).
    • Cyberbullying can involve:
    • Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images.
    • Posting sensitive, private information about another person
    • Pretending to be someone else to make that person look bad
    • Intentionally excluding someone from your online group.

    Bullying can take various forms, including:

    • Hazing
    • An activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers that person regardless of that person’s willingness to participate.
    • Sexualized Bullying
    • When bullying involves behaviors that are sexual in nature. Examples of sexualized bullying include sexting, bullying that involves exposure of private body parts, and verbal bullying involving sexualized language or innuendoes.

  • Mandated Reporting

    All adults authorized by the organization to interact with athletes—

    including volunteers

    —are deemed mandated reporters.

    All mandated reporters must report any incidents or suspected incidents of child abuse as soon as possible (in no event later than 24 hours) to the appropriate authorities.

    (Child abuse is defined as physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment.)

    For organizations that are sanctioned by or under the jurisdiction of National Governing Bodies, such as USA Gymnastics or USA Swimming, mandated reporters also must report to the US Center for Safe Sport.

    Penalties, in the form of a fine or imprisonment, are dependent on the state law and can be significant.

  • Prevention Training

    Organizations must offer and provide consistent training regarding prevention and reporting of sexual abuse to adults who are in contact with athletes (including volunteers).

    Subject to parental consent, the training must also be made available to minor members.

    1. Athlete Protection
    2. Athlete Protection: Swim Edition
    3. Duty to Report: Mandated Reporter

  • Prevention Policies

    The Safe Sport Act requires sports organizations to establish reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions between an adult and an amateur athlete who is a minor… without being in an observable and interruptible distance from another adult.

  • Background Check

    Background Check- every 2 years

    Each registered volunteer will be screened through Sangamon County Circuit Clerk records. These are public records available on line.

    DCFS Background Check- every 2 years

    Each registered volunteer will complete a DCFS CANTS form. This form is still in paper format.  It must be completed and returned to the YMCA.

    Sex Offender Registry 

    All volunteers will be entered into the YMCA of Springfield membership database allowing for ongoing screening against the National Sex Offender Registry. 

  • Review and Audits

    The YMCA will put in place a process to review compliance through on-going observations and an annual audit.

SAFE SPORTS RESOURCES

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