USA Gymnastics is a leader within the U.S. Olympic movement in setting and following policies to promote a fun and safe environment for children to learn gymnastics, one that is free from inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct. All of us in the gymnastics family – parents, athletes, coaches, administrators, officials – have a role to play in addressing this serious topic.
? Are you Aware ?
Are you Aware
• 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before turning 18. • More than 90% of abusers are people that children know, love or trust. • Children of every gender, age, race, ethnicity, background, socio-economic status and family structure are at risk. • Those that abuse children look and act just like everyone else. • Many prepetrators “groom” victims and their families.
USA Gymnastics offers the We Care Campaign to parents and concerned adults. Through the campaign, USA Gymnastics is providing information to help parents become more aware of the societal issue of child sexual abuse. We Care also offers resources so parents can have those difficult but important conversations with their children.
For more information, tools, strategies and resources, visit USAGymClub.com
Step Up & Speak Out
Provided by Darkness to Light
Selecting an Activity for your Child
Parents play an important role in keeping their kids safe when they participate in activities sponsored by youth-serving organizations. When deciding whether to enroll your child in a particular activity, learn about that organization’s safe environment policies, prevention strategies and response preparedness. 1. All youth-serving organizations should perform background checks on potential staff and volunteers. Careful screening and selection will also include personal interviews, as well as personal and professional reference checks. 2. Programs should have policies in place that promote a safe environment. The policies should be available and made clear to parents, staff and volunteers. If an organization does not have a policy or is unwilling to share its policy, that should serve as a “red flag.” 3. Safe-environment policies should set standards of conduct for staff and volunteers that are designed to minimize the opportunities for abuse to occur. For example, prohibiting one-on-one time, contact through electronic communication and social media, and contact between staff and participants outside of organized program activities. 4. Organizations that have expectations or requirements of parents in areas such as transportation or presence during practices (for example, requiring parents to observe private lessons) should clearly communicate them at the time of enrollment. 5. Staff and volunteers should be trained in child sexual abuse prevention and response. 6. Programs should have guidelines for how interactions between children and teens are structured. Older youth should be carefully screened, monitored, and supervised. 7. There should be well-documented procedures for reporting and addressing policy violations and suspected abuse. Although it may be uncomfortable at first to have these conversations, organizations should be ready and willing to talk about their prevention measures. Do not accept excuses such as, “We know and trust our staff well,” or “We don’t have the time or money to do background checks.” In today’s environment, these answers are simply unacceptable. All youth-serving organizations must demonstrate their commitment to safety by taking an active role in decreasing the risk for inappropriate behavior and sexual abuse within their organization.
Questions to Ask When Selecting a Youth-Serving Organization 1. How are your staff and volunteers selected? 2. Do you perform background checks, as well as personal and professional reference checks? 3. Is your staff trained in abuse prevention and response? 4. What types of policies are in place to prevent child sexual abuse? 5. What is your policy for one-on-one time between adults and children? 6. How are older youth monitored and supervised when working with younger children? 7. What is your policy for reporting abuse? When a report is made, how are parents notified? 8. How do you handle policy violations?
What can I do? 1. Talk to your children. Talk about their bodies, inappropriate touching, personal boundaries, and what to do if someone violates those boundaries. 2. Choose an activity carefully. Before enrolling, carefully screen the organization that sponsors an activity in which your child is interested. 3. Insist on policy. If not provided, ask for a copy of the child protection policy. Review it to determine whether sufficient strategies are in place to provide a safe environment for your child. 4. Observe. Monitor your child’s participation. Stay alert for situations where the potential for abuse exists or where the organization is not following its policy. 5. Report. If you observe a policy violation, your child reports feeling uncomfortable, or a situation just doesn’t seem “right,” report the situation to the organization’s leadership.
We Care Partners SafeSport.org
TeenLuresPrevention.com
StopItNow.org
D2L.org
ChildLuresPrevention.com USAGym.org/ClubsCare