Child Abuse PREVENTION Build Awareness and Security at Your Facility

by Lisa Ciolli P

articipation in youth sports can build self-confidence and character, as well as motivate

a child to fulfill his or her greatest potential. Experiences and achievements can provide skills and building blocks for children that remain through adulthood. A young athlete’s training environment can be a positive and safe haven, creating opportunities for hard work and excellence while nurturing his or her love of the sport. When a child is struggling with issues of abuse, his or her focus on a positive, healthy athletic experience and dreams of achievement can tragically diminish.

10 Young and Trusting

Children come into a sport trusting the adults and individuals around them — forming relationships with coaches, teammates, parents and facility staff, and looking for acceptance and safety within that community. Te bonds and friendships that take root can be strong and long-lasting as the child grows in their sport and in life. Te child’s relationship with his or her coach and staff is generally based on the belief that an adult authority figure is someone of understanding, integrity, safety and security. Those associated with the team must work to

uphold those important young values, careful not to damage the child’s athletic experience – or far worse. Te facts are startling:

• In 2014, approximately 3.6 million referrals were made to child protection agencies involving about 6.6 million children.

• An estimated 1,580 children died in 2014 as a result of abuse and neglect — between four and five children a day.

• One in 10 children will be sexually abused by the age of 18.

• 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way.

ISI EDGE SUMMER 2016