What Parents Need to Know About Sexual Abuse in Youth Sports
The post What Parents Need to Know About Sexual Abuse in Youth Sports appeared first on ProPublica .
Parents often lack the necessary information to comprehend the system in place to safeguard their children in youth sports. This is a crucial issue, as child sexual abuse is a growing concern in sports.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport (SafeSport) is the organization responsible for investigating allegations of abuse across all levels of sports. It investigates sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, with the power to suspend coaches while they are investigated. They can also ban coaches permanently if they substantiate allegations of misconduct or if they have certain criminal convictions.
Coaches and club administrators are required to report misconduct to SafeSport, but anyone can make a report. SafeSport can issue suspensions if the allegations are recent or serious, and they can ultimately ban coaches for life. If SafeSport clears a coach, they will be removed from the list.
SafeSport covers youth sports that are part of the 50 national sports governing bodies overseen by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. However, many more youth athletes are not included in this system or are only partially covered by it.
If a coach is banned, they cannot interact with athletes in covered sports, including during practices. They can still work with kids in unregulated organizations.
SafeSport provides training on recognizing and reporting sexual abuse, as well as rules for adult-minor interactions. However, while athletes over 18 must take the training, it's optional for parents.
Critics argue that SafeSport is underfunded and understaffed, leading to a backlog of unresolved complaints and cases that critics claim weren't properly investigated. Despite these challenges, the center has made improvements to its processes.
To protect children, parents should verify if their child's club or team is under a national governing body that is legally bound by SafeSport. They should check their child's coach in the SafeSport database and take the SafeSport training to learn about red flags for abuse and grooming.
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