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As part of a sporting group or club, you are in a unique position to promote a child-friendly community. The key priority for child friendly sporting groups and clubs such as yours, is for children and young people to have fun safely in this environment. This involves far more than physical safety, but ensuring that all members and instructors of the club interact in a supportive, competent and ethical manner that allows everyone to feel valued, supported and free from harm. In fact, all clubs and groups have a moral and legal duty of care to provide a safe, secure environment for children.
Sporting groups and clubs are an integral part of Australian culture for children and young people and their families. They offer wonderful opportunities for them to develop new skills, develop a sense of community, be challenged, have fun with their peers, and as is often reported, play a key role in the development of the young person's social skills and self esteem.
Through your interactions with children and their families, you are playing a part , everyday, in helping to create child friendly communities and prevent child abuse.
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Support all paid and voluntary staff to undertake relevant courses to provide them with the necessary skills and information to ensure children's safety and well being and to respond to any allegations or observations of child abuse.
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Make use of the knowledge and experience of older or more senior members of your club to become mentors in supporting and inspiring younger members.
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Engage in open and honest discussion within your sporting group or club about how to improve practices for keeping children safe.
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Encourage local sporting heroes to become ‘Children's Champions' – ask them to lend their name to promoting the prevention of child abuse and neglect and encouraging sporting communities to become ‘child friendly'.
If you would like to know more about how you can Play a Part, contact our Project Facilitators HERE
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