The Role of Sports Coaches in Ensuring Child Protection against Abuse - Term Paper Example

Sports Coaches- Role in Ensuring Child Protection against Abuse Introduction This paper dwells on the globally burning issue of child abuse, unpleasant instances related to which have more or less become the order of the day, in the contemporary era. The predominant focus of the paper would be on tackling the menace (child abuse) in the avenue of sports. Here, the manner in which the sports coaches can play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of child participants would also be elaborated. That the paper discussing about a highly relevant topic such as this one would also be emphasizing on the related laws, policies, real instances, etc, warrants no special mention. Child Abuse- A Basic Understanding Before concentrating on the various intricate aspects of the subject, it would be of immense help in having a basic understanding about the concept of child abuse. This would enable in fully comprehending the vital aspects to be discussed in subsequent sections of the paper. Child abuse encompasses all intentional acts of both omission and commission, by adults and adolescents, also including those who are a part of the concerned victim’s family, which hurt the child both emotionally and also physically. There are plenty of complexities involved in coming out with an apt and universally acceptable definition for diverse patterns of this abuse. Diverse realms such as Medicine, Psychology, Social services and Law, among others, have given their own definitions. The above-mentioned intricacies are attributable also to various factors like cultural variations, age of the child. To be more specific, corporal punishment is acceptable in some regions, while it is treated as a form of abuse in other zones. Likewise, scrupulously monitoring the child’s movements is necessary during the tender years, but this very aspect is tantamount to a kind of psychological abuse when the child in question is an adolescent. (1) (Rhys Price-Robertson, Leah Bromfield, November 2009). Notwithstanding all the aforesaid complex aspects, the following are more or less universally recognized as the diverse forms in which a child could be subjected to abuse. Physical Abuse: This indicates making a child to be at the receiving end of an intentional usage of physical strength resulting in harm. For an act to be treated as physical abuse, it is not necessary that the elder in question also has the intention to cause harm. Here, key factors like the child’s age, nature of the physical act, etc, are taken into consideration for deciding whether or not it (the act) is tantamount to this form of abuse. The act of a parent or guardian, whereby, an ailment is wantonly induced in a child falls under the purview of physical abuse, too. (1) (Rhys Price-Robertson, Leah Bromfield, November 2009). Emotional Maltreatment: This is also termed as emotional abuse, and speaks about any oral or symbolic action by an elder that severely jeopardizes emotional stability of the child. In fact, such acts have the potential to cause a permanent damage to the psyche. Aspects like rejection, isolation and intimidation, to cite a few, are classified as being forms of emotional abuse. (1) (Rhys Price-Robertson, Leah Bromfield, November 2009). Neglect: By neglect, reference is made to inability of the parents or the guardian in providing things necessary for the child’s emotional and physical wellbeing and growth. This type of abuse includes deprivation of basic physical needs, affection & warmth, educational opportunities and secure environment. (1) (Rhys Price-Robertson, Leah Bromfield, November 2009). Sexual Abuse: When an adult or an older adolescent uses a child for satisfying the sexual desire, it is classified as sexual abuse. This aspect of sexual abuse of children is not confined to just the penetrative sex, but also includes other modes of carnal acts such as fondling, masturbation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, amongst others. When a child is legally not recognized as having attained the age of participating in sex, even their (child’s) consent does not prevent the related sexual act from coming under the purview of sexual abuse. (1) (Rhys Price-Robertson, Leah Bromfield, November 2009). In addition to these four basic patterns of child abuse, the following also are now classified as being some more forms of abuse: fetal abuse, sibling abuse, bullying, abuse in institutions, child witnessing violent incidents, among many others. (1) (Rhys Price-Robertson, Leah Bromfield, November 2009). Child Abuse, Children Protection – The Avenue of Sports Till date, in terms of child abuse, the main focus of all related aspects has been on the general social environment in which children grow, with relatively very little emphasis on the menace (child abuse) present in the set-up of sports. But the bitter truth is that, instances of abuse of child participants are increasing at an alarming proportion, in the realm of sports. It is only quite recently that a serious note has been made of this grave situation, and it is heartening to be noting that several key policies for combating child abuse in sports are being initiated. The current worldwide scenario is marked by heightened competition, covering all spheres, where attaining success at any cost is being given topmost priority. Obviously, the realm of sports is also no exception to this aggressive competition! With excessive emphasis on obtaining victories, coupled with the rise in the importance of the commercial elements, it is but inevitable that instances of sexual and other forms of abuse are on a rise, in sports. Here, it needs to be noted that younger participants who are just in the initial stages of their sports career are highly vulnerable to various forms of abuse. And in this regard, the greatest risk for these beginners is from persons who already established themselves in the sport! (2) (Joy D.Bringer, Celia H. Brackenridge, Lynne H. Johnston, 2002). In light of the contents discussed in the previous paragraph, the responsibility of the sports coach is now much bigger. This is so because, now, apart from providing the right kind of training to the younger aspirants, the coaches are entailed also to protect them from different forms of abuse. They (coaches) should keep a very careful watch over both the younger sportspeople and also any unscrupulous individuals who could potentially endanger the interests of the beginners. Probably, the most prevalent form of abuse of younger participants is in the form of bullying by senior players, and the coaches need to initiate stern measures to combat this issue. In fact, while focusing on this aspect of protecting child participants, the coaches should not confine themselves to just the set-up of sports, but should also attempt to safeguard them (children) from abuse in the overall social ambience. For this purpose, it is of paramount relevance for the coaches to be aware of some key signs and behavioral patterns strongly suggesting that the child could have been victim of some form of abuse. It would now be worthwhile to have a look at some of them. The victimized child constantly displays severe anxiety, and tries to avoid social interactions. The child becomes either overly aggressive or abnormally reserved. In cases of physical or sexual abuse, the child has some unexplained injuries. The child strongly attempts to keep away from a particular person. In instances of sexual abuse, there is a possibility that, subsequent to the acts of abuse, the child could get interested in sexual aspects, much against the normal patterns of their age. (3) (HELPGUIDE.org, December 2009). If the coaches happen to perceive any of the aforesaid signs in any child participant undergoing training, they should make a very serious note of it and endeavor to identify the root cause of the abnormal behavior. Before dwelling on the aspect of the importance of sports coaches being aware of various laws, policies, etc, combating the menace of child abuse, a brief focus needs to be made on an unpleasant fact. There are some instances where the perpetrator of the act of abuse was none other than the coach, and the details of the following research strongly suggest the same. In the year 2003, a study was carried out in the UK, encompassing the issue of the coaches subjecting competent child athletes to severe emotional abuse. For the purpose of this research, details of twelve child athletes pertaining to the age-group of 8-16 were studied, covering sports such as soccer, netball, hockey, and diving, among others. Feedback from them was obtained in the form of interviews and other modes of research study. In the study, abuse was defined in a manner so as to include words and gestures suggesting humiliation, neglect, rejection, intimidation, etc. The findings of this study revealed some rather disturbing facts! All the respondents reported to have been victims of relatively milder form of abuse like belittling, by the coaches, at some stage or the other. In addition, the research showed that, a significant majority of the child athletes were victimized through more grave patterns of abuse such as humiliation and intimidation. Another highly noteworthy point of this study is that, the coaches’ behavior started getting unpleasant only after the child athletes obtained recognition as capable sportspersons. All this unpleasantness turned out to be a big blow for the self-esteem of the child performers. (4) (Wiley.com, 2003). In spite of the facts noted by the above research, there is no real necessity for allowing a pessimistic perspective to creep into this all-important issue of “Protection of Children by Sports Coaches”. And the same is not without a valid reason, for the instances dwelled upon in the above research could be conveniently treated as aberrations, when the overall related scenario is taken into account. A substantial chunk of coaches are individuals of integrity, who give topmost priority to the interests of the younger aspirants in the realm of sports. It is of utmost importance for the coaches to be aware of all the anti-abuse laws and policies, as they would then be in a stronger position to protect the children being trained by them. The focus of the paper would now be shifting to having an understanding of some of the key legislations and policies. The Children Act 1989: As per this Act of the UK Government, all the zonal authorities are entailed to promote the interests, and ensure the safety and well-being of all children residing in their respective jurisdictions. The authorities need to ensure that the children are taken proper care of, by their families. The Act enables the local bodies in seeking the intervention of law courts for initiating any strong measures, in the interests of children. Yet, as far as possible, the authorities are expected to first work in coordination with parents/guardians, before resorting to order of court. (5) (Devon County Council, ND). Protection of Children Act 1999 (PoCA): The UK Government brought this Act into vogue, in the year 2000. As per this Act, the secretary of the state is obligated to maintain a record having names of persons who are treated as unfit for working with children. The Act mandates all organizations of children’s care regulated by the government, to provide details of all such persons, based on some specified guidelines. And these names are added to the PoCA List. Once an individual’s name gets included in this list, they are barred from working in any child welfare organization. Also, when any organization (child welfare) employs a person even after being aware that they are considered unfit, as per PoCA, the same is tantamount to a penal offence. (6) (Teachernet, November 2009). The Human Rights Act 1998: As per this Act, the UK Government guarantees the basic fundamental rights to all the people present within the Kingdom, and not just to the citizens. The Act enables individuals whose basic rights are violated, to seek assistance from the law court, when all other means of obtaining justice have failed. The provisions of the Human Rights Act are implemented by various bodies such as Community Legal Advice and Citizens Advice Bureau, among many others. Some of the basic rights assured by the Act are the right to life, freedom from slavery, freedom of expression, the right to liberty, the right against discrimination, freedom from torture and right to a fair trial, to cite a few. (7) (Directgov, August 2010). The aforesaid are just a few of the several laws aimed at battling the menace of child abuse. At this juncture, it needs to be understood that the Human Rights Act, also encompasses the crimes of child abuse. This is because, incidences of abuse of children are probably the most severe forms of violation of perhaps the most basic of the rights – the rights that assure the child of total safety and well-being! Along with the above-mentioned three Acts, the sports coaches need to be fully knowledgeable about all the other related legislations striving to promote the welfare of children, along with an awareness of legal recourses when any acts of abuse happen. Here, it won’t be out of place to dwell upon the ideal pattern of sports coaching for child athletes. This mode of training, along with ensuring that the child is safe from any form of abuse, also makes sure that the children’s capabilities as sportspersons are thoroughly honed. Right Coaching for Child Athletes The first and foremost aspect of topmost relevance a child-oriented training program needs to consider is the one that focuses on various physical and mental limitations of children, in whom the process of growth is not yet completed. The training regimen should be fully sensitive to these limitations, and it is unrealistic to be making the child undergo a form of training designed for elder aspirants. Here, the coaches are necessitated to be aware of the fundamental fact of life that, after the birth and during the initial stages of growth, a small child first learns about controlling his head. It is only thereafter that they start gaining control over the movements of their shoulders, arms, legs and toes. The child-centric mode of training needs to be designed based upon this very fact of the natural learning process of human life. For instance, the initial warm-up preceding a vigorous session aimed at developing various skills specific to the particular sport in question, should be following the above-stated natural process of human growth. (8) (James Marshall, ND). Along with the all the aspects discussed in the preceding paragraph, the coaches should be unhesitant to run the extra mile in providing training to children with problems such as autism and dyslexia. For this, it is very important that the coaches themselves are aptly trained to handle children with these disorders. They need to keep a constant watch for any signs such as hyperactivity, reduced attention and poor memory, etc, as the same are strong indicators of some learning disorder being present in the child. (8) (James Marshall, ND). It has been noted that, a major chunk of incidents of abuse of child athletes are attributable to comparatively elder sportspersons, and not to coaches- bullying acts by senior athletes are more rampant than instances of abuse by coaches. There is another risky misconception held by many people in the realm of sports, and which maintains that aggressive and rough child aspirants would be able to defend themselves from any form of abuse. This is nothing but sheer myth, and all sports coaches would be dong yeomen service to the younger lot by discarding it. (9) (Olympic.org, February 2010). The coaches are necessitated to make a meticulous note of all the contents emphasized upon, in the preceding three paragraphs, and go on to provide a right ambience for the child athletes to thrive. They should be giving added relevance to the aspect of bullying by seniors! The coaches need to scrupulously monitor all interactions between the children and the elder athletes, as well as demarcate between healthy interaction and the one suggesting harassment and abuse. It would now be highly appropriate to be focusing on some developments, on the international landscape, addressing the all-important issue of child protection: United Nations Convention for the Rights of a Child: In the year 1989, leaders representing several governments of the globe convened for addressing the globally relevant issues of Child Protection and Children Rights. The convention specified some social, political, economic and cultural rights for younger individuals below the age of eighteen. The following are some of those rights: right to life, right to be a part of social activities, right to be protected from exploitation and abuse, and right to be safeguarded from detrimental influences, among many others. It needs to be noted that, every right elaborated by the convention is highly necessary for both the right development of a child - both physically and mentally – and also for upholding their dignity. The convention also stipulates that all the related authorities/persons need to initiate all possible measures to protect children from all forms of abuse discussed earlier, in this paper. (10) (Unicef, August 2008). Strategy of the Government of England: In the year 2006, the Government of England launched its policy “Every Child Matters: Change for Children”, aimed at safeguarding the welfare of children. Consequent to the legislation, many modifications were made to the existing related laws, and numerous comprehensive strategies came into vogue. Perhaps, the most pivotal tenet of this policy is that, it placed the onus of ensuring the safety and well-being of the children on people functioning at all levels, from the topmost managerial cadre to the volunteers. (11) (SkillsActive, December 2007). Children’s Workforce Strategy: This particular one is also an initiative of the Government launched as an off-shoot of the above-mentioned strategy of “Every Child Matters”. “Children’s Workforce Strategy” addresses six facets of high relevance, with regard to the right development and growth of children. Those are: Effective Communication, Safeguard and promotion of child welfare, development of young persons and children, Multi-agency functioning, enabling transitions, and sharing of information. (11) (SkillsActive, December 2007). National Strategy for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport 2006 – 2012: This particular strategy, which is also a part of the first initiated one “Every Child Matters”, makes it obligatory for all sports organizations to fully make sure that various personnel interacting with children are properly trained to aptly discharge their duties. This particular initiative directed at the realm of sports, along with all other key aspects, includes provisions to battle the grave issue of abuse of child athletes. (11) (SkillsActive, December 2007). Conclusion It can be conveniently concluded that, notwithstanding the seriousness of child abuse in sports, the various concerned legislations and government strategies give a fairly optimistic picture of the state of affairs. Tackling abuse of young sportspersons has now gained even more prominence than ever before, on a worldwide basis. One of the main reasons for this enhanced global concern lies in the fact that, with the surge of the era of information, it is but an obvious consequence that people develop more awareness about any issue, with the one of “child abuse in sports” being no exception to it. With so many laws, strategies, governments and even committed individuals toiling relentlessly, it could be anticipated that the in the not-that-distant future itself, this grave issue would become nothing more than just an unpleasant thing of the past. The subject of this paper is a highly extensive one, and it is just not possible to be covering all the related points in a brief paper such as this one. Yet, a genuine attempt has been made to encompass the most relevant of all the facets of child abuse in sports and children protection. SOURCES 1) Rhys Price-Robertson, Leah Bromfield, November 2009. What is child abuse and neglect?. Retrieved from aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/sheets/rs6/rs6.html. 2) Joy D.Bringer, Celia H. Brackenridge, Lynne H. Johnston, 2002. Defining appropriateness in coach-athlete sexual relationships: The voice of coaches. Retrieved from informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a790190874. 3) HELPGUIDE.org, December 2009. Child Abuse and Neglect. Retrieved from helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm. 4) Wiley.com, 2003. The emotional abuse of elite child athletes by their coaches. Retrieved from www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/109084899/articletext?DOI=10. 5) Devon County Council, ND. Section 6-Legislation The Children Act 1989 (Principles and Concepts). Retrieved from devon.gov.uk/index/cyps/child-protection/child-protection-procedures/cp-sec-6/cp-sec-6-1.htm. 6) Teachernet, November 2009. Protection of Children Act 1999 and the PoCA List. Retrieved from nspcc.org.uk/Inform/policyandpublicaffairs/NorthernIreland/briefings/sportscoaches_wdf54979.pdf. 7) Directgov, August 2010. Human Rights. Retrieved from direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Yourrightsandresponsibilities/DG_4002951 8) James Marshall, ND. Sports Coaching: how to coach athletes with learning difficulties. Retrieved from pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-coaching-how-to-coach-athletes-with-learning-difficulties-41300. 9) Olympic.org, February 2010. Myths and Evidence – learning from our journey. Retrieved from olympic.org/Documents/THE%20IOC/Myths%20about%20abuse%20in%20sport%20(16%203%2010).pdf. 10) Unicef, August 2008. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from unicef.org/crc/. 11) SkillsActive, December 2007. Guidance document: Roles, skills, knowledge and competencies for safeguarding and protecting children in the sports sector. Retrieved from nspcc.org.uk/Inform/cpsu/Resources/Publications/Roles_wdf64140.pdf Read More