Abuse Prevention Policy

Coaches must also have completed Abuse Prevention training. Our coordinator will provide you instructions on how to complete this training prior to commencing coaching activities. This training is valid for 2 years.
To commence this training or inquire on your validity status please email [email protected]
Our coordinator will provide you further instructions on completing this training.
Coaches are not cleared to coach until this training is completed and confirmed by our coordinator.

Babe Ruth Calgary Abuse Prevention Policy

All coaches, technical directors and board members (“League Volunteers”) are required to have a valid and clear police check that includes a vulnerable sector search that is not more than 2 years old and have completed the organization’s online abuse prevention training.
The online course is sponsored by Abuse Prevention Systems, a nationally recognized educator in their field.
The police checks and training described above must be completed by a potential coach or technical director prior to any coaching activities or interaction with player members of the organization.
After a cleared police check and vulnerable sector search has been received and the online abuse prevention training course successfully completed, League Volunteers are to be provided with this policy, including the guidelines and appendices attached hereto.
League Volunteers that are coaches must complete and sign the coach’s Code of Conduct statement and return in to either the league registrar, a board member or the head technical director.
In addition to any reporting required under applicable law, any incidents of actual or suspected abuse are to be immediately reported to Babe Ruth Calgary’s Abuse Prevention Committee (as further described in the General Guidelines and Procedures below).
The Abuse Prevention Committee is comprised of the organization’s president, vice president and head technical director.

General Guidelines and Procedures

No activity should take place involving one on one contact between a single, non-related League Volunteer and a player member if such activities can be practically avoided. Instead, a buddy system is encouraged where two adults should always be present during practices, games and special events. One such adult can be a parent spectator and need not necessarily be a League Volunteer.

Drop off and Pick up:

Drop off and pick up of player members by non-related League Volunteers is strongly discouraged. Parents should provide transportation for their own children to and from scheduled events and parents should be instructed to make back up plans with another parent in the event they are unable to provide transportation.
If parents cannot provide transportation it is recommended that they provide their team’s coach/manager with the name of the person authorized to pick up their child.
The league should clearly outline the expected start and end time for all events and communicate this with all parents.

Travel:

League Volunteers who have regular contact with player members, who are not also acting as parent or legal guardian, should not travel alone with a non-related player member and should only travel with at least two other player members or another adult at all times, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the player member’s parent or legal guardian in advance of travel.
The league recommends that a player under the age of 16 be accompanied by, and stay with, a parent or legal guardian when hotel housing is required. In some cases, not every parent or legal guardian will be able to attend. In these cases, parents should make arrangements with another parent, and not with a non-related League Volunteer.
The league should provide a detailed itinerary containing the travel plans, hotel information and listing the dates and times for all practices, games and other activities. This itinerary should also include contact information for travel team

chaperones/managers.

When a team is not practicing, competing or taking part in a tournament related activity, the league should have plans in place to monitor the activities of the player members and non-related adult League Volunteers.
At no time should a non-related League Volunteer and minor player be involved in an activity that is not attended by other adults or participants.

Touch/Physical Contact:

A League Volunteer may not improperly sexualize touch by fondling, kissing or seductive stroking of various body parts. On the other hand, appropriate touching can be used when a player member is in need of comfort, reassurance and support. Appropriate

touch is respectful of a person’s personal boundaries and comfort level, public (done in front of others and not secretly) and nurturing not sexualized.

Electronic Communication Policy:

If it is necessary for a non-related League Volunteer to send a direct text message or email to a player, the following guidelines should be followed:

A parent or guardian must be copied.
It should be signed so that it is clear as to whom is sending the message. 3. Just using the number or email address for identification is not sufficient. 4. An email or text message should never include or contain offensive, sexual or inappropriate language or photos.
The time of day and the number of messages sent should be considered.
Records should be kept of every League Volunteer’s current cell number and email address.

Reporting Requirements:

Any incidents or actual or suspected abuse are to be immediately reported to Babe Ruth Calgary’s Abuse Prevention Committee.
In addition to reporting any such events to Babe Ruth Calgary’s Abuse Prevention Committee, all League Volunteers and anyone affiliated with the organization may be required to report such events to the local authorities.
It is the express policy of the organization that all people affiliated with the organization comply with any and all child endangerment and protection laws including, without limitation, the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act (Alberta), as amended, restated, replaced or re-enacted from time to time (the “Protection Laws”).
Upon receipt of any report pursuant to this policy, Babe Ruth Calgary’s Abuse Prevention Committee shall expeditiously investigate and assess the report and take all steps it determines in good faith are necessary including, without limitation:

ensuring that the person that is alleged to have abused or is suspected of abusing any player member of the organization has no further contact with player members until the allegations have been fully investigated and/or addressed;
reporting the allegations to the board of directors of the organization; and c. making any necessary reports pursuant to the Protection Laws.

Appendices

Examples of Abuse

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is a pattern of deliberate, non-contact behaviour that has the potential to cause emotional or psychological harm to a player member. Examples include making the following statements:

You’re stupid.
You’re an idiot.
You’re an embarrassment
You’re not worth the uniform to play in.

Physical Abuse

Besides the obvious examples of a League Volunteer hitting, kicking, throwing equipment or shaking a player, watch out for the following:

Behaviours seem violent versus disciplinary.
Training practices become abusive.
Fighting is encouraged or ignored.
Illegal moves, often associated with injuries, are encouraged.
Coaches teach improper techniques or encourage conduct which violates safety rules. • Coaches allow a player member to become physically or verbally abusive. • Behaviours that result in injuries to athlete(s).

Bullying

Bullying is the use of coercion to obtain control over another person or to be habitually cruel to another person. Bullying involves an intentional, persistent and repeated pattern of committing or willfully tolerating physical and non-physical behaviours that are intended to cause fear, humiliation or physical harm, in an attempt to socially exclude, diminish or isolate another person. Bullying can occur through written, verbal or electronically transmitted expression or by means of a physical act or gesture. Bullying does not include group or team behaviours that are reasonably designed to establish normative team behaviours and promote team cohesion. Bullying also does not include rough play or conduct between opponents that occurs during or in connection with a game.

Hazing

Hazing includes any conduct which is intimidating, offensive or physically harmful. The hazing conduct is typically an activity that serves as a condition for joining a group or team or being socially accepted by a group or team’s members. Some examples of hazing include: • Consumption of alcohol or drugs.

Tying, taping or physically restraining an individual.
Beating, paddling or other forms of physical assault.
Verbal abuse or threats or implied threats.

Harassment

Harassment is a repeated pattern of physical and/or non-physical behaviours that; (a) are intended to cause fear, humiliation or annoyance, (b) offend or degrade, (c) create a hostile environment, (d) reflect discriminatory bias in an attempt to establish dominance, superiority or power over an individual or group based on gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression or mental or physical disability.

Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse involves any sexual activity between an adult and a minor. Minors cannot consent to sexual activity with an adult, and all sexual interaction between an adult and a minor is strictly forbidden. This also includes sexual contact with a minor that is accomplished by deception, manipulation, force or threat of force regardless of whether there is deception or the minor understands the sexual nature of the activity.

An adult may not improperly sexualize touch by fondling instead of hugging (with permission), kissing or seductive stroking of various body parts. On the other hand, appropriate touching may be used when a child needs comfort, reassurance and support. Appropriate touch is respectful of a person’s personal boundaries and comfort level, public and nurturing (not sexualized).

Warning Signs of Abuse

With some forms of abuse, there may be physical indicators (i.e., with physical abuse – bruises, welts, broken bones or with sexual abuse – venereal diseases, genital swelling/soreness, difficulty sitting or walking, pain or itching while urinating of defecating, stomach aches, pain/itching in the genital area and frequent and unexplained sore throats). But most often the effects of sexual abuse are less obvious. For example, sudden shifts in behaviour or attitudes when an outgoing child suddenly builds a protected or closed emotional wall, or a generally happy child becomes aggressive and angry, or a trusting child becomes fearful, may be an indication of abuse. In sports, this can show up as losing interest or wanting to drop out of sports or a sudden decline in ability.

Please note that no indicators or symptoms are absolute. Many of these could be indicators of problems other than child abuse. However, if some of these things are going on, consider them to be a red flag. One difficulty is that some signs are ambiguous. Children may respond in different ways and some may show no sign at all.

Some indicators include:

Disclosure by child. Most children won’t just come out and say they have been abused, but instead, may hint at it.
Observations, complaints, concerns or allegations about League Volunteers. • Unexplained/unlikely explanations of injuries.
Difficulty walking or sitting.
Sudden loss of appetite or compulsive eating.
Inability to concentrate.
Fear of medical treatment or examination.
Shrinks back from touch.
Being overly affectionate or acting out sexually.
Wearing excessive clothing.
Emotionally abuses others.
Overreaction to mistakes.
Continual self-deprecation.
Extreme fear of a League Volunteer.
Extreme low self-esteem or self-worth.
A child’s attachment to a League Volunteer to the point of isolation from others. • A child’s desire to drop out without a clear explanation or without one that makes sense.
A child that misses a lot of games or practices with suspicious explanations or excuses.

Common Myths About Child Abuse

Myth: Child abuse is rare.

Fact: All types of child abuse and neglect are common. Child abuse and neglect are often not identified as they occur in private or secret. Children also find it hard to disclose and be believed. Often there is little evidence to substantiate the crime.

Myth: It doesn’t happen in our sport.

Fact: Abuse happens in all sports. Unfortunately, sports are just one part of our social system, suffering all the good, bad and ugly features of other sectors, including child abuse.

Myth: You can always spot a child molester.

Fact: You cannot assume someone is a child abuser just by looking at him or her. In fact, he is probably not the creepy guy down the street. More likely, abuse will be inflicted by a parent, a relative or a child’s coach, teacher or caregiver.

Myth: It’s only abuse if it’s physical or violent.

Fact: Child abuse does not necessarily involve violence or anger. Abuse often involves adults wielding their power over children and using children as objects rather than respecting their rights.

Myth: Ours is a team sport, so we don’t need to worry.

Fact: Abuses of all types take place in all sports. No sport is immune. There are many situations where team athletes might train alone. The competitive structure of a sport tells us nothing about the type or frequency of safeguarding problems that may be encountered.

Myth: Children are usually abused by strangers.

Fact: Children are more likely to be abused by someone they know and trust rather than by a stranger. Many children are unable to tell they are being abused when someone is familiar is the perpetrator. Disclosing what has happened (or is happening) to them also has a greater personal impact when it involves someone the child knows.

Myth: Children usually tell someone about their abuse.

Fact: Most children do not tell anyone. They are often silenced through threats or fear of not being believed. Some children don’t have the words to speak about what is happening to them or do not speak up because they have feelings of shame.

Myth: People lie about child abuse for attention or sympathy.

Fact: Research, including police and court statistics, shows that it is very rate for a person of any age to say they were abused if they weren’t. However, false negative reports of abuse are common. For example, many adults state that they were not abused as children when they were.

Myth: Children get over bad experiences in childhood.

Fact: Adults are often deeply affected by childhood trauma and abuse. You can’t just “get over” it. Survivors need the right care and support to overcome the impacts of abuse, recover and live full and healthy lives.

Myth: Only men sexually abuse children.

Fact: While statistically more men do sexually abuse children than women, women can also be perpetrators.

Myth: People who sexually abuse children are mentally ill.

Fact: Most people who sexually abuse children are not mentally ill. They are often married and/or have sexual relationships with adults. In anonymous surveys, a significant minority of men in the community indicate a sexual interest in children.

Myth: People do not “forget” child abuse.

Fact: For over one hundred years, traumatic amnesia has been documented amongst war veterans, survivors of natural and man-made disasters and adult survivors of child abuse. These memories can later resurface through flashbacks, nightmares and intrusive thoughts. These memories have sometimes been called, “recovered memories”.

Myth: Children are very suggestible and they can easily make up stories of abuse. Fact: Children are no more suggestible than adults, and can clearly distinguish between reality and fantasy. Research has shown that children resist making false reports during leading and suggestive interviewing techniques.

Recognize Grooming

Grooming is the process by which sexual predators pave the way for sexual abuse by gradually gaining the trust of and conditioning of minors, parents and administrators. Aspects of sexual grooming may include:

Targeting the victim.
Securing access to and isolating the victim.
Gaining the victim’s trust.
Controlling and concealing the relationship.

The purpose of grooming is:

To manipulate the perceptions of other adults around the child.
To manipulate the child into becoming a co-operating participant which reduces the likelihood of a disclosure and increases the likelihood that the child will repeatedly return to the offender.
To reduce the likelihood of the child being believed if they do disclose. • To reduce the likelihood of the abuse being detected.

Understanding sexual grooming and common sexual grooming behaviours can help individuals prevent sexual abuse before it occurs. Common sexual grooming behaviours are often subtle and may not appear inappropriate. These behaviours include:

An adult seems overly interested in a child.
An adult frequently initiates or creates opportunities to be alone with a child. • An adult becomes fixated on a child.
An adult gives special privileges to a child.
An adult befriends a family and shows more interest in building a relationship with the child than with the adults.
An adult displays favoritism towards one child within a family.
An adult finds opportunities to buy a child gifts.
An adult caters to the interests of the child so a child or the parent may initiate contact with the offender.
An adult who displays age and gender preferences.

Friends of Babe Ruth Calgary