Youth Sports

Reducing the Risk of Sexual Abuse in Youth Sports

• Risk of sexual abuse is always high when an activity involves touch, transportation and the changing of clothing.
• Sexual Abuse Awareness Training dispels misconceptions and provides factual material to coaches and parents, allowing them to recognize abuser characteristics and 'grooming behavior.'

At young ages, children are taught to trust the coach; an adult in a position of trust and authority.  The right coach can change a child's life - teaching and modeling sportsmanship, competition and teamwork.  The wrong coach can scar a child for life.  Unfortunately, a growing number of sexual predators are using youth sports to gain access to children for sexual interacting.

Risk of sexual abuse is always higher when an activity involves touch, transportation and the changing of clothing.  Further, parents teach children to trust and respect the coach.  This combination can be dangerous if a child is involved in programming with the wrong coach.

Sports programs are many and varied.  There is no 'one-size-fits-all; set of policies that prevents abuse.  In all youth sports programs, Sexual Abuse Awareness Training dispels misconceptions and provides factual material to coaches and parents, allowing them to recognize abuse characteristics and 'grooming behaviors'.

Contact us to learn how MinistrySafe tools can assist in the creation of effective program policies, as well as effectual screening forms and processes for coaches, program employees and volunteers.

Click HERE to sign up as an Abuse Prevention Systems member and access the tools which can reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in your youth sports program.