APPENDIX C - SEXUAL ABUSE & PREVENTION POLICY
APPENDIX C - SEXUAL ABUSE & PREVENTION POLICY
The safety and welfare of the All Star athlete must be at the forefront of all programming considerations . All Star programs must have clear , written guidelines that prohibit adults who have contact with minors from engaging in conduct that is either inappropriate and / or illegal .
The default USASF Sexual Abuse Prevention Policy includes :
A . Compliance with the federal requirements for Sports Organizations .
The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act was signed into law February 12 , 2018 by President Trump . Additional details on this Act can be found by following either link :
Rueters Article : https :// www . reuters . com / article / usa-congressharassment / u-s-house-passes-bill-to-protectyoung-athletes-from-abuse-idUSKBN1FJ032
Legislation Text : https :// www . congress . gov / bill / 115th-congress / senate-bill / 534 / text ? format = txt
The Act makes it a criminal offense NOT to take the following measures – there is NO grace period , it is effective immediately :
1 . Mandatory Incident Reporting The Act requires Organizations to provide a tool for Mandatory Reporters to immediately report suspicions of abuse . The list of “ Mandatory Reporters ” now includes any adult authorized to interact with a minor athlete at a sports organization , facility , event , or treatment .
2 . Consistent Abuse Prevention Training The Act requires youth sports organizations to provide consistent training on prevention and reporting of child abuse to all adult members who are in regular contact with minors / amateur athletes . Effective prevention training allows adults to see and recognize problematic behaviors before a minor is abused .
3 . Confidential Notifications The Act requires organizations to provide a “ mechanism for communication ” for all participants and volunteers where they can confidentially report incidents of abuse , or suspicion of abuse .
4 . Audit Trail and Reporting The Act requires organizations to establish “ oversight procedures ” to create records for each incident , including the responses taken to follow acceptable procedures , and can be proven during “ random audits ” of the organization .
B . The provision of education and resources for parents .
Programs will share and make available resources for parents to educate themselves . At minimum , programs will educate parents on the availability of :
1 . Safesport Tool Kit for parents : https :// resources . safesport . org / toolkits / Parent- Toolkit-Complete / index . html ,
2 . FREE online parent training is available at athletesafey . org , 3 . Darkness to Light Website : https :// www . d2l . org /, 4 . Stewards of Children Prevention Toolkit App available on mobile devices , and 5 . USASF SafeSport code & the USCSS Policies document that is available to all USASF members .
C . The posting of the Policy & Procedures for all participants and their legal guardians to see , as well as ensuring that you are meeting the standards set forth in the posted policy .
The program will : 1 . Post the Policy & Procedures for participants , their guardians , and coaches to see . 2 . Follow the policy as outlined , including hosting an annual sexual abuse orientation meeting with all coaches , parents and volunteers . Links for the items needed to conduct the annual orientation meeting can be found online in the Member Resources site . You will need : a . Handout b . PCA produced video : Protecting Youth Athletes
From Sexual Abuse : Parents And Coaches
D . The following of the Mandated Reporter Laws of your state :
A Mandated Reporter is someone required by law to report if they suspect or know that child abuse is occurring . Each state has its own legal requirements and agencies for reporting . It is the responsibility of the Program Administrator and / or owner to : 1 . Know the laws that are specific for their state . 2 . Post the legal requirements and specific reporting procedures for their state for all coaches and adult staff to reference .
3 . Conduct an annual staff meeting that includes training on the legal requirements and reporting procedures for their state .
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