Recognising Potential Abuse
Here are some guidelines which will help you to recognise signs of potential abuse and what to look out for in your participants.
You are well placed to recognise the physical and behavioural signs of abuse in your participants.
It may be that the abuse, or concerns about the welfare of a child, comes to light through their involvement in sport rather than as a result of their participation.
Things to look out for are:
- Unexplained bruising
- Sudden changes in behaviour
- Something that is said to you
- Sexually explicit language or behaviour
- Something about another adult’s behaviour towards a particular participant or group of participants
These signs are not confirmation of abuse, but they are potential indicators. Remember, it is not your responsibility to decide whether or not a child or vulnerable adult is being abused, but it is your duty to report any concerns that you have so that they can be investigated. Reporting such matters can be difficult, especially if it concerns another member of staff or volunteer, however, it is the welfare of the child or vulnerable adult that is paramount.
