Beltsville Soccer Academy
Just for the love of the game
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BELTSVILLE SOCCER ACADEMY’S CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY
1. Our values and principles
Beltsville Soccer Academy (BSA) does not allow any coaches, administrators, parents, or any members engaged by Beltsville soccer academy to engage in any form of child abuse, maltreatment or poor safeguarding practice. A child is anyone under the age of 18, and all children have an equal right to protection regardless of any personal characteristic, including their age, gender, ability, culture, racial origin, religious belief and sexual identity.
This policy applies to all persons working for us or on our behalf in any capacity, including employees at all levels, directors, coaches, volunteers. It applies during or outside of working hours, every day of the year.
2. What is Child Abuse?
Child abuse consists of anything, which individuals, institutions or processes do or fail to do which directly or indirectly harms children or damages their prospect of a safe and healthy development into adulthood.
This policy covers all forms of child abuse. BSA recognizes five categories of child abuse, which are sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and exploitation. Other sub-categories may be adopted from time to time. The policy also covers any poor safeguarding practice, which results in or creates a risk of child abuse or harm.
Definitions of Child Abuse:
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Adult males do not solely perpetrate sexual abuse. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is the non-accidental use of physical force that deliberately or inadvertently causes a risk of/or actual injury to a child. This may include hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing non-accidental physical harm to a child. Physical harm can also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness or temporary, permanent injury or disability of a child.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse involves doing harm to a child’s emotional, intellectual, mental or psychological development. This may occur as an isolated event or on an ongoing basis. Emotional abuse includes but is not limited to any humiliating or degrading treatment (e.g., bad name calling, threats, yelling/screaming/cursing, teasing, constant criticism, belittling, persistent shaming etc.), failure to meet a child’s emotional needs, and rejecting, ignoring, terrorizing, isolating or confining a child
Neglect
Neglect includes but is not limited to failing to provide adequate food, sufficient or seasonally appropriate clothing and /or shelter. Neglect is also failing to prevent harm; failing to ensure adequate supervision; failing to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment or providing inappropriate medical access to weapons or harmful objects, failing to childproof a space that children will occupy etc
Exploitation
Child exploitation is an umbrella term used to describe the abuse of children who are forced, tricked, coerced or trafficked into exploitative activities. For Save the Children child exploitation includes modern slavery and trafficking of children and children forced or recruited into armed conflict. Child sexual exploitation is a form of child sexual abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into sexual activity; (a) in exchange for something the victim needs or wants, and/or (b) for the financial advantage or increased status of the perpetrator or facilitator. The victim may have been sexually exploited even if the sexual activity appears consensual. Child sexual exploitation does not always involve physical contact; it can also occur with the use of technology
Zero Tolerance
At BSA, we have a culture of zero tolerance for all forms of
abuse and mistreatment, including Sexual Exploitation and Abuse,
Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying. This means that every single concern is fully responded to and where necessary prompt action (including conducting an investigation and taking disciplinary action, if applicable) is taken. It means that we will hold our people to account against the same standards and subject them to the same processes, as everyone else regardless of their position or reputation within the organization.
Sincerely,
Mody Sissoko
