ABSTRACT

There are different categories of abuse, such as neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse and bullying and harassment. Physical abuse is actual physical violence and can include excessive training loads and regimes or excessive nutritional or weight control; neglect is exposing children to unnecessary risk or harm; sexual abuse is adults or children (male and female) abusing children to satisfy their own sexual desires (Lester, 2003); emotional abuse is constant criticism, berating and threatening behaviour; and bullying and harassment is deliberate or hurtful behaviour (DH, 1999), which includes racism, homophobia, religious discrimination, sarcasm and name calling, ignoring someone (not being inclusive), and can be verbal, written or physical, or more increasingly in this day and age via mobile phone texts and emails. There are physical and behavioural indicators of abuse that may be exhibited, which the coach should look out for, and the typical signs are:

(Lester, 2003)

These signs may not constitute abuse and there may be other behavioural changes which the coach should be aware of, or even a cluster of signs. It is not the coach’s responsibility to decide whether or not a child is being abused, but it is the coach’s responsibility to act if there are any concerns. If a child discloses:

(Lester, 2003; SSP, 2004)

Never:

trust) so you can begin to protect the child and gain support for yourself ■ go directly to the parents of the disclosing child.