1. Sexual Abuse in Sports Ontario Women’s Hockey Association September 26 th, 2009

2. Sexual Abuse……. is not an incident It is a relationship One that is corrupting and violating One that traps the child Leaving them helpless and ashamed

3. What we know…… 94,000 Ontario Children living in situations that may be abusive 1 in 3 girls 1 in 5 boys will experience some form of sexual abuse by the time they reach age 18

4. The abuser……… generally tries to shift responsibility and blame in order to trap the child Anyone who has authority and power over a child is immediately in a position where it will be easier to get away with it and harder for anyone to believe that the person can abuse

5. Anyone looking at the person cannot believe that they could be capable of doing such horrible things He or she is such a nice person But monsters don’t get close to children…..nice people do Until we recognize that…abuse will continue

6. For an aspiring athlete…giving up a sport to escape abuse is not an option She has already paid a high price for reaching the upper competitive limits of her sport The higher up the sporting ladder she climbs….the greater the investment Therefore the greater costs of leaving

7. What can we do to prevent abuse in a sporting environment??? Ensure that no one is placed in a compromising situation Understand that sexual abuse and/or harassment can be both physical and verbal Ensure that no corners are cut with respect to criminal records checks and mandatory training is met…..i.e. Speak Out

8. Know your responsibilities… Take all allegations seriously Recognize that your obligation to ensure that a child is protected is greater than your obligation to remain silent when you are not certain of the facts If you know or suspect a child is being abused, you must report it in accordance with the Child and Family Services Act.

9. Crossing the line… Ensure that you and those around you remain professional in all aspects In all actions and conduct both on and off the ice

10. Offences… Sexual Assault Sexual Assault with a Weapon/threats/bodily harm Aggravated Sexual Assault Sexual Interference Invitation to Sexual Touching Sexual Exploitation

11. Who is affected… Age of consent now raised to 16 years Sexual Interference, Invitation to Sexual Touching automatic because under 16 years CANNOT CONSENT Sexual Exploitation can be laid with respect to a victim up to age 18 years if person is in a position of trust or authority therefore the person CANNOT CONSENT

12. How do we protect our athletes and ourselves??? Without exception…follow the TWO DEEP RULE NEVER be alone with an athlete in any contact including…. personal contact, emails, text messages, phone calls Always have someone else present or copied on all correspondence

13. Be Careful what information you release for scouting purposes… Remember nothing is private once you put it on the internet Once it’s there….it’s there for life Be sure to seek the consent of the athlete and their parents prior to releasing any information It can have serious detrimental consequences

14. Keeping players safe… Limit the amount of information you release Only put what is absolutely necessary and ensure athletes and their parents sign off on the information you plan to publish

15. Refrain from publishing… anything that would identify them and bring a predator right to their doorstep… Date of birth Location School Actual Name of Athlete

16. Stick to stats and refrain from… publishing anything that could bring embarrassment or humiliation to the athlete…such as Academic grades. The release of this information often causes great distress particularly if the grades are not very good. Many become so distressed and often to the point of being suicidal

17. As a community what do we do when allegations are made… Remain impartial and let the right people investigate the allegations Do not pass judgement on anyone Separate your friendships from your professional role in sports Refrain from participating in an unreasonable and unlawful rally of support for either party

18. Intimidating Conduct… Do not participate in activities that involve bullying or cyber bullying Do not participate in Blogging or making comments on social networking websites regarding the legitimacy of allegations, guilt or innocence of anyone Understand that making threats or intimidating someone in this manner is a crime Discourage parents and others from engaging in this type of behaviour REMAIN PROFESSIONAL

19. Remember… You can protect a child from abuse in the same way you protect yourself from having false allegations brought against you…….FOLLOW THE TWO DEEP RULE and ensure those around you do the same!

20. Thank you… Sergeant Shelley Tarnowski Provincial Coordinator of Abuse Issues Ontario Provincial Police (705)329-6641 shelley.tarnowski@ontario.ca