Coaches - What to do now

As a coach you are responsible for ensuring the well being of the team. This includes role modelling appropriate behaviours, supporting participants, identifying inappropriate behaviours and referring to existing systems to deal with issues that may arise. You should seek advice from your club President or your sports Member Protection Information Officer if sexual harassment is occurring in your team.

If you observe sexual harassment occurring within your team (e.g., inappropriate jokes or touching)

• Don't ignore the behaviour.  Talk to the player and check whether the behaviour you've observed concerns them.
• Ask them if they find the behaviour unsettling, and what they want done. Give the person the contact details of your club administrator or your sports Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) so they can consider their options.
• Offer to provide support if the person feels confident raising the issue directly with the individual responsible. Most people just want the behaviour to stop.
• Talk to the individual responsible for the harassment about your sport's Member Protection Policy, Code of Behaviour and implications for breaches of these policies.
• Provide a warning, keep notes and monitor the situation. Inform the club administrator of your actions.
• Make sure there is no victimisation or ostracising behaviour toward either the person who has been harassed or the harasser.
• Remind all team members about your sports Member Protection Policy and Code of Behaviour.
• Monitor the situation.

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If someone complains about sexual harassment by a team member

• Take the complaint seriously. Understand that it is very difficult for a person to come forward with a complaint about sexual harassment.
• Provide the person with the contact details of your club administrator or Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) so that they can be informed about their options.
• Ask the person what sort of support they would like from you. In many cases they may just want to discuss their concerns.
• Make sure both the person complaining and the person being complained about are protected from victimisation.
• If they want you to talk to the person they are complaining about be fair and open-minded; listen to their side of the story; explore ways of resolving the matter.
• If you can't reach a satisfactory outcome (e.g., the person refuses to admit that their actions could be seen as harassment), refer the matter to your club committee for more formal action.
• Make sure both the person complaining and the person being complained about are protected from victimisation. 

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If you are alleged to be sexually harassing another person

Reflect on your behaviour.  Can you identify anything you have said or done that would cause someone to assume you were sexually harassing them? Might you have inadvertently created the wrong impression?  If so, take the first opportunity to apologise.

If you can't identify any inappropriate behaviours:

• expect to be treated fairly and given support
• tell your side of the story 
• cooperate with any inquiry
• do not harass or threaten the person who has made the complaint
• recognise that you may be moved to other duties where you will not be in contact with the complainant.

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