Child Abuse Disclosures

‘Child abuse’ is an incident that causes physical or psychological harm to a child or young person. It includes everything from sexual and physical abuse to vilification, harassment and bullying. 

It is critical that all the adults in your club or association – especially the parents, coaches and volunteers who children know and trust – know how to recognise a disclosure. They should also know how to respond in a way that helps the child feel supported and leads to appropriate action.

What is a child abuse disclosure?

A disclosure is when a child or young person shares their experiences of abuse with others.  It is a process that is typically gradual, taking place over a long period of time, rather than a one-off action. Disclosure may take form in a person’s behaviour, verbally or even in writing.  A child or young person’s disclosure may be purposeful or accidental. 

In most cases, a child or young person will disclose indirectly i.e. through changes in behaviour, partially sharing information, or through a second party like a team mate.  Some children will directly and verbally share their concerns clearly and completely. 

This is why it is important for people involved in community sport to know what to look for (the indicators of abuse in children and young people), and what to do (how to respond to a disclosures and report the information appropriately). 

Why do children and young people disclose abuse?

Often, the purpose of disclosure is to seek support and safety. Disclosures may also be motivated by a need to understand what they have experienced. A child or young person will most likely disclose to someone they trust and would have overcome many internal and external barriers, such as shame, guilt or fear before making a disclosure.  

What prevents children and young people from disclosing?

Research suggests many people do not disclose abuse for up to twenty years. There are numerous reasons why an individual may not disclose abuse immediately.  For community sport clubs and associations some reasons may be: 

• Fear of not being believed – because the club or association’s culture does not value children and young people’s words and experiences.
• Not knowing the behaviour was abusive or inappropriate – because of no education about acceptable and unacceptable behaviours in the sport. 
• Fear of negative outcomes – like upsetting adults or losing a position in a team. 
• Feelings of shame, self-blame, guilt or embarrassment – associated with the experience of the abusive behaviour. 

Create an environment where children and young people feel safe to disclose

A club or association must focus primarily on prevention of harm and abuse to children and young people. In adopting these approaches, a club can create an environment where children and young people feel safe to speak up and, if needed, disclose abuse that they have experienced. 

Clubs and associations can: 

• Have a clear Code of Conduct that outlines acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Promote the code and present it in child friendly formats that are easily understood by children and young people e.g. posters. 
• Have a child-centred complaints management process that is widely understood by all people at the club – particularly children and young people. This process should be detailed in your sport’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy.
• Educate children and young people about their rights to safety and how they can raise concerns or complaints. 
• Have dedicated people within the club such as a Member Protection Information Officers or Child Safety Officers who are trusted by children and young people at the club or association. 
• Establish a youth leadership group for young people to share ideas and provide feedback. This forum shouldn’t be encouraged to receive disclosures given the critical and serious nature of abuse disclosures. 

Responding to a disclosure

Responding appropriately to a disclosure of abuse is vital. The response can impact the psychological or emotional outcomes for the child and may also influence any potential investigation by Police, or other internal inquiries (e.g. within the National Sporting Organisation or Sport Integrity Australia).   

The initial response to a disclosure of abuse can be the first important step in stopping the abuse and protecting the child from further harm. This initial response can vary depending on circumstances and needs. 
An appropriate response to a disclosure of abuse should follow these tips:

Listen

• Seek a quiet space to talk
• Remain calm and give the child your full attention
• Let them use their own words
• Listen actively and supportively
• Avoid probing for too many details. What happened, when and by who is sufficient information for necessary action to be taken. Remember, a child may not be willing to share all information straight away, and that is OK.  

Reassure

• Thank them for sharing the information and acknowledge their courage in speaking up
• Reassure them that what happened is not their fault
• Determine any immediate safety issues and ask them what they need to feel safe.  

Respect

• Acknowledge that they may not wish to share all details of what happened
• Don’t make promises you can’t keep
• Write down as soon as possible everything the child said and also what you said. Be as exact as possible. 

Refer 

• Explain your next steps and that you must share the information with the appropriate people to help keep them safe. 
• Consider any immediate risks to the child’s safety. If so, contact Police on 000.  
• If immediate action is required, obtain assistance from a colleague or other adult.
• Refer to your club or sport’s policy for next steps on reporting procedures.