Child Safety – Information for Parents & Guardians

WHY YOUR CHILDREN’S SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY:

  1. We love disc sports! We also love your kids playing with us and want them to keep participating. Yet we realise that they have to FEEL safe to enjoy their experience and want to keep coming back.
  2. All kids have a right to feel safe, be involved and have a voice in decisions that affect them.
  3. Society has changed, and with it, higher standards of behavior are now expected – of all of us. Sometimes, even though we have good intentions, others’ perception of behaviour is different.  So we want to help you to understand how we will work with you to protect your children.

SOME CHILD SAFETY GUIDANCE FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS

You know your children best. Also, our schools now often teach their students about safety, boundaries with adults and that it’s OK to speak up if they don’t feel comfortable or safe. You can also help us to reinforce the key messages we have for children about child safety in disc sports, just as in life.

The three key messages we have in our Child Safety Commitment:

  1. Disc sports should be fun, safe and enjoyable.
  2. You should never feel uncomfortable around others in our clubs and programs, particularly adults.
  3. If you don’t feel safe or comfortable, it’s OK to speak up.  We want you to tell an adult that you trust – whether that’s your Mum or Dad, guardian, coach or another member of your club or family.

We know that children are more likely to speak up if they feel valued and are listened to in an authentic and genuine way.  So please help us to keep the conversations open with your kids about how they are feeling

SOME CONVERSATION TIPS TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY WITH YOUR CHILDREN:

It’s not always comfortable talking to kids about how they are feeling in our community or other environments. The delivery of conversations is just as important as the message or content itself.  You’re more likely to engage with children about tricky topics if the conversation is calm, non-judgmental and open. That is, you’re listening carefully to them and open to hearing more – showing empathy and letting them know that they’re doing the right thing by talking. 

To open up a conversation with your child about safety in our clubs and programs, first of all, choose the right time. Sometimes, you may get more information in casual interactions, such as when driving in the car or going for a walk together. You could try using an example that you have heard of with another child and whether they had seen or heard anything similar. For example, “another parent at the club told me that they were worried about how the coach is talking to their child.  Have you seen or heard anything similar?”.

IF YOU NEED HELP:

If ever your child tells you that they are not happy, comfortable or safe in any of our activities, please tell an appropriate senior person such as a member of your club’s committee or a trusted UV staff member or board member. Then we’ll make sure that any issue raised is dealt with appropriately and in line with our Member Protection Policy. 

If you reasonably believe any child is in immediate danger of a significant nature, please call 000 to speak with police.

You can also contact services such as Parent Helpline, NAPCAN, Lifeline, Kids Helpline and the Raising Children Network.