USA

Overview of the USA Cheer Athlete Protection Course for Coaches

  • Objective: To prioritize the protection and well-being of cheer and dance athletes.

    • Focus on preventing injuries and various types of misconduct (e.g., sexual assault, bullying, hazing).

    • Goal: Help coaches understand, prevent, recognize, and properly report abuse.

Course Content Warning

  • Warning: Content may be uncomfortable or trigger trauma for some participants.

  • Suggested Resource: RAINN National Sexual Abuse Hotline (+1 80656, rainn.org) for those affected by sexual abuse.

USA Cheer Commitment

  • Dedicated to training and education surrounding athlete safety in cheer, dance, stunt, and spirit communities.

  • Responsibility lies with coaches and staff to:

    • Safeguard the welfare of children and young people against physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

    • Educate all parties (coaches, parents, athletes) on recognizing and reporting abuse.

Responsibilities of Coaches and Organizations

  • Institutions must:

    • Screen staff and volunteers via background checks, applications, references, and work history.

    • Educate personnel on athlete protection policies.

    • Develop and enforce policies outlining expected behaviors.

    • Enforce accountability for procedural noncompliance.

    • Respond immediately to reports and inform proper authorities (law enforcement and USA Cheer).

    • Foster a culture where misconduct is intolerable.

Understanding Abuse and Misconduct

  • Importance of recognizing the differences in types of abuse and misconduct:

    • Awareness can create protective environments for athletes.

    • Many who abuse children are adept at concealing their actions.

  • Statistics on abuse in youth sports (including cheer and dance):

    • Research indicates 40-50% of athletes have faced harassment or abuse.

    • Sexual abuse impacts 2-8% of athletes across genders.

    • One in five students (ages 12–18) experience bullying (source: stopbullying.gov).

Definitions of Abuse and Misconduct

  • Sexual Misconduct: Encompasses non-consensual behaviors, including:

    • Non-consensual sexual contact (e.g., athlete touching teammate's private area).

    • Sexual abuse of a minor (e.g., coach showing pornographic images).

    • Sexual harassment (e.g., spreading sexual rumors).

    • Exploitation (e.g., sharing intimate images without consent).

    • Relationships with power imbalances are explicitly prohibited.

  • Emotional Misconduct: Non-physical behavior that undermines an athlete’s dignity. Signs include:

    • Verbal abuse (name-calling, attacking an athlete's character).

    • Humiliation tactics or punishment via isolation or ignoring players.

  • Physical Misconduct: Behavior threatening physical harm, including:

    • Intentional physical contact that is abusive (beating, slapping).

    • Non-contact methods, such as forced painful positions or neglect of care.

  • Bullying: Consists of repeated, aggressive behavior creating power imbalances, which may manifest as:

    • Verbal, physical, social bullying, and cyberbullying (defined by the National Cyberbullying Research Center).

  • Hazing: Includes behaviors designed to embarrass or intimidate, often misinterpreted as traditions.

    • Coaches must recognize that hazing is unacceptable regardless of consent and must be actively addressed.

  • Harassment: Involves actions causing fear, humiliation, or annoyance based on protected characteristics like gender, race, or disability.

Prevention and Reporting

  • Reporting lines involve both voluntary reports and mandatory obligations for specific professionals (mandated reporters).

  • Important steps for mandated reporters:

    • Report suspected cases of abuse within 24 hours.

    • Call immediate danger services (e.g., 911).

    • Report parallel to USA Cheer and local authorities.

    • Maintain calm and deliberate responses when a child discloses abuse.

Safety Measures and Guidelines for Coaches

  • All one-on-one interactions between adults and minors must be observable and interpretable.

    • Parents should have access to all training activities.

    • No solitary transportation of minors by unrelated adults.

    • Policies for photography and electronic interactions are recommended.

  • Coach-Athlete Relationship Restrictions: Prohibition of sexual or romantic relationships regardless of age or consent status.

    • Recognizes the inherent power imbalance in coach-athlete dynamics.

Signs of Abuse

  • Immediate signs may include:

    • Behavioral changes, fear or anxiety around certain individuals, withdrawal from activities.

  • Long-term signs might involve changes in performance or personal relationships.

  • Grooming: A manipulative process where an abuser builds trust to exploit an individual, employing strategies like favoritism and secrecy.

Conclusion of Training

  • Emphasis on comprehensive understanding of types of misconduct, prevention policies, identification of abuse signs, and the urgency of reporting misconduct effectively.

  • Encourage parents and athletes to engage in protection training for collective prevention of athlete abuse.