NSPCC urges Government to close loopholes in sport and beyond

Friday 27th January 2017
  • Protection in sport shouldn’t end at 16 – position of trust laws must extend to sports coaches and youth workers to protect 16 and 17 year olds
  • All coaches and youth leaders should undergo the most stringent checks
  • #TrustToLead campaign: laws must protect more children and check more adults

NSPCCThe NSPCC is calling on Government to act quickly to close two legal loopholes that leave the door open for child abusers to target young people in sport and beyond.

Revelations about sexual abuse in football shook the nation in November, leading the NSPCC to set up a dedicated football hotline, funded by the Football Association. NSPCC counsellors have heard from callers how adults working with children had abused their trusting relationship to groom and abuse young players.

The scandal has highlighted gaps in child protection which could make children vulnerable to being abused in sports settings and in other children’s clubs too.

The NSPCC’s #TrustToLead campaign wants to increase the number of children being protected and to extend the most stringent checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to cover more adults working with children.

Position of trust laws which protect 16 and 17 year olds should be extended to cover sports coaches and other roles.

The NSPCC is concerned that whilst it’s unlawful for certain professionals such as teachers and care workers to have sex with 16 and 17 year old children in their care, this does not apply to sports coaches or other youth workers.

This must be put on equal footing so that adults who have considerable authority and influence over young people are not able to prey on them once they turn 16.

An NSPCC survey has shown that nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of UK adults don’t know it’s illegal for someone in a position of trust to have sex with 16 and 17 year old children in their care.

A change to the law would make clear that children must be protected in sport and other activities right up to adulthood.

All those that work with children should undergo the most stringent DBS check – not just those working alone with children.

Currently it is illegal to hire someone to work with children regularly* if they are barred from doing so – but only if that person would be working with children unsupervised.

This creates a loophole meaning children’s clubs can only find out if someone is barred – using what’s called an enhanced DBS with barred list check – if they would be working alone with children, and individuals applying for roles to work alongside other adults cannot be checked in this way.

This means people who are barred from working with children are able to take up assistant or support roles in children’s clubs completely undetected, creating opportunities for them to abuse children within the club or to build up trust and abuse them outside of that setting.

This loophole should be closed to better protect children not just in sport, but in other activities too. From toddlers to teenagers, whether they’re on the pitch, on stage, or in a place of worship, all children need the best legal protections to keep them safe.

The NSPCC has raised these concerns with the Home Office and with the Department for Culture Media and Sport.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “It makes no sense for the law to potentially give abusers who are barred from working with children, the opportunity to do just that.

“And it is remarkable that the roles like sports coaches are not considered to be a position of trust by law, given the significant amount of responsibility, influence and authority that an individual in this role can hold in a young person’s life.

“Sadly, we know that this trust can be abused and it is therefore vital that this legal definition is widened to include sports coaches and other youth workers, bolstering protection for teenagers at risk of grooming once they pass the age of consent.

“This is not about demonising certain jobs, but about protecting young people from a small minority of adults only too happy to take advantage of their standing in society to groom and abuse vulnerable children.”

To contact the NSPCC about abuse within football, its dedicated hotline can be reached 24 hours a day on: 0800 023 2642. Young people can contact Childline on 0800 11 11.