BarcelonaHow does a child feel when he or she is abused or abused? What are the tools that children have to deal with dangerous situations that threaten their integrity? Do we give them enough tools to be able to face them in case they occur? These are difficult questions to answer, and all too often, unfortunately, the answer is not complete enough. The world of sports has for many years silenced child sexual abuse. As if it didn’t happen, as if the sport was exempt from these behaviors. The case of Larry Nassar, a former doctor of the US gymnastics team, and, in our country, the Benaiges case, uncovered by ARA, have shaken an environment that seemed asleep in the face of this violence.
“The issue of sexual abuse of minors has always been a taboo and continues to be so in society in general and especially in sports,” admits Marta Segú, president of the Barça Foundation. The Barça club wanted to put a stop to these situations by implementing a system of protection for the minors who are part of the club. “It seems that this is not happening in sport, and when news has come out, both local and international, of sexual abuse against boys and girls, we have put all our hands on our heads. Unfortunately, where there are boys there is abuse and violence against children, because people with these attitudes are going to look for these children. The world of sports is especially vulnerable. There are matches, trips …, a series of team experiences that have certain risks “, explains Segú, who argues that the protection system created by the club is a step forward.
What are the responsibilities of organizations such as Barça when it comes to protecting the children in their care? What responses should you give to victims ’complaints? The Child and Adolescent Protection Act – Rhodes Act – requires all sports organizations and clubs to have a protection system. This is usually basic, with simple rules and sometimes vague protocols. Now, Barça has wanted to create a manual, applicable to any entity, in order to establish an action plan based on a map of real risks. Identifying the dangers has been the first step in creating a structure that provides an efficient response to a case of child abuse or violence. “The child must feel that he can communicate any situation of violence with security, protection and confidentiality,” defends Segú.
What can a child do when he or she is being abused? The first step is to report it and this is probably the trickiest part. That the victim finds a safe space to report the behaviors of which he is being a victim does not only depend on the entity, but also depends on the fact that the child is seen with a heart to take the step. To try to make this moment less traumatic, the club has appointed protection delegates, a key figure in the whole process. These are appointed from among the club’s workers and, in addition, are benchmarks and give confidence to the little ones, as is the case with Raúl Entrerríos.
“We must always respect the courage of children to come and tell us what is happening to them and how they feel. We must help them and see that there is an absolute predisposition on our part so that they do not suffer any harm,” explains the emblem of Barça handball and one of the entity’s protection delegates. “We all need to be warned if there is any kind of dangerous situation and know how to act. This is so that children have full confidence that if anything serious happens to them, if anything that makes them feel bad, they can access us.” analysis.
Are we able to identify all dangerous situations? Have we always detected the same risks? “Training the look, this is the key point,” they defend from the entity. You need to have “a special look to see how adults treat boys and girls.” “There has to be good treatment and there can be no abuse of power. We are realizing that many people we are training who did not identify certain situations as dangerous, when they are. Until now it was normal that the “Children stay in showers or changing rooms with only one adult. With this system of protection, it is very important that this does not happen, in order to reduce the risk to a minimum”, reaffirms Segú. “The conception has changed over the years. There is a lot more awareness of the care that needs to be taken of children and that continues to improve,” Entrerríos explains.
Unfortunately, where there are children there is abuse and violence against children, because people with these attitudes are going to look for these children. The world of sport is especially vulnerable ”
The risk map has been key to making the protection system. For example, personal hygiene spaces such as showers, toilets and changing rooms have been classified as a high degree of danger. “These are spaces where there may be a risk of taking advantage of privacy for inappropriate approaches or coercion to perform certain actions, either by a reference figure, by the group of peers or by people outside the entity,” diagnoses the plan. At high risk we also find transport or travel, as there is a risk of inappropriate approach, as well as rooms or accommodation, where there is “more vulnerability to being left alone a child in the place of rest and overnight of the facilities “.
But what are the real steps when a case of violence is reported? Action must be swift and effective from the moment the child reports the abuse. There are three specific principles to follow when managing risk situations: not questioning, not investigating, and not deciding whether something is a crime or not. The document, which details every move that the person receiving the complaint must make, specifies that the child’s direct account must always be collected in writing without asking questions about the situation. These could harm the victim by initiating issues that the adult does not know how to handle as well as invalidating police expertise. It also calls for absolute collaboration with the authorities and leave them with the task of investigation.
Barça, however, have identified several situations that can occur depending on whether it is a suspicion or there is evidence of abuse. For example, if there is a suspicion that a child is being sexually abused by an adult, the person identifying the situation will write a confidential report before contacting the referral protection delegate. for the child. They will then reunite with the family. At this meeting, the report will be sent to Social Services (always) or to the state security forces and the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office (if the risk is moderate or severe). From this moment, protective precautionary measures will be proposed both for the child and for all the professionals involved. In the event of evidence of violence and violation of rights, the same protocol must be followed, adding a description of the child’s marks or injuries and preserving any evidence (images, clothing, etc.). .) With this protocol, the first line of action corresponds to the club and its professionals, who will be in contact with the authorities, who are responsible for opening an investigation in cases where this is determined.
