Badminton Netherlands will intensify the provision of information about a safe badminton climate to both associations and individual members because research has shown that many members and associations do not know how to act if they are confronted with transgressive behavior (GOG). Badminton Netherlands is committed to increasing awareness and prevention through the dissemination of rules of conduct and an extensive communication campaign about transgressive behaviour.
Motivation for proactive research
In recent years, many situations of transgressive behavior have come to light in society. That is why Badminton Nederland has commissioned a so-called prevalence study among the members of Badminton Nederland. This in collaboration with and with support from the Center for Safe Sports Netherlands (CVSN), by I&O Research and CentERdata. Members aged 16 and over were asked to share their experiences over the past five years. The aim of this study was to find out how often GOG occurs in badminton sport. A total of 2,216 members participated in the survey.
Response of the Board of Directors and General Manager
Director Barbara Mura is pleased with the high response of the survey: ‘It is good to see that many of our members have completed the survey. The results of the survey show that there are still many steps to be taken in raising awareness among our supporters and in the field of information. Our members still know a lot about how to recognize transgressive behavior and how to deal with it.’
Federation chairman Jan Helmond emphasizes the importance of such a prevalence study: ‘Badminton in a safe environment should be a matter of course, but a safe sports climate does not arise automatically. This confirms this research. It is important to draw up guidelines with each other, to share knowledge and experiences and to maintain a constant dialogue with each other. As a union, we fulfill an exemplary role in this, which we would like to take up proactively.’
Approach based on three pillars
The results of the study provide Badminton Netherlands with tools to take the path that has been set for strengthening a safe badminton climate. To realize a safe badminton climate, we focus on the following three pillars.
Awareness and information
A safe, inclusive and positive sports culture is a regular topic at board meetings, regional meetings and internal consultations. However, it is necessary to get the theme ‘safe badminton climate’ top of mind among associations and members in order to create a safe association. To achieve this, good information provision is essential.
The results show that many members do not know where to turn within their association after an experience with GOG. Members indicate that they do not know (exactly) where they can find information, where they can make a report or where they can go for help. An experience with GOG is therefore rarely shared with the confidential contact person (VCP) or another official reporting point of the association or Badminton Netherlands.
To change this, we will communicate regularly about the available facilities for all target groups among our supporters and we will organize webinars.
Focus on prevention through rules of conduct
To prevent GOG, it is important to outline a normative framework for desired behavior for all members. In this way it is made clear which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. NOC*NSF and Centrum Veilige Sport Nederland have drawn up guidelines for what sports clubs can do to make their environment safer. We will share this with the associations.
In addition, we will help associations to implement a preventive policy, train and appoint a confidential contact person (VCP) and actively promote the free VOG scheme. Our ambition is that all volunteers in the badminton sport have a VOG and that all associations themselves or together with other associations have appointed a VCP. In order to organize this properly, we are in talks with NOC*NSF to appoint an integrity manager, who Badminton Netherlands, as a relatively small sports association, can share with other associations.
Communication campaign
In the survey, a large proportion of the members indicate that they never consciously receive information from Badminton Nederland or their association about the occurrence of GOG. This shows that many steps still need to be taken in the field of communication. Informing members is a shared responsibility Badminton Nederland and the associations, we cannot do this alone.
To create awareness, we will communicate about GOG on a frequent and structural basis. We use our own communication channels for this and of course we also join national campaigns of NOC*NSF and CVSN, among others.
Results
The results of the study within Dutch badminton sport show great similarity with the results of the national prevalence study into transgressive behavior within Dutch sport as a whole (2019). This is evident from the factsheet. Half of all members of Badminton Nederland have experienced at least one form of GOG in the past five years. It mainly concerns emotionally transgressive behavior (EGG) that they have experienced (47 percent). To a significantly lesser extent, this concerned physical transgressive behavior (3 percent LGG) and sexual transgressive behavior (17 percent SGG). Two percent of the respondents have experienced each of these forms.
The main conclusions are presented in the factsheet. The full study is also attached here.
Documents
Factsheet
Rapport
Safe badminton climate
