Freising: Abuse in sport – tips to protect children

Freising: Abuse in sport – tips to protect children
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An important fight: With prevention work, clubs can help prevent cases of sexual violence during training. The Judo Club Freising is setting an example here. © Halmel/Archive

Sexual assault in sports is not an isolated incident. Now the Judo Club Freising has empowered parents to act correctly if the worst comes to the worst.

Freising – Sexualized violence in sports is still a taboo topic in many places, and children are often affected. Christoph Dienhart wants to change that. The 38-year-old judo trainer from Prien has been the child and youth protection officer for the Upper Bavaria judo district since 2009 and says: The more aggressively a club deals with prevention, the greater the chances of preventing bad incidents. Like the Judo Club Freising, which recently booked Dienhart for a parent information evening. In the FT interview he explains how parents and the club should behave correctly if the worst comes to the worst.

Mr. Dienhart, as a prevention officer you normally speak to officials and coaches. At the invitation of the Freising Judo Club, you have now informed parents about the topic of preventing sexual violence in sport. That’s rare, isn’t it?

It was the first time I ever did that. This shows: The Judo Club Freising is an absolutely positive, exceptional club. Because an association that deals with the issue of child protection expresses that it takes its responsibility seriously. Prevention is an opportunity.

How great is the risk that children and young people will become victims of sexual assault during training?

The danger is there. Two years ago, a study into sexual abuse in sports uncovered shocking cases. At the beginning of this year, a football coach from Munich confessed to abusing and raping children and young people at his former club. The public prosecutor’s office assumes there are more than 800 cases. In 2023, over 16,000 crimes against sexual self-determination were registered in Bavaria alone, although the number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher. Most of the perpetrators come from the local area.

Christoph Dienhart, judo trainer and Upper Bavarian prevention officer for child and youth protection
So that no child becomes a victim: Prevention officer Christoph Dienhart advises clubs to take precautionary measures. © private

The immediate surroundings also include clubs. How do parents react correctly when children report an incident?

Parents should take this very seriously and question the child carefully. It is important to ask open questions and let the child tell the story in their own words. And parents should make sure to limit this situation in time, because by telling the story the child is reliving this painful experience.

Accusing a coach of sexual assault is a big deal. How should parents proceed if nothing has been proven yet?

It helps to survey your own environment – in this case, contact other parents to see whether they have had similar experiences or whether their children have similar stories.

Couldn’t parents confront the coach directly with the accusation?

Absolutely not. There should be no contact between the possible perpetrator and the victim. Instead, parents should confide in the head of the department or the board of the association. It is important that those responsible at the club immediately ensure that the coach affected by the accusation no longer carries out any activities in the club – above all to protect the children, but also, as long as nothing is proven, to protect the coach. If possible, those responsible for the club should deal with the incidents offensively. That means calling in the police and informing those around the club.

If children – out of fear or shame – do not confide in their parents about their experiences, how can mother or father themselves notice that something is wrong?

Children who have suffered sexual assault are often sad, withdrawn and isolated. It is also possible that they quickly become angry or aggressive, or hurt themselves or others. And it is not uncommon for affected children to also show conspicuously sexualized behavior. All of these are alarm signals.

Are there children who are particularly at risk of sexual assault during training?

Basically, it can happen to any child. But if you look at the victim profile, insecure children are more at risk. Children whose parents are not visible because, for example, they always come to training and go home alone. And children with a remarkably good relationship with the coach.

Is there also a perpetrator profile?

Yes. Perpetrators usually act strategically. They are often particularly committed, enjoy a high reputation in the club and often have a good relationship of trust with children and parents. As a rule, they also test the victims in terms of their inhibition threshold. I know of a case where abuse occurred because the trainer was allowed to put the children to bed.

The parents then failed to set natural boundaries. But what can you do to effectively protect your children?

It is important to educate children in an age-appropriate manner, teach them to say no when necessary, and let them know that they can always talk to them or another trusted person if “weird situations” arise. Parents should also encourage children in their self-esteem, because a self-confident appearance is also an effective protection for trainees. And last but not least, parents should be involved in departmental activities. A good start is when parents hand their children over to the coach themselves and thereby signal that there is someone here who looks after their child and watches over them.

How can the association carry out prevention work?

Precautionary measures can include the formation of a child protection officer in the association or a prevention concept. In addition, a new trainer should present an extended certificate of good conduct. Trust is also created when parents can watch training for the first or last ten minutes. This ensures transparency. Regardless of all of this, it is important that the club deals aggressively with the topic of prevention – as the Freising Judo Club did with its parent information evening. The basic rule is: Child protection in the club is a quality feature. Because every case is one too many. It is much better to take measures beforehand than to be unpleasantly surprised.

Sexual abuse of children has brought the Catholic Church into disrepute. Now pioneers in the Au and Osterwaal parish community have developed a comprehensive protection concept for children and young people.

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