ADD YOUR NAME NOW
Sign our petition to join the Coalition for Empowered Athletes, fighting to protect children in sports from sexual abuse.
Once you sign, you’ll not only be joining our growing coalition of parents and guardians, athletes, allies, and advocates working to protect children, you'll also immediately gain access to #EmpowerAthletesNow resources including a pre-written email to send to your athletic institution.
Together, we can ensure every child athlete is S.A.F.E.
Join the Coalition for Empowered Athletes
Sports are meant to be a refuge for children. And yet, sexual abuse remains a epidemic in youth sports. Overall, 13% of athletes experience one form of sexual abuse at least once as a child in sports.* Child athletes deserve better. They deserve to feel safe, supported, and empowered — that’s what the Coalition for Empowered Athletes is fighting for. Join our movement to show your support and get the tools to demand that gyms, clubs, and camps #EmpowerAthletesNow.
Take Action
We are a coalition
of parents and guardians, athletes, allies, and advocates united to demand hometown gyms, clubs, and camps center the rights and wellbeing of the most important group in youth sports: child athletes.
With the world’s attention on the Olympics and humanity's greatest sporting achievements, now is a perfect time to come together in support of child athletes, ensuring they are protected from abuse. Our Athlete Bill of Rights demands this.
We believe every child athlete has the right to be SAFE. That means:
Say “No”:
You have the right to say “no” in unwanted situations.
Act:
You have the right to disclose and act when something doesn’t feel right.
Feel:
You have the right to express your feelings and emotions and receive support.
Educate:
You have the right to understand what abuse is and how to report it.
Resources
We're calling on local gyms, clubs, and camps to implement policies that keep children SAFE. The following are baseline policies we need gyms, clubs, and camps to enact to ensure child athletes feel safe and supported:
- Background Screenings
- Training for Both Children and Adults
- Code of Conduct
- Adequate Supervision/Safety Policies
- Reporting Policies and Procedures
Policy Recommendations for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
CHILD USA’s Gold Standard Policy is an evidence-based and expert-vetted set of policies that is intended to be used by any Youth Serving Organization to protect the children they serve from abuse. It includes tools for prevention, training recommendations, reporting procedures, and much more to assist and advise organizations working with children.
The 2021 CARE Report (Census of Athlete Rights Experiences) is the first global study to look at elite athletes' experiences to understand whether and how their rights were protected as children in sports.
For further information on survivor athletes rights and trauma-informed support, download the 2021 CARE Ready to Respond Handbook, a Player Association guide to support athletes through abuse, harassment, and trauma.
Get access to content that will help #EmpowerAthletesNow. Whether you hang up a poster in your community or share a graphic online, together we can ensure every child athlete is SAFE in their gym, club, and camp.
Posters & Social ImagesIf you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual abuse and seeking resources or help, the following resources are available for you.
The Coalition for Empowered Athletes is a collaboration between CHILD USA and The Army of Survivors.