St. Ives District Rifle
and Pistol Club

 

Policy for the Protection of Children & Vulnerable People
(adopted by the Club Committee 3 December 2003)

    1. All Club members should be familiar with this Policy for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable People.

    2. Throughout this document, references may be made to:

      1. 'children' - individuals under the age of 18.

      2. 'vulnerable people' - includes members of the Club, individuals with learning disabilities, mental health problems, physical and sensory disabilities and the frail elderly.

    3. Abuse can occur within many situations and may be perpetrated by anybody. The St Ives District Rifle and Pistol Club recognises its responsibility to protect every person engaged in Club activities from abuse.

    4. The following 2-page guidance for the protection of children has been prepared and issued by the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation and has been adopted by the NSRA and the St Ives District Rifle and Pistol Club. In general terms, the guidance may be applied for the protection of both children and vulnerable people.

    5. Please remember, it's not your responsibility to decide whether a child is being abused but we are asking you to act on your concerns. Make a detailed note of what you've seen or heard but don't delay passing on the informati­on. If you are a member (or the parent/carer or friend of a member) of the Club you should tell the designated Club Child Protection Officer (normally, the Honorary Secretary) or another club official such as the club chairperson or any commit­tee member, or at an event the Range Officer - unless, of course, you suspect them of being involved.


ADOPTED BY THE CLUB COMMITTEE 3 DECEMBER 2003

TJ SMITH

HON SEC

Attach.

Guidance prepared and issued by the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation, which has been adopted by the NSRA and the St Ives District Rifle and Pistol Club.


CHILD PROTECTION

The following guidance has been prepared and issued by the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation and has been adopted by the NSRA.

Introduction

The Great Britain Target Shooting Federation believes that child protection is everyone's responsibility.

Abuse can occur anywhere there are children at any time, at school, in the park, at the club. Sadly, there are some people who will seek to be where children are simply in order to abuse them.

We believe that everyone in the GBTSF mem­ber governing bodies has a part to play in looking after the children with whom we are work­ing. This is both a moral and a legal obligation. The Children Act 1989 indicates that anyone who has the care of a child should ''do what is reasonable in all the circumstances for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child's welfare.'' This obviously has a great impact on coaches and officials who work with children at any time.

These child protection procedures stern from the following principles:

  • The child's welfare is the first considera­tion

  • All children, regardless of age, any disabil­ity they may have, gender, racial origin, religious belief and sexual identity have a right to be protected from abuse.

We know that if the procedures are to help to protect children, everyone involved in shoot­ing needs to see and discuss them. We are, therefore, asking coaches and officials to make sure that they are widely distributed and dis­cussed at club, county, regional and national level.

If there is any doubt about the procedures and what constitutes good practice in this area please contact the GBTSF.

The GBTSF would like to thank the Amateur Swimming Association and the National Coaching Foundation for their assistance in producing this document.


Types of Abuse

It is generally acknowledged that there are four main types of abuse - Physical, Sexual, Emotional and Neglect.

Physical Abuse. Physical abuse is just what the term implies ­ hurting or injuring a child, for example, by hitting or shaking them. It might also occur if a child is forced to train beyond his/her capabilities. Bullying is likely to come into this category.

Sexual Abuse. Sexual abuse occurs when a child knowingly or unknowingly takes part in something which meets the sexual needs of the other person or persons involved - it could range from sexually suggestive comments to full intercourse.

Emotional Abuse. Emotional abuse occurs when a child is not given love, help and encouragement and is constantly derided or ridiculed or, perhaps even worse, ignored. Conversely, it can also occur if a child is over-protected. It is present in the unrealistic expectations of parents and coaches over what a child can achieve. Racially and sexually abusive remarks constitute emotional abuse and it can be a feature of bullying.

Neglect. Neglect usually means failing to meet children's basic needs such as food, warmth adequate clothing, medical attention etc. It could also mean failing to ensure they are safe or exposing them to harm.


Indications of Child Abuse


Recognising child abuse is not always easy - even for the experts. The examples listed below are not a complete list and they are only indicators - not confirmation.


Information - The child says that she or he is being abused, or another person says they believe (or actually know) that abuse is occurring.

Injuries - The child has an injury for which the explanation seems inconsistent.

Behaviour Changes - The child's behaviour changes, either over time or quite suddenly, and he or she becomes quiet and withdrawn, or alternatively becomes aggressive.

Reaction to Others - The child appears not to trust adults, e.g. a parent or coach with whom she or he would be expected to have, or once had, a close relationship, and does not seem to be able to make friends.


Appearance - The child becomes increasingly neglected-looking in appearance, or loses or puts on weight for no apparent reason.

Sexual Awareness - the child shows inappropriate sexual awareness for his/her age and sometimes behaves in a sexually explicit way.

Bear in mind that physically disabled children and children with learning difficulties are particularly vulnerable to abuse and may have added difficulties in communicating what is happening to them.



If you have Concerns about the Welfare of a Child


Please remember, it's not your responsibility to decide whether a child is being abused but we are asking you to act on your concerns. Make a detailed note of what you've seen or heard but don't delay passing on the information. If you are a member, or the parent/carer or friend of a member, of a shooting club you should:

  • Tell a club official such as the club secretary, chairperson, coach or any committee member, or at an event the Range Officer - unless, of course, you suspect them of being involved.


or


  • If you are a club official or at an event the Range Officer you can:

    • Talk to the child's parents/ carers about the concerns if you think there may be an obvious explanation such as a bereavement or pressure from studies or exams.

    • Contact your governing body for guidance.

    • Contact the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline.

    • Contact your local Social Services Department or, in an emergency, the Police.

  • If you're working with shooters away from home, at a training camp perhaps, or a national or regional competition, tell the team manager or the chief coach.

      • If you're working with a school - tell the head teacher.

      • If you're working with a local authority, refer to your local Child Protection procedures.

      • If you are working with Scouts, CCF etc. refer to their Child Protection procedures.

Again, please remember to make a detailed note of what you've seen or heard but don't delay passing on the information. It is also advisable to write to your member governing body and/or GBTSF to advise them of your concern and to whom you have reported it.


If a Child Tells You He or She is Being Abused

      • Stay calm.

      • Don't promise to keep it to yourself. Listen to what the child says and, please, take it seriously.

      • Only ask questions if you need to clarify what the child is telling you - don't ask the child about explicit details.

      • Make a detailed note of what the child has told you but, as advised in the previous section, please don't delay passing on the information.


Good Practice when Dealing with Children in Shooting

Avoid situations where the coach/club official and child are alone. The GBTSF acknowledges that occasionally there may be no alternative - for example, a child may fall ill and have to be taken home. We would stress, however, that one-to-one contact must never be allowed to occur on a regular basis.

When coaching children on or off the firing point avoid physical contact as much as possible. If physical contact may be necessary (say when learning new shooting positions etc.) ascertain the child's and the parent's/ carer's views on this.

If it's necessary to do things of a personal nature for children who are young or who are disabled, make sure you have another adult accompanying you. Get the child's consent if at all possible and certainly get consent from the parent/ carer. Let the child know what you are going to do and why.

Ask parents/ carers and/or nominated club officials to be responsible for children in changing rooms or overnight accommodation. Get teachers/ coaches/ club officials to work in pairs if classes or groups of children have to be supervised in a changing room or overnight accommodation.

Ensure that mixed teams are always accompanied by male and female coaches/club officials.

    If the procedures and guidance contained here are implemented properly, they can offer safeguards to everyone involved in shooting and in doing so help to maintain the credibility of the GBTSF and its constituent bodies. Most of all, though, they can help to prevent children being abused.

 

Copyright © St Ives Rifle and Pistol Club    Last updated 16 March 2007

 

[ Add St Ives Rifle and Pistol Club to your Favorites ]