The Children and Young People Safe Practices exist to identify and prevent behaviour that may be harmful to children and young people participating in sport. The Practices are defined in our Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, so compliance with them is compulsory (as well as being a vital step in protecting children in sailing). 

In this series of articles, we'll look at some of the Practices and give some practical tips on implementing the Practices around your club. All of these tips come from the Children and Young People Safe Practices Do's & Don'ts booklet published by Sport Integrity Australia. 

This article focuses on physical contact with children and young people. The key message is that any physical contact must be necessary and appropriate in the circumstances. In sailing, there are very few non-emergency situations where physical contact with a child will be necessary or appropriate. 

Do

• Seek a child or young person’s permission to touch or interact when demonstrating an activity. 
• Check that physical contact is acceptable to a particular child or young person. Even non- intrusive touch may be inappropriate if a child or young person indicates they do not wish to be touched. 
• Respect and respond to signs that a child or young person is uncomfortable with touch. 
• Use verbal directions rather than touch (for example, ask a child or young person to move in a particular way, rather than physically place the child or young person in the required position). 
• Discourage children and young people from inappropriate expectations of hugs or cuddles. This should be done gently and without embarrassment or offence to the child or young person. For example, offer a high five as encouragement. 
• Kindly and appropriately tell a child or young person who is inappropriately or excessively touching another child or young person to stop and raise the concern with a relevant person within your organisation. 
• Use non-intrusive gestures to comfort a child or young person who is experiencing grief and loss or distress, such as a hand on the upper arm or upper back. 
• Use non-intrusive touch (for example, congratulating a child or young person by shaking hands or a pat on the upper arm or back). Try to accompany such touch with positive encouraging words.
• Report any physical contact initiated by a child or young person that is sexualised and/or inappropriate (for example, acts of physical aggression) as soon as possible to your organisation. This ensures the situation can be managed in the interests of the safety of the child or young person and any other participants. 

Don't

• Under any circumstances, have contact with a child or young person that involves touching any intimate part of a child or young person’s body. 
• Initiate, allow or request inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact with a child or young person (for example, massage, kisses, tickling and wrestling games) or facilitate situations that unnecessarily result in close physical contact with a child or young person. 
• Have unnecessary contact with a child or young person (for example, assisting with toileting when a child or young person does not require assistance). 
• Force a child or young person to do something against their wishes, unless it is necessary to prevent injury to the child or young person or to others. 

The Child and Young Person Safe Practices are a helpful set of practical guidelines to help keep everyone safe. 

To read the Children and Young People Safe Practices Do's & Don'ts booklet, click here. 
If you need to report a breach of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, click here. 
If you have any questions about Safeguarding, contact your local Club Support team. 

By Michael Arnold, National Officiating and Integrity Lead