Safe sport
Policies, procedures and monitoring of athlete abuse.
Everyone who participates in a sport has the right to do so in a safe, inclusive and respectful environment. The welfare of everyone involved in the sport of archery is of paramount importance but particularly vulnerable adults and children.
Any behaviour that constitutes harassment or abuse must not be tolerated.
World Archery is committed to nurturing a safe sporting environment at all levels – from recreational practice to elite competition – and encourages shared responsibility, both in creating welcoming, secure spaces and reporting safeguarding concerns.
Any reports are handled confidentially by World Archery’s safeguarding officer according to the federation’s Safeguarding policy and procedures.
Harassment and abuse in sport
Non-accidental violence, harassment and abuse represent a significant risk to health, participation and performance. Any participant – whether athlete, entourage, technical official, volunteer or other – in a sporting event has the right to be protected from any kind of violence, regardless of social, cultural, religious, sexual, political or physical differences.
All forms of harassment and abuse violate human rights and are criminal offences. A sport event organiser has a legal and moral duty to ensure that the risks of non-accidental violence are identified and reduced.
Homophobia, hazing, bystanding, sexual abuse and harassment, gender and transgender harassment are part of non-accidental violence.
Homophobia is critical and hostile behaviour such as discrimination and violence towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. Homophobic behaviours include slurs, jokes, insults and even physical attacks based on someone’s perceived sexual orientation.
Hazing, also sometimes called initiation, beasting, bastardisation, ragging or deposition, refers to a rite of passage for new members to become accepted into a group. It involves a power difference between teammates, usually based on seniority. It can range from relatively harmless pranks to prolonged behaviours culminating in abuse or criminal misconduct.
Bystanding is the act of suspecting or knowing that someone has been abused, but doing nothing about it. Passive attitudes, non-intervention, denial and/or the silence of ‘those who know’ increase the psychological damage caused by harassment and abuse, giving victims the impression that such behaviours are legally and socially acceptable and/or that those involved in sport are powerless to do anything to stop it.
Sexual abuse and harassment are behaviours that involve verbal, non-verbal or physical sexualised behaviours, whether intentional or unintentional, legal or illegal, and are based on an abuse of power and trust. Sexual abuse includes any sexual activity for which consent is not or cannot be given.
Gender-based and transgender harassment refers to unwelcome behaviours related to someone’s gender or sexual orientation, with the effect or purpose of violating personal dignity and integrity. An example might be someone treating an individual or group of the other gender in a humiliating manner through words or actions.