Definitions of Prohibited Conduct

Abuse must be behaviour of a nature and level of seriousness which includes, but is not limited to:

• physical abuse and assault including hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, destroying property, sleep, and food deprivation, forced feeding, unreasonable physical restraint, spitting at another person or biting;
• sexual abuse including rape and assault, using sexually degrading insults, forced sex or sexual acts, deliberately causing pain during sex, unwanted touching or exposure to pornography, sexual jokes, using sex to coerce compliance;
• emotional abuse such as repeated and intentional embarrassment in public, preventing or excluding someone from participating in sport activities, stalking, humiliation, or intimidation;
• verbal abuse such as repeated or severe insults, name calling, criticism, swearing and humiliation, attacks on someone's intelligence, body shaming, or aggressive yelling;
• financial abuse such as restricting access to bank accounts, taking control of finances and money, forbidding someone from working, taking someone's pay and not allowing them to access it;
• neglect of a person's needs.

Bullying must be behaviour of a nature and level of seriousness which includes, but is not limited to, repeatedly:

• keeping someone out of a group (online or offline);
• acting in an unpleasant way near or towards someone;
• giving nasty looks, making rude gestures, calling names, being rude and impolite, constantly negative and teasing;
• spreading rumours or lies, or misrepresenting someone (i.e. using their social media account to post messages as if it were them);
• 'fooling around', 'messing about' or other random or supposedly playful conduct that goes too far;
• harassing someone based on their race, sex, religion, gender, or a disability;
• intentionally and repeatedly hurting someone physically;
• intentionally stalking someone; and
• taking advantage of any power over someone else,

but does not include legitimate and reasonable:

• management action;
• management processes;
• disciplinary action; or
• allocation of activities in compliance with agreed systems.

Child Abuse is the mistreatment of a Child that:

• causes, is causing or is likely to cause any detrimental effect so that a Child's physical, psychological, or emotional wellbeing; or
• does, or is likely to, endanger that a Child's physical or emotional health, development, or wellbeing,

whether through a:

• single act, omission, or circumstance; or
• series or combination of acts, omissions, or circumstances,

and includes:

• Physical Abuse, which occurs when a person subjects a Child to application of physical force, which may cause injury intentionally or inadvertently as a result of physical punishment or the aggressive treatment of a Child. Physically abusive behaviour includes, but is not limited to:
  • shoving, hitting, slapping, shaking, throwing, punching, biting, burning, kicking; and
  • harmful training methods or overtraining where there is the potential to result in damage to a Child's physical development.

• Emotional or Psychological Abuse, which occurs when a Child does not receive the love, affection, or attention they need for healthy emotional, psychological, and social development or are exposed to violence/abuse against other Children or adults. Such abuse may involve:
  • repeated rejection or threats to a Child;
  • constant criticism, teasing, ignoring, threatening, yelling, scapegoating, ridicule, intentional exclusion, continual coldness, and rejection;
  • Bullying and Harassment;
  • harmful training methods or overtraining where there is the potential to result in damage to a Child's physical, intellectual, or emotional wellbeing and development.

• Sexual Abuse, which occurs when an adult, or a person in authority (i.e. older, or younger but more physically or intellectually developed) involves a Child in any sexual activity. A child cannot provide consent, therefore even if ‘consent’ is given, it still constitutes sexual abuse.

Perpetrators of sexual abuse take advantage of their power, authority, or position over the Child for their own benefit. It can include making sexual comments to a Child, kissing, touching a Child's genitals or breasts, oral sex, or intercourse with a Child.

Sexual exploitation is a form of Sexual Abuse and occurs when Children are forced into or involved in sexual activities that are then unlawfully recorded in some way, or recorded without the consent of one or more parties, or used to produce child sexual abuse material. Such material can be in the form of photographs or videos, whether published or circulated on the internet or social media. Encouraging a Child to view pornographic videos, websites, or images, or engaging a Child to participate in sexual conversations over social media or otherwise is also considered sexual exploitation.

• Neglect, which is the persistent failure or deliberate failure or denial to meet a Child’s basic needs. Child Neglect includes the failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, adequate supervision, clean water, medical attention, or supervision to the extent that the Child's health and development is or is likely to be harmed. Types of neglect include physical, medical, emotional, educational neglect and abandonment.

• Exposure to Family Violence, which is any abusive behaviour used by a person in a relationship to gain and maintain control over their partner or ex-partner. It can include a broad range of behaviour that causes fear and physical and/or psychological harm. If a Child is living in a household where there have been incidents of domestic violence, then they may be at risk of significant physical and/or psychological harm.

Child grooming, which is the process of developing influence over a Child and gaining a Child’s trust, to create an environment in which abuse can occur. A combination of two or more of the following behaviours would be considered grooming behaviour:

• giving gifts or special attention to a Child or their parent/guardian.
• asking a Child to keep secrets from their parent/guardian.
• controlling a Child through threats, force or use of authority.
• spending time alone with a Child outside of official sporting activities.
• connecting with a Child online through social media or chat rooms.
• making close physical contact sexual, such as inappropriate tickling and wrestling.
• openly or pretending to accidentally expose the victim to nudity, sexual material and sexual acts.

Endangering the safety of a Child, which is any behaviour involving a Child that is objectively age inappropriate and/or places the Child at risk of harm, including but not limited to behaviour such as:

• supplying alcohol, drugs (including tobacco) or medicines, except with the consent of the parent, guardian, or carer of the Child and under a valid prescription for that Child and at the prescribed dosage.
• having one on one contact with a Child outside of authorised sport activities (includes direct contact such as in-person as well as indirect, such as by phone, or online).
• discriminating against any Child, including on the basis of gender identity, culture, race, or disability.
• taking disciplinary action involving physical punishment or any form of treatment that could reasonably be considered as degrading, cruel, frightening or humiliating.

Harassment must be behaviour of a nature and level of seriousness which includes, but is not limited to:

• telling insulting jokes about racial groups;
• sending explicit or sexually suggestive emails or text messages;
• displaying racially offensive or pornographic images or screen savers;
• making derogatory comments or taunts about someone’s race;
• asking intrusive questions about someone’s personal life, including his or her sex life;
• sexual harassment or any of the above conduct in the workplace by employers, co-workers, and other workplace participants;
• any of the above conduct in the workplace, based on or linked to a person's disability or the disability of an associate; and
• offensive behaviour based on race or racial hatred, such as something done in public that offends, insults, or humiliates a person or group of people because of their race, colour or nationality or ethnicity.

Sexual Misconduct is behaviour including, but not limited to:

• unwelcome touching;
• staring or leering;
• suggestive comments or jokes;
• showing or sharing sexually explicit images or pictures;
• unwanted invitations to go out on dates;
• requests for sex;
• intrusive questions about a person's private life or body;
• unnecessary familiarity, such as deliberately brushing up against a person;
• insults or taunts based on sex;
• sexually explicit physical contact;
• sending sexually explicit or suggestive emails, texts, or other electronic/social media messages;
• displaying pornographic images or screen savers;
• asking intrusive questions about someone’s personal life, including about his or her sex life; and
• criminal offences such as rape, indecent or sexual assault, sexual penetration, or relationship with a child under the age of 16 and possession of child pornography.

Unlawful Discrimination is unfair treatment based on a person's:

• age;
• disability;
• race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, or migrant status;
• sex, pregnancy, marital or relationship status, family responsibilities or breastfeeding; and
• sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.

Victimisation is behaviour including, but not limited to:

• dismissal of an employee/volunteer or disadvantage to their employment/involvement in sport;
• alteration of an employee’s position or duties to his or her disadvantage;
• discrimination between an employee and other employees;
• repeated failure to select an individual on merit;
• a reduction in future contract value; and
• removal of coaching and other financial and non-financial support.

Vilification is behaviour including, but not limited to:

• speaking about a person’s race or religion in a way that could make other people dislike, hate, or ridicule them;
• publishing claims that a racial or religious group is involved in serious crimes without any evidence in support;
• repeated and serious verbal or physical abuse about the race or religion of another person;
• encouraging violence against people who belong to a particular race or religion, or damaging their property; and
• encouraging people to hate a racial or religious group using flyers, stickers, posters, a speech, or publication, or using websites or email.