Part of the Dos and don'ts series – how to keep children and young people safe in sport.
Physical contact with children and young people must be necessary, appropriate to the delivery of your sport’s programs or services, and based on their needs – for example, assisting with the use of equipment, technique assistance or correction, treatment by a health practitioner or administering first aid.
Watch the video about physical contact
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 and against their
wishes. - Respect and respond to signs a child or young person is uncomfortable with touch.
- Use verbal directions rather than touch (for example, ask them to move in a particular way, rather than physically place them in the required
position). - Discourage inappropriate expectations of hugs or cuddles. Do this gently and without embarrassment or offence (for example, offer a high-five as
encouragement). - Kindly tell a child or young person who is inappropriately or excessively touching another young person to stop and raise the concern with a relevant person in your organisation.
- Use non-intrusive touch, only with consent (for example, shaking hands or a pat on the upper arm or back).
- 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.
Don't
- Under any circumstances, have contact with a child or young person that involves touching any intimate part of their body (for example, genitals, bottom or breast area) – other than as part of delivering necessary medical or allied health services to those specific areas of the body and using appropriate safeguarding measures.
- Do not start, allow, or ask for unnecessary physical contact with a child or young person (for example asking them to touch any private part of your body, massages, kissing, tickling, wrestling).
- Have unnecessary contact with a child or young person (for example, assisting with toileting when a child or young person does not require assistance).
- Physically force a child or young person to do something against their wishes, unless it is necessary to prevent injury to to them or others.
