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What is child safeguarding in sport?

Children and young people have the right to feel safe and be protected from harm when playing sport. 

Watch the video to learn more.


It's about trying to have fun and making sure each kid is safe and comfortable.

— Harry, junior footballer

Hear me play: Youth Perceptions of Safety in Sport Study

Hear from children and young people in Australian sport, about their experiences and what makes them feel safe. 


 

For children and young people

Activity Book

This book has colouring-in pages, find-a-words, join the dots, mazes, word reveals and quizzes.

Bullying in sport

Everyone should be able to enjoy sport free from bullying.

Jelena Dokic Story

We partnered with the creators of Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, to raise awareness of safeguarding in sport.

Resources for you

Resources for children and young people involved in sport.

Sport Integrity App

With over 110,000 downloads, our free app is a useful resource to inform and protect athletes.

Sport is for Every BODY

As a young person involved in sport, focus on what your body can do, not how it looks.


 

Our latest news, resources, podcasts, courses and webinars:

 

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Coaches + Athletes identifying healthy and unhealthy relationships

Coach-athlete relationships

Learn what's healthy and what's not, when it comes to coach-athlete relationships.
 

Coach-athlete relationships

Sport is for Every BODY

Help promote positive language and behaviours around body image in sport.
 

Explore resources

Sport teaches you a huge amount of who you are and what you believe in.

— Kim Brennan (nee Crow), Olympic gold medallist, rowing

Education is important

Knowledge is power in preventing doping and safeguarding sport integrity. We offer a range of education services for athletes.

Explore education

Safe and fair sport in hand

With over 110,000 downloads, the Sport Integrity App is a useful resource to inform and protect athletes.

Download free

Athlete warning: IV infusions

Athletes are warned that any IV infusion over 100ml of ANY substance can result in a doping violation and a ban from sport.

Check the warning

2026 Prohibited List

The annual update to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

Check the 2026 list

Athlete Advisory Group (AAG)

With first hand experience of the sporting environment and its pressures, athletes are uniquely positioned to help us understand integrity risks.

About the AAG

New Athlete Advisory Group Members group photo

For athletes

Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Australia has a robust process in place to determine if an athlete or support person has committed a possible Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

Athlete rights and responsibilities

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect in sport. As an athlete, you have various rights and responsibilities during the testing process.

Competition manipulation

The intentional act to improperly alter the course of a sports competition to obtain a benefit, sometimes referred to as match-fixing.

Health effects of doping

Athletes who cross the line risk more than their reputation and career. They also put health and wellbeing at serious risk.

Josh Bruce - life after sport

We talk what comes after sport with AFL player Josh Bruce, three-time Olympic gold medallist Petria Thomas and Ben Hardy, Olympian and former captain of the Australian National Volleyball team.

What you can report

Have you witnessed or experienced bad behaviour in sport including doping, child safeguarding or discrimination?


 

Our latest news, resources, podcasts, courses and webinars:

 

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Administering medication

Administering medications

A guide for sports on administering medications to children, young people and adults-at-risk.
 

Check the guide

Person holding puffer on a bike

Status of Asthma medication in sport

Check the status of Asthma medications in sport, including Beta-2 agonists and Glucocorticoids.
 

Check the status

Science is the foundation of all the anti-doping work we do – from analysing athlete biological passports, to providing advice on how different substances interact with athlete physiology, to helping educate sports doctors and athletes.

— SIA CEO, Dr Sarah Benson PSM

Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee (ASDMAC)

An independent panel of medical specialists helping to protect Australian athletes, appointed by the Federal Minister for Sport.

About ASDMAC

2026 Prohibited List

The annual update to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List for 2026.

Check the 2026 list

Supplements in sport

Taking a supplement is a risk for athletes. There are dangers of doping and potential risks to their health and sporting career.

Understand sport supplements

glucocorticoid pills spills from a container

For health professionals

Global DRO website

The Global Drug Reference Online (Global DRO) offers information about the prohibited status of specific medications.

Illicit drugs in sport

Learn how recreational illicit drug use can affect health and sporting careers.

Therapeutic Use Exemption form

Download the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) application form.


 

Our latest news, resources, podcasts, courses and webinars:

 

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Anti-Doping Rule Violation Guide for Sports thumbnail image

Anti-Doping Rule Violation Guide for Sports

Support for sporting organisations who have a person going through an Anti-Doping Rule Violation process.
 

Get the guide

Hear me play: Youth Perceptions of Safety in Sport

Results from this sport study are now available.
 

Check the results

Female swimmer in swimming cap putting goggles on.

National Integrity Framework resources

Access resources about the National Integrity Framework (NIF) to help protect integrity in your sport.
 

Check NIF resources

…your credibility and your integrity has to be your currency because in order for you to perform you need people to trust you.

— Ben Williams, former A-League, AFC and FIFA World Cup Referee

Keep children and young people safe in sport

Learn the do's and don'ts for common scenarios in sport.

Do's and don'ts

Sport is for Every BODY

Help promote positive language and behaviours around body image in sport.

Explore resources

Complaint management and sanctioning

The Complaints Process aims to keep sport safe and fair by managing allegations of Prohibited Conduct.

Get the guide

Travel arrangements in sport

Safe and well-planned travel is an essential part of safeguarding children and young people in sport.

Travel arrangements

Managing high-risk activities in sport

Identify and reduce risks in environments where children may be vulnerable to harm or abuse.

Get the guide

Safeguarding in Sport Continuous Improvement Program

Education, training and ongoing support for sports, to provide safe and inclusive environments for all members.

About the SISCIP

For sport administrators and volunteers

National Child Safe Principles

Helping sports clubs and organisations to provide safer sporting opportunities and environments for children.

Prohibited Association

One of the 11 Anti-Doping Rule Violations, which aims to protect athletes from people who have broken the rules or might influence them to cheat.

Respect in the sport workplace

The Respect at Work Amendment Act aims to make sure more workers are protected and empowered to address unlawful sexual harassment in the workplace.


 

Our latest news, resources, podcasts, courses and webinars:

 

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Anti-Doping Rule Violation Guide for Sports thumbnail image

Anti-Doping Rule Violation Guide for Sports

Support for sporting organisations who have a person going through an Anti-Doping Rule Violation process.
 

Get the guide

Hear me play: Youth Perceptions of Safety in Sport

Results from this sport study are now available.
 

Check the results

[as a coach] …it’s equipping them [athletes] to know how to ask for help, what help looks like, what fundamental things create success … it doesn’t happen overnight … there’s no magic pill … it takes work, it takes persistence, resilience…

— Tracey Menzies, leading Australian swimming coach

Child safe practices – do's and don'ts

Protecting children and young people is everyone’s responsibility. By learning best practice we can build a safe sporting culture.

Check child safe practices

Education is key

Knowledge is power in preventing doping and safeguarding the integrity of Australian sport. We offer a range of education services for coaches.

Explore education

Supplements in sport

Many people use supplements in the hope it might help their performance. However, supplements pose a real risk for athletes.

More about supplements

Travel arrangements

Learn the safeguarding practices that should be implemented by organisations when travelling with children and young people.

Get across travel arrangements

Sport is for Every BODY

Help promote positive language and behaviours around body image in sport.

Explore resources

Sport is for Every BODY - Sport Integrity Australia and The Embrace Collective cover image

For sports coaches and officials

Abuse, bribes, pressure

Referee Ben Williams, NRL ref Kasey Badger and rugby ref Grant Jones, talk about pressures faced by officials and referees on our podcast.

Anti-doping investigations

We conduct investigations to gather all available evidence related to identifying and stopping doping in sport.

Current sanctions

Athletes or support personnel who commit Anti-Doping Rule Violations and details of their sanction.

No excuse for sideline abuse

Poor sideline behaviour is a continuing threat to sport integrity. Check education and resources available to your club or community.

Prohibited Association

One of 11 Anti-Doping Rule Violations which aims to protect athletes, from people who have broken the rules or might influence them to cheat.

Tackling poor sideline behaviour in the QRL

Find out how Queensland Rugby League is taking action to tackle poor sideline behaviour. 


 

Our latest news, resources, podcasts, courses and webinars:

 

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Helping Australians thrive in sport

Educating Australians about integrity threats facing sport like discrimination, harassment, child abuse, competition manipulation, illegal sports betting, illegal drugs and improper use of medicines and supplements.

Education

Education is key to protecting athletes and preventing integrity threats in Australian sport - we're here to help.

Check eLearning courses available.

What you can report

We offer those involved in sport an independent avenue to report their experiences and concerns about child safeguarding or discrimination matters.

Resources for you

We provide a range of helpful resources and guides for all sport participants.

More about what we do

Anti-doping

We are responsible for implementing an innovative and informed anti-doping program, consistent with international requirements and Australian legislation.

Therapeutic Use Exemptions

Athletes may at times need to use a prohibited medication and/or method to treat a legitimate medical condition.

National Integrity Framework

Best practice policies covering integrity threats like discrimination, harassment, child abuse, competition manipulation, illegal sports betting, illegal drugs and improper use of medicines and supplements.

Competition manipulation

We identify potential sports wagering and competition manipulation threats for the broader Australian sporting environment.

Safeguarding sport

We work with sports to help safeguard children and young people from abuse, prevent harm and promote wellbeing.

Empowering Women and Girls in Sport

Empowering women and girls to enter, stay, and thrive in sport at all levels.

Young Australian basketballer in a red singlet hold phone in hand

Safe and fair sport in hand

With over 110,000 downloads, the Sport Integrity App is a useful resource to inform and protect athletes.
 

Download free

On Side podcast website banner 2025

On Side podcast

Conversations with athletes, coaches, sport executives, administrators, sport scientists and experts.
 

Listen now

Jelena Dokic with tennis racket cheering and text 'Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story'

The Jelena Dokic Story

We partnered with the creators of 'Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story', to raise awareness about safeguarding in sport.
 

Jelena's story

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