Education in Football

Child Safeguarding in Football

• The FIFA Child Safeguarding Toolkit aims to support Member Associations (MAs) in developing and implementing policies and procedures to prevent and respond to cases of abuse and exploitation of children in football.

FIFA Forward 2.0 Regulations

• The FIFA Forward 2.0 Regulations call for MAs to have child safeguarding policies and procedures in place.

Updating the Toolkit

• The FIFA Child Safeguarding Toolkit is regularly updated to ensure it remains relevant and effective.

Limitations of the Toolkit

• The FIFA Child Safeguarding Toolkit does not provide a one-size-fits-all solution for child safeguarding.

Proactive Efforts by MAs

• Proactive efforts by MAs to safeguard children will create a safe and protective environment for children in football.

Supplementary Guidelines

• FIFA provides supplementary guidelines for MAs on its website.

Education and Awareness

• Coaches, officials, and volunteers should receive education on how to recognize and respond to concerns and standards of expected behavior when working with children in football.
• One suggested approach to education and awareness-raising is through interactive and participatory training sessions.

Educational Programs

• Educational programs on safeguarding in football should include information on how to identify and report concerns, and how to create a safe and respectful environment.

Monitoring and Evaluating Policies

• Monitoring and evaluating policies, procedures, and guidelines is important in child safeguarding to ensure they are effective and up-to-date.

Developing Procedures and Guidelines

• One recommended step in developing procedures and guidelines to implement a child safeguarding policy is to involve children and young people in the process.

Grassroot Soccer Program

• The Grassroot Soccer program in South Africa is a program that uses football as a tool to educate young people about health and well-being, including HIV prevention.

Risks of Child Trafficking

• One risk associated with child trafficking through football is the exploitation of children by criminals who pose as football agents or coaches.

Communication and Education

• Communication and education are important in safeguarding children involved in football, as they raise awareness and promote a culture of safeguarding.

Purpose of the Child Safeguarding Toolkit

• The purpose of the Child Safeguarding Toolkit is to support MAs in developing and implementing policies and procedures to prevent and respond to cases of abuse and exploitation of children in football.

Child Protection

• Child protection refers to the prevention of and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence against children.

Basis for the Five Principles and Steps

• The five principles and five steps in the Child Safeguarding Toolkit are based on international standards and best practices in child protection.

Role of MAs

• The role of MAs is to use the Child Safeguarding Toolkit to develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent and respond to cases of abuse and exploitation of children in football.

First Step towards Safeguarding

• The first step towards safeguarding children in football is to develop a child safeguarding policy.

Purpose of a Child Safeguarding Policy

• The purpose of a child safeguarding policy is to ensure that children are protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence in football.

Content of a Child Safeguarding Policy

• A child safeguarding policy should include procedures for reporting and responding to concerns, codes of conduct, and procedures for recruiting and supervising staff and volunteers.

Responsibility for Safeguarding

• Everyone involved in football has a responsibility to safeguard children, including MAs, coaches, officials, volunteers, and parents.

Non-Respected Principle

• The principle that children's participation in football is conditional on their performance is not respected and promoted throughout the game of football.

Responsibility to Safeguard Children

• MAs have the responsibility to safeguard children in football.

Five Steps towards Safeguarding

• The five steps towards safeguarding children in football are: establishing a child safeguarding policy, appointing a child safeguarding focal point, developing procedures for reporting and responding to concerns, providing education and training, and monitoring and evaluating policies and procedures.

Implementing the Five Steps

• The five steps towards safeguarding children in football should be implemented as soon as possible, with regular review and update to ensure they remain effective.