7 Tips to Keep Your Boardrider Club Child-Safe

id you know that by being a Surfing Australia-affiliated club, you’re signed up to the National Integrity Framework (5 Policies)? Essentially, it’s Surfing’s commitment to facilitate a safe, fun, fair, and inclusive sport. 

Today, we’re talking about Surfing Australia’s biggest integrity priority: safeguarding children and young people.  

 
HERE ARE 7 CHILD SAFEGUARDING TIPS FOR YOUR CLUB: 

1: There are appropriate steps to follow when photographing/videoing children and young people at your club rounds and events. A few are:  

• Get parental permission and explain what the use is for. 
• Ensure children are appropriately posed and dressed in a way that avoids misuse. And watch out for kids who might be changing in the background.  
• Use image storing and deletion processes that prevents misuse or unauthorised sharing.  
• Here’s a Sport Integrity Australia booklet with more information to use as a guide.  

2. Hazing, or traditionally known as ‘grom abuse’, is outdated and has no place in boardrider club or surf culture. Impose a ban in your club. It’s a breach of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, abusers could be sanctioned and reported to law enforcement and other child protection services.  

3. Do you have alcohol or other adult sponsors not suitable for children? Ensure they’re not printed on the rash vests worn by U18 members. 

4. Seek a child or young person’s permission to touch or interact when demonstrating an activity (e.g. wave push-in assistance), and respect and respond to signs that a child/young person is uncomfortable with touch. 

5. Establish expected parental supervision at activities such as club rounds and away camps, and specify, ideally via a written waiver form, where club supervisory obligations begin and end. 

6. Are you chaperoning an U18 minor to an away camp? Perhaps an ABB event? Here are some helpful resources:  

• Surfing Australia’s Chaperone Policy is best practice.  
• Refer to Sport Integrity Australia’s guide and checklist for overnight stays.  

7. Ensure you’re appointing child-safe people for your club committee, tasks, and events, whether paid or volunteer positions. Sport Integrity Australia has a helpful  Recruitment & Screening Checklist. 

FREE RESOURCES 

This is not an exhaustive list, but Sport Integrity Australia has a heap of helpful resources that you can share with your members. By coming together, we can all be active bystanders to keep children and young people safe.  

• Children & Young People Safe Practices Do’s & Don’ts 
• A respectful behaviours poster for adults. 
• Reporting and Responding to a breach of Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy 
• Sport Integrity Australia | A Parents / Carers Guide to Selecting a Safe Sporting Club 

 There are a wide range of fact sheets and guides available to you: Resources | Sport Integrity Australia 

 
Got an Integrity question or complaint? Contact Surfing Australia’s National Integrity Manager at: intregrity@surfingaustralia.com  +61 2 6671 0000. 

PICS: Andrew Morris