Football coach under suspicion: How clubs can protect children!

Football coach under suspicion: How clubs can protect children!

A serious accusation against a football coach is causing a stir in the Rems-Murr district. He is accused of uploading youth pornographic content and sharing it in a chat group. This event once again raises the question of protecting children and young people from sexual violence. ZVW reports that Jens Rabe, a Waiblingen lawyer and expert in abuse cases, gives valuable tips in an interview on how clubs can protect themselves from child abuse.

Rabe emphasizes the top priority of child protection and explains that a variety of preventative measures are necessary. These are aimed not only at the children affected, but also at various adults who can act as role models in their environment.

Preventive measures and their importance

The central ideas for preventing sexual abuse are that children and young people cannot protect themselves alone. You need trustworthy contacts such as parents, teachers, trainers or neighbors. The Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues highlights that sexual abuse often occurs through structures of power and dependency that need to be recognized and broken.

It is therefore important that not only the children themselves, but also the adults who have responsibility in their environment are well informed. Prevention can also start with potential perpetrators in order to avoid first and repeat crimes. Respect for the needs of children and young people plays a fundamental role.

Protection concepts in schools

In order to further promote the protection of children, the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs has adopted guidelines for “Child Protection in Schools”. This guide is intended to support schools in developing and implementing effective protection concepts against sexual violence. The KMK emphasizes the need for protective spaces in schools to enable educational professionals to ensure the protection of students.

The guide offers practical materials and support for structuring processes so that schools can develop their own protection concepts. Astrid-Sabine Busse, President of the KMK, emphasizes that protecting students from violence is a natural mandate of educational institutions. This initiative is an essential part of the long-term school development process.

Overall, it is clear that prevention in various areas, be it in sport, in schools or other institutions, is crucial in order to protect children and young people from sexual violence. The joint effort of everyone involved can bring about change and create a safe environment.