Yes. Athletic organizations have a legal duty to report sexual abuse. Many coaches and professional athletes have been accused and convicted of sexual assault or abuse in recent years. According to studies, between 14% and 29% of amateur and pro athletes have experienced some form of sexual abuse before age 18.
Unfortunately, schools, sports leagues, and athletic organizations have frequently failed to investigate and report credible sexual abuse allegations, and sports programs have covered up or intentionally ignored sex crimes by athletes, who normally receive preferential treatment from teams, schools, and even the police.
Are There Laws in Place for Reporting Sexual Abuse in Sports?
Under the California Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), which passed in 1980, mandated reporters are legally obligated to report reasonably suspected or known cases of child neglect or abuse. These mandated reporters include people who regularly work with minors under 18 years old, such as:
- Teachers
- Teacher’s assistants or instructional aides
- Employees or administrators of youth programs
- Athletic coaches or graduate assistants involved in coaching at private or public post-secondary institutions
- Employees of postsecondary institutions, including supervisors
Besides CANRA, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Sport Authorization Act (Safe Sport Act), which passed in 2018, is also designed to protect athletes from sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. The Safe Sport Act also created new training and reporting requirements for sports organizations.
Under this act, if a school’s athletic team has minor children and conducts interstate activities that require travel, the team’s personnel are considered mandatory reporters. It states that all mandatory reporters who have reason to suspect any kind of child abuse must comply with the reporting requirements of their state and report it to the police within 24 hours.
How Sexual Abuse in Sports Occurs
Various studies regarding sexual abuse in sports found that abusers utilize a wide variety of tactics to achieve their malicious goals. These devious tactics are used to gradually establish a relationship based on “trust” between the abuser, who is often an individual in a position of authority, and a minor athlete.
Over time, the boundaries of this relationship are crossed, resulting in sexual abuse. The tactics used by sexual abusers are intended to force or persuade young athletes to have sexual relations with them. They will do everything in their power to intimidate and scare the young athlete into cooperating with them and keeping the situation secret. This strategy reflects the extent of a coach's power over child athletes.
Connect with an Experienced Sexual Abuse Injury Lawyer Now
Many different negative consequences result from young athletes being sexually abused. They commonly experience shame, isolation, social embarrassment, self-esteem issues, drug and alcohol abuse, and various mental disorders. They may even lose focus on training, experience a decline in performance, or abandon their sport altogether.
If you or a loved one has experienced sexual abuse, please do not hesitate to reach out to Bamieh & De Smeth. Get in touch with our Ventura sexual abuse lawyer and schedule your free case review by calling our office at 805-643-5555 or by reaching out online.
