Competitive swimming is once again making headlines, but
this time it isn’t high-tech suits or amazing aquatic feats spurring the
attention. Unfortunately, it’s the darker side of the sport – swimmers being
sexually abused by their coaches.
Last month a California attorney filed a lawsuit naming USA
Swimming among others charging that there is “a culture in youth swimming that
ignores widespread sexual abuse by coaches.”
On Friday night 20/20 aired an investigative story into the
allegations. The upshot – 36 coaches in the past 10 years have been suspended
for life by USA Swimming for sexually abusing their swimmers.
As a journalist (I formerly worked for daily newspapers), I
would definitely call the treatment of the story by 20/20 sensational. It was a
full-on attack on USA Swimming. Rightfully or wrongly, to be honest, is less of
a concern.
The issue is much broader than whether USA Swimming is doing all
it can to prevent sexual abuse in the sport. (I don’t think it is, and am frankly
shocked that the organization only started requiring criminal background checks
four years ago, and that those criminal checks only go back three years). And
if the allegations that the organization ignored the problem are true, that,
too, is unconscionable.
The bigger issue, however, is sexual abuse itself, and if
this scandal can draw attention to this epidemic, and I do mean epidemic, I’m
all for it. The statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and U.S.
Justice Department studies on sexual abuse are staggering:
- 1 in 4 girls is
sexually abused before the age of 18.
- 1 in 6 boys is
sexually abused before the age of 18.
- 1 in 5 children
are solicited sexually while on the internet.
- 90 percent of children who are sexually abused know their
abuser
As for who is responsible in remedying this situation in
swimming and society at large, ultimately as adults, we all are. To be honest,
USA Swimming is far too removed. There are 12,000 coaches in USA Swimming.
We, as parents, have to have procedures in place that will,
at the very least, inhibit sexual abuse. When that comes to youth
organizations, Darkness to Light, a non-profit focused on raising awareness on
the issue, suggests the following:
- Create and lobby for policies reducing or eliminating
one-adult/one-child situations These policies should ensure that all activities
can be interrupted and observed.
-
Talk with program administrators about the supervision of older youth who have
responsibility for the care of children.
- Insist on screenings that include
criminal background checks, personal interviews, and professional
recommendations for all adults who serve children. Avoid programs that do not
use ALL of these methods.
-
Insist that youth-serving organizations train their staff and volunteers to
prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
-
Ensure that youth-serving organizations have policies for dealing with
suspicious situations and reports of abuse.
If you’ve never asked what policies your team has in place,
I encourage you to call your coach or parent board tomorrow. Don’t be shy about
asking the tough questions. If you know of a problem or have suspicions, report
the suspected abuse to authorities who are trained to deal with the problem.
Do these measures seem too alarmist or extreme?
Just go back to the statistics above – 1 in 4 girls and 1 in
6 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. Given that, how can you be too
cautious?
As stated by Darkness to Light: “Realities—not trust—should
influence your decisions regarding your child.”
