The Helpline is a listening and referral service that aims to encourage people to speak openly and to validate their concerns regarding situations they feel are unacceptable. This service is free, anonymous, confidential and independent, offered in both official languages. You can reach us by phone, text or email.
Abuse-Free Sport is Canada’s independent system for preventing and addressing maltreatment in sport. Our ultimate goal is to work with others throughout the Canadian sport system to ensure that every participant – no matter the sport, the level, or the role – has a safe, positive and enriching experience. Changing the culture of sport in Canada is everyone’s responsibility. Abuse-Free Sport provides access to a wide range of resources, all of it available in English and French, including:
Safe Sport Education Accreditation Program
The accreditation program provides the Canadian sport community with access to accredited education programs and trainings that meet strict national standards and are aligned with the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS).
NEW! You can now submit an application for accreditation!
Legal Aid Program
Under certain admissibility conditions, this program will give access to a pool of specialized lawyers who offer legal advice and assistance to help parties navigate the complaint process.
Research Grant Program
A research program will be launched to increase our understanding of the behaviours we are seeking to reinforce or prevent, and to evaluate the impact of our programs and initiatives.
The Call for Proposals is currently closed.
Mental Health Services
Eligible individuals will have access to a suite of services through the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CCMHS). Even before filing a complaint, they could be referred to psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors, mental performance consultants, psychiatrists, and physicians.
Policy Support
Assistance will be provided to signatories with any review required to their policies in order to integrate the system. It will help build capacity of the sport community at large, by providing tools, resources and publications, including model rules and policies.
The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) serves as the central hub within Abuse-Free Sport. It operates independently to receive complaints about alleged violations of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS). Where there are credible allegations of abuse, harassment or discrimination, the OSIC conducts independent investigations and recommends sanctions against individuals who violate the UCCMS. Services are available to designated participants of a sport organization that has signed on to be part of this new centralized system.
Unlike the previous approach, where each national sport organization created its own system for dealing with complaints of abuse, this is a national “one-stop shop.” It is independent and led by experts in their respective fields. This national approach means there is greater consistency across sports when it comes to investigations, sanctions, policies and education. Ours is a robust, trauma-informed system where everyone involved is treated with fairness and empathy.
REPORT AN INCIDENT The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) receives complaints about alleged violations of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS). |