Education 

Education is, without a doubt, the cornerstone of curbing abuse and harassment in sport. Prior to 2020, a number of organizations in Canada, including the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and the Respect Group, had already developed and delivered education programs to assist child-serving organizations in the prevention of sexual abuse.

Mandatory Training at the National Level

As per Sport Canada’s funding expectations, federally-funded sport organizations have the obligation to ensure that, prior to April 1, 2021, all their members complete Safe Sport Training or a recognized equivalent. For now, there are two programs that meet the Sport Canada standards:

Safe Sport Education Accreditation Program

The Safe Sport Education Accreditation Program provides the Canadian sport community with access to proven resources and training, both new and existing.

All of the materials, workshops and courses to be promoted through this program will meet strict national standards and will be compliant with the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) and with the objectives of Abuse-Free Sport.

Training and education providers will be invited to apply for accreditation in late summer 2022. The list of the first accredited programs is expected to be available through the Abuse-Free Sport website in the Fall of 2022.