Recognizing Emotional & Physical Misconduct

Physical misconduct includes: bullying, hazing and harassment while emotional misconduct includes any verbal or physical acts that deny attention or support.

PHYSICAL MISCONDUCT:

Bullying: Bullying is defined as repeated and/or severe aggressive behavior among minors (under age 18) that is intended or likely to hurt, control or diminish another person emotionally, physically or sexually. Bullying can be:

  • Verbal (name-calling, teasing, intimidation or threatening to cause harm)
  • Physical (hitting, kicking, tripping, or other forms of physical aggression)
  • Social (spreading rumors, embarrassing someone, ignoring a teammate)
  • Damaging or threatening to damage an individual’s personal belongings

Hazing: Any conduct that subjects another person, physically, mentally, emotionally or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, humiliate, degrade or intimidate a person as a condition of joining or being socially accepted by a group, team or organization.

Harassment: Repeated and/or severe conduct that causes fear, humiliation or annoyance, defends or degrades, creates a hostile environment, or reflects discriminatory bias in an attempt to establish dominance, superiority, or power over an individual athlete or group based on age, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, national origin or mental or physical disability.

Always model respect toward athletes, parents, spectators and officials.

EMOTIONAL MISCONDUCT:
SafeSport defines emotional misconduct as repeated and/or severe non-contact behavior involving verbal acts, physical acts and/or acts that deny attention or support. Emotional misconduct is determined by the objective behaviors, not whether harm is intended or results from the behavior.

Verbal Acts:

  • Verbal assault that repeatedly attacks someone personally (e.g., calling a person worthless, fat or disgusting; taunting a person for being too effeminate)
  • Repeatedly and excessively yelling at a particular athlete or other participant in a manner that serves no productive training or motivational purpose

Physical Acts:

  • Physically aggressive behaviors, such as throwing sport equipment, water bottles or chairs at or in the presence of others, or punching walls or other objects

Acts That Deny Attention or Support:

  • Ignoring or isolating a person for extended periods of time
  • Routinely or arbitrarily excluding a participant from practice
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