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<\/a>Assistant Professor of Sport Management Michele Donnelly<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cThis means we are not only going to be operating with the legal thresholds for harassment and abuse, but are also able to recognize and address all of the behaviours and actions that are so problematic in sport,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Donnelly says reporting currently happens within a sport organization and has varied consequences (often repercussions) for those reporting. Further, harassment and abuse of athletes by coaches, and the lack of administrative action in these instances, has been highlighted in recent cases in the media and the courts. In some cases, sport organizations have protected and promoted abusers\/harassers when they are considered \u201csuccessful\u201d or a benefit to the organization, Donnelly says.<\/p>\n Director of Brock\u2019s Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC) and Associate Professor of Sport Management Julie Stevens says \u201cThe long-term negative ramifications of maltreatment in sport is a significant issue for athletes and leaders that needs further discussion, discourse and action at all levels.\u201d<\/p>\n Director of Brock\u2019s Centre for Sport Capacity and Associate Professor of Sport Management Julie Stevens<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cWe are looking forward to hosting an event that will ensure athlete voices and experiences flow throughout the entire forum,\u201d says Stevens. \u201cWe hope to bring\u00a0together athletes, coaches, sport professionals and volunteers, and academics from the Niagara region and across Canada, for productive dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n Registration for the Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada<\/a> forum is now open. For more information, schedule details and announcements on panelists, visit the Centre for Sport Capacity website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Assistant Professor of Sport Management Michael Van Bussel says, \u201cWhile the UCCMS defines maltreatment as \u2018covering all types of conduct that inflict physical or psychological harm by a person against another person, within the sport community\u2019 and goes beyond the coach-athlete dynamic, relational risk management provides sport management practitioners with a framework to build constructive relationships between athletes, coaches and administrators.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>