SPORT is part of the solution to ending SV/DV

This includes policies within sport organizations that address the organizational culture and practices to prevent SV/DV by both reducing risks (ex. screening coaches) and uplifting protective factors (ex. enforcing codes of conduct that support healthy relationships, respect, and character). Policies and procedures implement consistent training and messages to support each individual’s role in sustaining a positive, safe, and healthy sport environment.

This includes the formal or informal partnerships between the sport community and SV/DV experts. Partnerships can engage a diverse group (e.g., SV/DV advocates, sport organization administrators, coaches, athletes, parents, community leaders, law enforcement, and schools) that collaborates to align messages, activism, education, and policies and practices as a means to raise community awareness and strengthen the collective impact of SV/DV prevention.

This involves convening or joining meetings, committees, conferences, etc., either in sport communities and/or with SV/DV experts, to share successes, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration to enhance learning about how to prevent SV/DV in and through sport. Through sharing, communities of practice can more quickly and effectively surface strengths and best practices that shift the culture in sport to prevent SV/DV. Communities of practice are also spaces to explore shared resources (ex. money, programming, messaging) to leverage SV/DV prevention efforts.

This involves intentional support and development of individuals and leaders in the sport community who model and advocate for SV/DV prevention. Intentionally building and supporting champions requires that individuals learn about the expectations of themselves and others in sport (ex. values, behaviors, norms), build skills to reinforce those expectations, and are supported and celebrated by their organization for engaging and exceling in this role.

This includes providing materials (ex. handouts, posters), services (ex. academic advisors, hotline numbers), financial support (ex. money set aside for SV/DV prevention work), time (ex. setting specific times throughout the year to directly talk about SV/DV and how to prevent it), or other assets (ex. connect to other community SV/DV prevention efforts) that address and prevent SV/DV. It is essential that sport organizations and individuals within sport provide a variety of resources to increase the number of ‘on ramps’ to provide support for survivors, to develop a sport culture that does not condone SV/DV, and to create multi-level SV/DV prevention mechanisms.

This includes formal educational programs and trainings (e.g., webinars, keynote speeches, in person trainings) and informal education (ex. team meetings, off the field mentoring) that focus on two components: 1) responding to SV/DV and 2) preventing SV/DV. Trainings and education programs can offer of activities and toolkits that teach specific skills, such as reducing conflict, fostering problem-solving skills, and promoting healthy relationships and social norms.

This includes formal evaluation (ex. surveys) of the outcomes of SV/DV prevention strategies (policies, resources, programs) to provide data that shows evidence of change. This also includes informal evaluation (ex. participant feedback, focus groups) of the outcomes of SV/DV prevention strategies. By formally measuring the impact of SV/DV prevention strategies, sport organizations can better understand if the strategies being implemented are achieving the desired outcomes and leading toward real culture change. 

This includes campaigns, pledges, videos and posters, and social media share graphics that aim to raise awareness about SV/DV and/or how to prevent it.  Raising awareness accomplishes several goals, including teaching individuals how to recognize SV/DV, normalizing conversations about SV/DV, and giving people an opportunity to do something to stop or prevent SV/DV.  Awareness campaigns and pledges can be effective in starting conversations about SV/DV, giving people a ‘first step’ toward activating against SV/DV, and using the popularity of sport to draw attention to SV/DV.