Abuse-Free Sport announces the publication of its first Sport Environment Assessment report. A Sport Environment Assessment (SEA) serves to address and prevent systemic issues related to maltreatment, discrimination and other prohibited behaviours under the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport. SEAs seek to understand an alleged problem and its root causes and identify possible solutions, all with the goal of improving the sport environment for both current and future participants.

In this instance, the SEA concerns the Ontario Volleyball Association, which was informed of the SEA, was updated on its progress, and received advance notice of the upcoming publication of the report.

The SEA process also includes the publication of a monitoring report one year later. This provides a means for others, including members and funding partners, to keep track of steps taken and progress made in the implementation of the SEA recommendations as well as the organization’s commitment to safe sport.

Moreover, the SEA process and report should serve as a learning opportunity not only for the concerned organization, but for the entire sport community, in crafting and improving their safe sport policies and practices. It is an important step among many in building a safer, more inclusive and welcoming sport system in Canada.

For more information regarding SEAs, please visit the Sport Environment Assessment section of the OSIC website.

Read the first report via the OSIC Sport Environment Assessment Index.

About Abuse-Free Sport

Abuse-Free Sport is an independent program responsible for upholding and administering the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS). Abuse-Free Sport seeks to influence a positive shift in Canada’s sport culture and to foster safe, inclusive and welcoming sport participation through a variety of prevention, response and engagement initiatives. The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) operates as an independent division of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) to administer the UCCMS as part of the Abuse-Free Sport program.

About SDRCC

The SDRCC is a not-for-profit corporation created by federal legislation and funded by the Government of Canada. The mission of the SDRCC is to provide the sport community with a national alternative dispute resolution service and strengthen the culture of fairness in Canadian sport by resolving disputes quickly and efficiently and to provide expertise and assistance regarding alternative dispute resolution. The SDRCC is also mandated by the Government of Canada to implement an independent safe sport mechanism at the national level.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Monk
media@abuse-free-sport.ca