Federal Interior and Sports Minister Nancy Faeser has opened the independent contact point “Safe Sport” for those affected by sexual, psychological and physical violence in sport.
The word “milestone” is often mentioned on this afternoon.
Many of those who have worked on setting up the contact point in recent years can see the joy and a little pride. Proud of the fact that with “Safe Sport. Your Stop Violence” there is now the first independent contact point that is specifically aimed at those affected by popular sports.
“It’s terrible that we need them, but we need them”, the Federal Minister of the Interior and Sport, Nancy Faeser, is convinced. And the latest study “Safety in Sport” proves her right. Researchers from the Cologne Sports University and the Ulm University Hospital interviewed more than 4,000 club athletes. Ilse Hartmann-Tews worked on the study. In her speech at the opening of the “Safe Sport” contact point, the professor mentioned the most important results of the study from last autumn:
Almost two thirds of those questioned stated that they had experienced violence in sport once or even several times.
These ranged from verbal and physical sexual harassment to psychological violence and even beatings.
For those affected in club sports
“Half of those affected do not confide in anyone”according to Hartmann-Tews: “And when those affected make known incidents and assaults, then, as the studies show, they often fall on deaf ears. What they say is negated, and the incidents are often swept under the table in the clubs.”The scientist is also a board member of the association Safe Sport eV, the sponsoring association of the new contact point.
From now on, people who have experienced violence can get support here, especially in club sports. The special thing about “Safe Sport”: The contact point specializes in the subject of sport, but is independent of the structures of organized sport. Those affected can report anonymously to “Safe Sport”, “via an 0800 number, or via our website. We offer online advice there. This is perhaps more popular with younger people. And there is also the possibility of making appointments for on-site advice here in Berlin.”, Ina Lambert describes the possibilities of contacting the counseling center. The psychologist is the managing director of “Safe Sport”. Two other employees are at her side. They treat all reports confidentially and do not pass them on to sports clubs or associations. The offer is aimed at people from all over Germany,
Working “at eye level”
In the first year, the federal government is funding the position with 300,000 euros. From 2024, the federal states will participate in half.
Those affected were involved in the development of the new contact point right from the start. An exception, as Angela Marquardt confirms from her own experience. Along with other people affected, she is also one of the honorary founding members of the “Safe Sport” association:
“We worked many hours on the conception and were there at all times and at every step. And I think that was a process on an equal footing. Affected people don’t experience that very often, even when it’s actually about their interests.”
Athletes are also members of the sponsoring association of the new contact point through their interest group “Athleten Deutschland”. “Athleten Deutschland” is exclusively responsible for senior athletes and more than a year ago founded “Start against Violence” for them, an independent advice center that competitive athletes can turn to if they have experienced violence. Here they receive initial psychological and legal advice. In the first year of its existence, 150 people contacted “Start Against Violence”, reports Maximilian Klein from “Athleten Deutschland”, “an email every two days”. Affected people from popular sports could not help “Start against Violence” due to a lack of mandate.
Module for “Centre Safe Sport”
When the “Safe Sport” contact point was opened, Klein seemed happy and relieved, “that now all those affected in sport have independent counseling services”. Now he is looking to the next step: an independent center for safe sports. This is to become a superordinate institution, for which the “Safe Sport” contact point that has now opened is the first building block: “With the Center for Safe Sport, the solution will come, especially in the area of intervention, so that independent investigations can then also be carried out and suspected perpetrators can be sanctioned”. Intensive preparatory talks for the center are currently underway, and the first step has been taken with the “Safe Sport” contact point.
At the opening, all speakers made appeals to organized sport: “Help prevent violence in sport, said Federal Interior and Sports Minister Nancy Faeser, help create a culture of attention. Make the work of the contact point visible.”
In addition to its own advisory services, for example at state sports associations, organized sport should also point out the independent advisory services offered by “Safe Sport” to those affected. In this way, those affected could then decide for themselves from which point they would like to get support.
Safe sports. Your hold on violence:
https://www.ansprechstelle-safe-sport.de
Attack against violence:
https://www.start-against-violence.org