Parental Rights and Keeping our Kids Safe in B.C. Sports
Mandeep Dhaliwal has been selected by John Rustad as the BC Conservative’s critic of “parental rights and sports.” Since the BC NDP doesn’t have a minister of parental rights and sports, the BC Conservatives are in a unique position to bring their lens to this new title. Dhaliwal’s profile page on the BC Conservative website states, Throughout his life, Mandeep has displayed a passion for public service, social justice, equality, and sustainability.
As a parent I am very concerned about many problematic aspects to do with youth sports, including:
Sexual abuse
Violence and Harrassment
Digital violence
Gender-based violence
Gender equity in coaching
Racism
Government roles in keeping young athletes safe
Thank goodness the B.C. Conservatives are finally recognizing my parental rights to keep my child safe in sports! I am putting forth a call to action to all parents to reach out to Mr. Dhaliwal with your concerns. Here is a helpful list of current (within the last five years) Canadian resources for parents who wish to advocate for their children’s safety in sports. With consideration to Mr. Dhaliwal’s passion for social justice we can hope for strong advocacy for all children. Let’s keep our kids safe!
Sexual Abuse in Sports
Did you know since 1999 over 300 coaches across Canada have been charged with sexually assaulting the youth in their care? (How many have been caught but not charged? 🤔)
Sexual violence against young athletes in sports:
https://www.inspq.qc.ca/en/sexual-violence/contexts/sport
83 coaches across Canada charged with sexual abuse against minors over four years: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.6731809
Institutional tolerance and silencing of sexual assault in Canadian sports:
https://www.ubcpress.ca/sexual-assault-in-canadian-sport
Sexual abuse against children in sports:
Hockey Canada sexual assault allegations 'not even the tip of the iceberg,' says sport media professor: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/experts-say-sexual-violence-existed-decades-1.6533945
Sexual violence and misogyny in Canadian sports have been documented by academics and journalists for decades:
University coach fosters toxic rape culture, abuses student athletes:
An entire investigative series entitled “Shattered Trust” by the CBC on sexual abuse in sports (link refuses to work, please copy and paste):
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/topic/Tag/Shattered Trust?cmp=newsletter_The Buzzer_8300_868355
Violence and Harassment in Sport
OPEN LETTER: 500+ Canadian Gymnasts’ Concerns about a Toxic and Abusive Sport Culture Continue to be Ignored:
Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada 2022-2023 report:
Safe Sport in Canada: Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/CHPC/Reports/RP13203713/chpcrp12/chpcrp12-e.pdf
Safe sport and safeguarding in Canada:
https://sirc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Safe-Sport-Lit-Review.pdf
Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport:
https://sirc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/UCCMS-v5.1-FINAL-Eng.pdf
Magnitude and Risk Factors for Interpersonal Violence Experienced by Canadian Teenagers in the Sport Context:
https://saillab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Magnitude-and-Risk-Factors.pdf
Violence experienced by teenagers in sports in Quebec:
The Struggle for Child Protection in Canadian Sport:
https://kpe.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/one_step_forward_two_steps_back_0.pdf
Rink rage: Spectator violence in minor hockey in Canada:
https://sirc.ca/blog/rink-rage-spectator-violence-in-minor-hockey-in-canada/
1 in 5 Canadians report threats or harassment in sports (this link is also under the “racism” heading of this blog post):
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240304/dq240304a-eng.htm
Hockey Canada received almost 1,900 maltreatment complaints in 2022-23:
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockey-canada-maltreatment-report-1.7045173
Harassment and abuse in Canadian sport, including statistics about LGBTQ+ athletes:
https://hillnotes.ca/2022/11/21/harassment-and-abuse-in-canadian-sport-2/amp/
Canada needs to address systemic abuse in sports (opinion):
https://www.thetribune.ca/opinion/canada-needs-to-address-systemic-abuse-in-sports/
Players let down by Rugby Canada’s bullying and harassment policy: https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6005901
Digital Violence in Sport
Report on digital violence in Canadian sport:
https://abuse-free-sport.ca/files/Digital_Violence_in_Canadian_Sport_-_Fogel_Report.pdf
United against online abuse: a call for global action in sports:
https://unitedagainstonlineabuse.com/united-against-online-abuse-a-call-for-global-action-in-sports/
Online violence toward youth generally:
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240227/dq240227b-eng.htm
Gender-Based Violence in Sport
Evidence-based violence prevention program to be delivered by coaches:
https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004574/ontario-combating-gender-based-violence-in-youth
Tackling violence against women and girls in sport:
Using gender equity to combat gender based violence in sport:
Gender-based violence in sport:
https://www.gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/infographics/gbv-sport/index.html
Standing Committee on the Status of Women discuss abuse of women and girls in sport:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/FEWO/meeting-43/evidence
Toxic masculinity as a root issue in sports:
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockey-canada-summit-toxic-masculinity-1.6958191
Five hockey players charged with sexual assault:
Gender Equity in Coaching
https://womenandsport.ca/resources/tools/gender-equity-in-coaching/
Racism in Sport
Sport Canada’s recognition of EDI:
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/sport-participation.html
Statistics for discrimination and racism in sport (this link is also under the “violence and abuse in sport” heading of this blog post):
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240304/dq240304a-eng.htm
Abuse in Canadian Sports Highlights Gender and Racial Inequities:
This campaign seeks to help people identify and disrupt all forms of racism:
Canadian athletes detail experiences with racism in sports:
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5615142
United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (tricky reference since many BC Conservatives don’t like the UN)
https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/ending-racial-discrimination-in-our-game-2024-comm
Attempts by Government to Keep Athletes Safe
Safety in Sport:
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/safety-integrity-ethics-sport.html
The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner and the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport:
https://sportintegritycommissioner.ca
Why federal funding isn’t enough to stop abuse in sports:
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6732509
A parliamentary committee is calling for mandatory criminal record checks for all officials, coaches and volunteers and a new database to search past complaints, arrests, and convictions:
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7244804
A lone article from 2017 that addresses sexual abuse eradication attempts specifically in BC:
https://viasport.ca/articles/b-c-unites-to-tackle-sexual-abuse-in-sport/
Canadian helpline for people who have witnessed or experienced abuse in sport
https://cces.ca/abuse-free-sport-helpline
Contact info for Mr. Dhaliwal: mandeep.dhaliwal@conservativebc.ca
Contact for John Rustad (leader of the BC Conservative party): John.Rustad.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Hope this helps!
*The safety of youth in sports has nothing to do with trans kids playing sports and has everything to do with coaches and parents being abusers and cis men being rapists. We stand beside trans youth and all trans athletes in their participation in sports.
- S.G.
