Safe Sport Resources
Report a concern or violation
Canada Cheer is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, healthy and inclusive sports environment where all members can participate in their sport free from abuse, maltreatment, harassment and discrimination. If you have a concern or have seen a member breach a Cheer Canada Policy, please take the most appropriate action from the list below to report this concern or violation. For more information regarding Cheer Canada’s policies please visit https://cheercanada.ca/about/bylaws-policies/
Duty to Report
All Cheer Canada Participants are expected to promptly report any behavior of which they become aware that may constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct Policy or contravenes the law. This includes situations where the breach is suspected, provided the Cheer Canada Participant has reasonable grounds to believe such suspicion is true.
If you have reasonable grounds to suspect that an individual is or may be suffering from emotional abuse, physical abuse, and/or sexual abuse, you should immediately report the suspicion and the information on which it is based to the local child protection agency and/or the local police department. Once you have taken the urgent action to protect a child in danger, please contact Cheer Canada to ensure we are informed and can take any required action.
Report at the Program Level
In a situation where the alleged misconduct is less severe, and may not risk the safety, health or well-being of an athlete, Canada Cheer encourages all members including: athletes, coaches, parents, gym owners, judges and volunteers to try and respectfully address the issue with the individual. If the first response is unsuccessful, individuals with unresolved concerns should then contact their gym manager or owner, club president or board of directors, if possible.
Report at the Provincial Level
Where the situation is more severe, reaches beyond the scope of an individual program, or if the concern directly involves the individual responsible for receiving complaints, then the concern should be reported to the provincial sport association in accordance with their policies and procedure.
Report at Cheer Canada level
Cheer Canada should receive reports from individuals in any the following circumstances:
- concerns relating to Team Canada and Cheer Canada activities/events,
- if the individual had unsuccessful attempts to address their concerns at the first two levels,
- concerns involving multiple PSOs,
- if concerns are not related to program operations, or
- if the complaints are of a more serious nature and may involve abuse, harassment or discrimination.
Cheer Canada will use reasonable efforts to conduct the initial review and assessment in confidence, including where possible, protecting the anonymity of the Whistleblower. This includes reports, complaints, witness statements and other documents. Anonymous reports, while discouraged, can be submitted, but complaint processing may be hampered due to Canada Cheer’s inability to clarify detailed information with the person reporting the concern.
Submitting a Report
Independent Third Party Reporting
A key component of a safe environment is the existence of an independent dispute resolution mechanism where complaints, allegations and breaches of Cheer Canada conduct policies can be received and heard.
Cheer Canada has engaged the services of an Independent Safe Sport Officer who will work with you through the complaints process. We understand how important it is to have options when it comes to reporting issues in a safe and secure way.
You may contact Brian Ward directly at: safesport_wwdrs@primus.ca
Reports can be submitted by completing the following form.
https://forms.gle/JECuDHtfYgK57LRR6
Good Faith Reporting
A reporting person who files a Cheer Canada Code of Conduct Violation form must do so with no malice and/or information known to be false, fabricated or retaliatory in nature. Reporters must have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed does indeed indicate a violation. Knowingly submitting a false or malicious report will be viewed as a major infraction.
There will be no retaliation of good faith reports that turn out to be unsubstantiated. No reporting person shall suffer retaliation or harassment as a result of their report.
Canadian Sport Helpline: Available to provide you with advice, guidance, and resources on how to proceed/intervene appropriately in the circumstances.
Website: http://abuse-free-sport.ca
Email: info@abuse-free-sport.ca
Phone/Text Message: 1-888-837-7678
Canadian Anti-Doping Program
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is the custodian of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), the set of rules that govern anti-doping in Canada. The CADP consists of several components such as in- and out-of-competition testing, education, medical exemptions, and the consequences of doping violations. The CADP is compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code and all international standards.
Cheer Canada has adopted the CADP which means that you can be confident that you are part of a world-class anti-doping program that is designed to protect athletes’ rights and ensure a level playing field. Cheer Canada’s code of conduct reflect and support the CADP. For more information regarding Cheer Canada’s policies please visit: https://cheercanada.ca/about/bylaws-policies/
While the CCES administers anti-doping for the Canadian sport community, you may also be subject to the rules of your international federation. Learn more about ICU’s anti-doping policies and procedures at http://cheerunion.org/wada/safety/
As a member of Cheer Canada, the CADP applies to you! It is important to know that by participating in activities sanctioned by Cheer Canada, you may be selected for doping control.
Important Information
The CCES recommends that athletes take the following actions to ensure they don’t commit an inadvertent anti-doping rule violation:
- Know your rights and responsibilities as an athlete with regard to anti-doping: http://cces.ca/athletes-rights-and-responsibilities
- Log in and complete your CCES online anti-doping education at https://education.cces.ca
- Always comply with a testing request if you are notified for doping control: http://cces.ca/sample-collection-procedures
- Check all medications and products before taking them to ensure they do not contain ingredients that are banned: http://cces.ca/checkmeds
- Verify your medical exemption requirements: http://cces.ca/medical-exemptions
- Do not take supplements, but if you do, take steps to minimize your risk: http://cces.ca/supplements
- Get the latest news. Sign up to receive CCES media releases and advisory notes: http://cces.ca/subscribe
Additional Resources and Information
- The Global DRO provides athletes and support personnel with information about the prohibited status of specific substances based on the current World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List: http://www.globaldro.com/
- Read more about the Canadian Anti-Doping Program at http://cces.ca/canadian-anti-doping-program
- The World Anti-Doping Agency works towards a vision of a world where all athletes compete in a doping-free sporting environment: http://wada-ama.org/
- The CCES is a proud and active member of the True Sport Movement – a movement that is based on the simple idea that good sport can make a great difference: www.truesport.ca
Report Doping
Cheer Canada and the CCES need your help to eliminate doping! To report doping activity, call the hotline at 1-800-710-CCES, download the app for Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gotethics.cces or iOS here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cces-report-doping/id1359653848?mt=8, or fill in the online form here: http://cces.ca/reportdoping
Contact
For additional resources and more about anti-doping, please contact the CCES:
- Email: info@cces.ca
- Call toll-free: 1-800-672-7775
- Online: http://cces.ca/contact-us