Sport and recreation for children and young people should make them happier and healthier. Their wellbeing, now and into the future, depends on their experiences as they grow up. Sport and recreation activities should be free from abuse and harm.

Child safeguarding is the set of actions that nga tangata/everyone can take to protect tamariki and rangatahi from abuse and harm. This includes protecting them from emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and neglect.

Keeping children and young people safe in sport and recreation is something that should be done collectively within clubs, organisations, whānau and communities. Having clear expectations and guidance helps to keep everyone, including adults, safe in sport and recreation.

Child safeguarding includes:

• agreeing on how people interact with tamariki and rangatahi to keep them safer

• providing safe activities and environments in sport and recreation.

Understanding and knowing more about child safeguarding:

• will ensure sport and recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand is safer and fairer

• means having the skills to prevent, identify and address abuse and harm to tamariki and rangatahi.

Child safeguarding means the actions we take to prevent harm to children and young people, and promotes their overall wellbeing.   

Child protection is how we respond when children and young people are or may be being harmed or abused.  

Having good policies in your club or organisation can help manage and address harmful behaviour.

We are developing new policy templates for sport and recreation clubs and organisations to use when they are developing their own policies. Keep a look out for the new policy templates when they are published here.

Sign up to our mailing list for updates

In the meantime, you can still download and use the child safeguarding policy templates from the Sport NZ website.

Browse child safeguarding policies from the Sport NZ website