Hamburg State Rowing Association – Hamburg Rowing Youth

Contact Person: Rosa-Lotta Konerding

Email: jugendschutz@hamburger-ruderjugend.de

A Positioning and Integration

1. The board of the Hamburg Rowing Youth, specifically the PSG contact persons, are available as contact persons for the topic of “Sexual Harassment and Violence in Sports” to children’s and youth groups, as well as to the State Rowing Association Allgemeiner Alsterclub/ Norddeutscher Ruderer Bund (AAC/NRB). They receive appropriate further training in this area and should be contacted in cases of suspicion or uncertainty.

2. The Hamburg Rowing Youth is aware of its responsibility. The chairperson, or their representative, must be immediately informed of any specific suspected case within the association.

3. All persons active in the association are urged to act if they become aware of a situation involving sexual harassment and violence.

4. All full-time and volunteer staff members confirm by signing the German Rowing Association’s Code of Conduct that they conduct their work with members, especially with children and young people in our association, in compliance with ethical and moral principles.

5. The board of the Hamburg Rowing Youth determines which group of people must submit an extended certificate of good conduct. Staff members listed under point C must submit an extended certificate of good conduct every 4 years.

6. The AAC/NRB mandatorily integrates the topic of “Protection against Sexual Harassment and Violence” into the training and educational concepts that fall within its area of responsibility. The topic should be addressed in an age-appropriate manner.

7. Perpetrators in our association must expect consistent action. We do not tolerate any form of sexual harassment and violence in our association!

8. In the event of an intervention, information will be provided to third parties while respecting the personal rights of those affected and the suspects.

B Contact Persons of the Hamburg Rowing Youth

The Hamburg Rowing Youth appoints Dylan Jonat and Rosa-Lotta Konerding
as contact persons for questions regarding the prevention of sexual harassment and violence.
The contact persons coordinate the implementation of the prevention concept measures with the State Rowing Association AAC/NRB.
The contact details of the contact persons will be published on the association’s website (www.alsterclub.de). In general, inquiries can also be sent to jugendschutz@hamburger-ruderjugend.org.

C Suitability of Staff

Volunteer staff members of the Hamburg Rowing Youth must sign the DRV Code of Conduct (see Appendix 1). Without signing, staff members will not be deployed at Hamburg Rowing Youth events. Violations of the Code of Conduct can lead to consequences.

All board members must submit an extended certificate of good conduct and re-sign the Code of Conduct every four years.

Persons who have a conviction in their extended certificate of good conduct for offenses listed under §72a SGB VIII are not suitable for accompanying, supervising, or coaching children, young people, and adults. These persons will not be deployed at or for events.

The certificates of good conduct are reviewed by the 1st PSG contact person. The review is documented accordingly (see Appendix 2). For volunteer staff members, the certificate of good conduct is free of charge upon presentation (see Appendix 3).

Children’s coaches and supervisors participating in Hamburg Rowing Youth events provide their proof in their home club. Before Hamburg Rowing Youth events, the responsible contact persons of the Rowing Youth clubs must confirm that the coaches have submitted an up-to-date extended certificate of good conduct and signed the Code of Conduct. The inquiry takes place at the beginning of the year and, if necessary, before events, should new persons have joined.

D Qualification of PSG Contact Persons

The PSG contact persons qualify through the advertised training course for “PSG Contact Persons” of the Hamburg Sports Youth. Furthermore, they participate annually in the Hamburg Sports Youth network meeting and regularly undergo further training.

Every three years, the board of the Hamburg Rowing Youth, together with the children’s coaches, participates in a joint training course of the AAC/NRB on the topic of sexual violence.
E Statutes and Youth Regulations
The Hamburg Rowing Youth clearly speaks out against sexual violence in its Youth Regulations (§3).

F Complaint Management & Intervention Guidelines

The Hamburg Rowing Youth takes responsibility for crisis management that protects the safety, interests, and integrity of those affected. The contact persons for the topic of “Sexual Harassment/Violence in Sports” are available to children’s and youth groups, as well as to the association and its members, in close consultation with the PSG contact person of the AAC/NRB.
Of course, affected persons or persons who are concerned can also contact one of the external counseling centers, such as:

“Zündfunke e.V. Hamburg” (040 890 12 15)

“Dunkelziffer e.V.” (040 42 10 700 10),

Hamburg Sports Youth (040 419 08 264),

“Basis Praevent”, for affected boys and men (040 39 84 26 62)

“Allerleirauh e.V.” (040 29 83 44 83)

The HRJ-PSG contact person should be contacted in cases of suspicion or uncertainty. Concerns of any kind, whether by phone, email, or mail, must be forwarded to them immediately. The contact persons also handle communication within and outside the State Rowing Association while respecting personal rights. The executive board of the Hamburg Rowing Youth must be informed of suspected cases.

The further course of action and which other bodies will be informed about a specific matter (AAC/NRB Chair, club chairperson, State Sports Association, specialist counseling center, etc.) will be decided on a case-by-case basis, as will whether the accused person’s participation in further HRJ events is appropriate.

If there is an accusation against a person from the aforementioned group, that person will not be informed. In this case, another impartial person from the HRJ board can be involved.

Handling a Suspected Case

In general, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for handling a suspected case. However, there are some tips that can be helpful:

• The protection of the affected person is the top priority in a suspected case.
• Stay calm – act thoughtfully, not hastily.
• Treat what has been said confidentially.
• Praise the affected person for their courage to confide in others.
• Do not promise anything you cannot keep.
• Document conversations and statements (without judgment).
• Do not normalize concerns (“It’s not that bad”).
• Seek or arrange professional help, both for the PSG contact person and the affected person or other indirectly affected persons (e.g., Zündfunke and Dunkelziffer, HSJ, helpline 0800 22 55 530 – also anonymously).
• Discuss the further course of action with the affected person, also making it transparent why certain information may need to be passed on.
• Inform and involve legal guardians in the case of minors.
• For now, no information to the suspected perpetrator.
• Separation of victim and perpetrator

If an accusation arises directly during an HRJ event, appropriate measures must be taken to protect the affected person (e.g., reassigning duties, the accused person’s departure, etc.).

Involvement of Third Parties:

• Seek professional help, discuss further steps
• For further consultation, the state association, the home club, and the legal guardians can be involved.
• The data of affected persons and accused persons are treated confidentially within the association and exchanged anonymously with contact persons from affected clubs, police, and public prosecutors for risk assessment and prevention.

Processing and rehabilitation take place in consultation with the Hamburg Sports Youth or professional counseling services.

G Risk Analysis

The Hamburg Rowing Youth organizes events with varying conditions, accordingly, different situations must be considered for each event.

Low Risk

Communication channels are assessed as having a low risk for sexual violence. The children’s coach email distribution list is managed by the Hamburg Rowing Youth, and all children’s coaches and youth wardens who wish to be included are added to it. For larger events, there is a dedicated coaches’ WhatsApp group used solely for communication.
Photos from events are only published on social media with the permission of the legal guardians. Naturally, the subjects are carefully selected according to our principles.
Communication from the Rowing Youth only takes place via the coaches or the legal guardians. Social media (Facebook and Instagram) are always supervised by at least two board members. When answering questions posed via social media, replies are always signed with a name.
The tone of interaction between the Hamburg Rowing Youth and coaches, as well as children and young people, is always appreciative and respectful.

Medium Risk

The power dynamic between the board of the Hamburg Rowing Youth, the coaches, and the children regarding participation in HRJ events is assessed as a medium risk for sexual violence. Our events (with the exception of the national competition) are open to all children and coaches. No child or coach is denied participation or subjected to specific conditions. For events with limited participant spots, there is a transparent allocation procedure; in case of doubt, the board always decides in consultation with the course management.

Room assignments are always planned by the Hamburg Rowing Youth in advance of an event. The goal is always to achieve a mix of clubs, and at least two HRJ persons are always involved in room assignments. A club-based mix also provides the opportunity to circumvent potential power imbalances within training groups.

Medium to High Risk

A medium to high risk is seen in the instruction and practice of endurance sports, stabilization and coordination exercises, as well as gymnastics on land. Necessary assistance or instructions sometimes require physical contact. On an event day, efforts are made for instructors to rotate, or exercises are always conducted in groups of at least five children and two coaches. If this is not possible, care is taken to ensure that exercise sessions take place in easily visible rooms. Based on this, the risk of sexual violence is rather assessed as medium.
Video analyses at Hamburg Rowing Youth events always take place in larger groups and with at least two coaches. As video evaluators, the Hamburg Rowing Youth tries to deploy coaches from other clubs and from the U19 or U23 age groups who do not know the children, and who are then supported by the respective children’s coach during the evaluation. The assignment of video evaluators is random. This minimizes the risk of any form of sexual violence during the evaluation.

The loading and unloading of boat trailers before and after events is also assessed as a medium risk. Boat trailers are often loaded within clubs, and it is often very chaotic. Through central and easily visible parking spaces for boat trailers and fixed loading times, the Hamburg Rowing Youth tries to minimize the risk of assaults in these situations.

High Risk

There is a high risk at all events involving overnight stays. In youth hostels, rooms are divided separately for coaches and participants. Children are assigned to rooms by gender and, as far as possible, by age group. Room checks by coaches are only carried out in teams of two and with the room door open. Before entering rooms, knocking is required, and room checks are preferably conducted by same-sex coaches.
At events involving camping, boys and girls sleep separately, but there is no specific tent assignment. Coaches sleep in their own tents.

At events involving camping, the changing room and showering situation is to be assessed as high risk. There is only one changing room or one shower unit on site, which is used jointly by children and coaches. Coaches should change and shower before or after the children.

The national competition is to be assessed as high risk. At this event, both children and coaches sleep in a gymnasium. Coaches usually sleep in close proximity to their training group to ensure quiet during the night and to wake their children on time without disturbing others.
Also, there are rarely separate showering and changing facilities for coaches and children, leading to mixing. Staggered showering is particularly difficult in the morning hours due to the limited time.
In larger gymnasiums, the hall is also shared with other federal states, which can lead to encounters with many unfamiliar people.

The event itself also carries a high risk, as it is an event with many people in a very large area. Here, the goal of the Hamburg Rowing Youth board is to always be present and approachable, and to ensure a relaxed atmosphere between children, coaches, and the board, where everything can be addressed and everyone looks out for everyone else.

H Rules of Conduct:

Applicability for Hamburg Rowing Youth Events

Measures and Rules of Conduct

Culture

Communication

The use of image and sound recording devices is prohibited in changing rooms and showers during HRJ association activities. If video analyses are to be carried out, the corresponding consent of the persons or legal guardians must be obtained in advance (e.g., on the registration form). These take place with several people simultaneously in one room.

Coaches and athletes should draw each other’s attention to any misconduct they notice. Race briefings always take place in public view.

Speech/Jokes

Expressions, jokes, and statements that convey sexual content and/or negatively refer to a person’s gender or sexual orientation are prohibited. Comments on the physical appearance and looks of children, adolescents, and adults are also prohibited.

Physical Contact

Assistance must be provided correctly according to sports standards and transparently communicated or demonstrated before the exercise. It should be clearly defined which contact is acceptable and which is not. Touching children, adolescents, and adults that is not directly related to the sport is prohibited. Physical contact, especially with adolescents (e.g., hugging), must be desired or wanted by them.

Power/Influence

Power Imbalance

There is a power imbalance between coaches and athletes, which must not be exploited. Continuous discussions and opportunities for exchange, especially before and after events, should be ensured to create transparency and counteract false claims.

Awareness

To make all children, adolescents, and coaches aware that there is a contact person, this person or their representative introduces themselves at every event of the Hamburg Rowing Youth. Additionally, there is a notice board with contact details.
At the autumn training camp in Ratzeburg, with many new children, there will be a short session on the topic of PSG.

Structure

Facilities at Events

Doors must be closed in the changing rooms, and photo and video recordings are also prohibited here.

Facilities: Showers and Overnight Stays

Accommodation in youth hostel rooms is gender-separated. Children and adolescents do not stay overnight in the private areas of supervising persons.
Showers are also to be used only by one’s own gender. Changing rooms are only to be entered by coaches with the consent of the children and adolescents. Coaches should not change and shower together with children and adolescents, even if they are of similar age or the same gender.

Facilities: Meetings

Meetings should always be announced to a third person.
Meetings should preferably not take place in rooms; if this is not possible, the “open door principle” or the “six-eye principle” applies.
Children and adolescents are not to be taken into the private areas of supervisors.

I Conclusion

Through good contact and exchange with children’s coaches and children at events in various settings, there are always opportunities to observe situations and seek dialogue in case of irregularities. This opportunity is always utilized when needed. The Hamburg Rowing Youth aims to create a safe place for everyone and, based on this concept, is committed to achieving this with all its efforts.

As of January 2022