Rowing Association Hamburg – Hamburg Rowing Youth

Contact Person: Finja Rothhardt

Email: jugendschutz@hamburger-ruderjugend.org

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 “Sexualized Harassment and Violence in Sports” to the children’s and youth groups as well as the Rowing Association Allgemeiner Alster-Club/ Norddeutscher Ruderer-Bund (AAC/NRB). They receive appropriate training in this area and are to be contacted in case 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 case of suspicion within the association.

3. All persons working in the association are urged to act if they become aware of a case of sexualized harassment and violence.

4. All full-time and volunteer employees document by signing the Code of Conduct of the German Rowing Association that they conduct their work with members, and 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. Employees 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 sexualized 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 sexualized 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 suspects.

B Contact Persons of the Hamburg Rowing Youth

The Hamburg Rowing Youth appoints Finja Rothhardt as the contact person for questions regarding the prevention of sexualized harassment and violence.
The contact person coordinates the implementation of the prevention concept measures with the State Rowing Association AAC/NRB.
The contact details of the contact person 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 Employees

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

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

Persons who have a conviction in their extended certificate of good conduct within the meaning of the criminal 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 in or at events.

The certificates of good conduct are reviewed by the 1st PSG contact person. The review is documented accordingly (see Appendix 2). For volunteer employees, 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 a current 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, if 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 annually participate in the network meeting of the Hamburg Sports Youth and regularly continue their education.

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 sexualized violence.
E Statutes and Youth Regulations
The Hamburg Rowing Youth clearly speaks out against sexualized violence in its Youth Regulations (§3).

F Complaint Management & Intervention Guidelines

The Hamburg Rowing Youth takes responsibility for crisis management that safeguards the protection, interests, and integrity of those affected. The contact persons for the topic “Sexualized Harassment/Violence in Sports” are available to the children’s and youth groups as well as the association and its members in close consultation with the PSG contact person of the AAC/NRB.
Naturally, 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 is to be contacted in case of suspicion or uncertainty. Concerns of any kind in the form of phone calls, emails, or postal correspondence must be forwarded to them without delay. 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 instances are informed about a specific matter (AAC/NRB board, chairperson of the club, State Sports Association, specialized 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, this 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 pieces of advice that can be helpful:

• The protection of the affected person is paramount in a suspected case.
• Stay calm – act thoughtfully and not hastily.
• Treat what has been said confidentially.
• Praise the affected person for their courage in confiding in others.
• Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
• Document conversations and statements (without judgment).
• Do not normalize concerns (“It’s not that bad”).
• Seek or provide 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, and also make it transparent why certain information may need to be shared.
• Inform and involve the 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., different task distribution, departure of the accused, etc.).

Involving Third Parties:

• Seek professional help, discuss further course of action
• 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, the police, and the public prosecutor’s office for risk assessment and prevention.

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

G Risk Analysis

The Hamburg Rowing Youth organizes events with different framework conditions, accordingly there are different situations to consider for each event.

Low Risk

The communication channels are assessed as having a low risk of sexualized 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. In the course of larger events, there is a coaches-only WhatsApp group that serves solely for communication.
Photos from events are only published on social media with the permission of the legal guardians. Naturally, the motifs 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 communication 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 children regarding participation in HRJ events is assessed as having a medium risk of sexualized 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; at least two HRJ persons are always involved in the room assignment. A club-wise mix also provides the opportunity to circumvent possible 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, or 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 alternate, 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 units take place in easily visible rooms. Based on this, the risk of sexualized violence is rather assessed as a medium risk.
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 employ coaches from other clubs and from the U19 or U23 age groups who do not know the children and are then supported by the respective children’s coach during the evaluation. The assignment of video evaluators is random. This minimizes the risk of sexualized violence in any form during the evaluation.

Loading and unloading boat trailers before and after events is also assessed as a medium risk. Boat trailers are often loaded within the club, and it is often very confusing. 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 by coaches and participants. Children are assigned to rooms by gender and, if possible, homogeneously by age. 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 carried out by same-gender coaches.
At events involving camping, boys and girls sleep separately, but no special tent assignment is made. Coaches sleep in their own tents.

At events involving camping, the changing and showering situation is to be assessed as high risk. On-site, there is only one changing room or one shower unit, 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 or to wake their children on time without disturbing others.
Also, separate showering and changing facilities for coaches and children are rare, leading to a mix. Staggered showering is difficult, especially in the morning hours due to the short time frame.
In larger gymnasiums, the hall is also shared with other federal states, which can lead to encounters between many unfamiliar people.

The event itself also carries a high risk, as it is an event with many people over a very large area. Here, the goal of the board of the Hamburg Rowing Youth is to always be present and approachable and to ensure a relaxed atmosphere between children, coaches, and the board, where everything can be discussed 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 at HRJ association events in changing rooms and showers. 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 potential misconduct they notice. Race briefings always take place publicly and visibly.

Language/Jokes

Expressions, jokes, and statements that convey sexual content and/or negatively refer to a person’s gender or sexual orientation are to be refrained from. Statements regarding the physical appearance and looks of children, young people, and adults are to be refrained from.

Physical Contact

Assistance must be provided correctly from a sports technical perspective and communicated transparently or demonstrated in advance of the exercise. It should be clearly defined which contact is acceptable and which is not. Touches of children, young people, and adults that are not directly related to the sport are to be refrained from. Physical contact, especially with adolescents (e.g., hugging), must be desired or wanted by them.

Power/Influence

Power Imbalances

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 allegations.

Awareness

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

Structure

Premises at Events

In the changing rooms, doors must be closed, and image and sound recordings are also prohibited here.

Premises for Showers and Overnight Stays

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

Premises for 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 policy” or the “six-eyes principle” applies.
Children and young people are not taken into the private areas of the supervisors.

I Conclusion

Thanks to good contact and exchange with the children’s coaches and children at events in various settings, there is always the opportunity to observe situations and to seek dialogue in case of concerns. This opportunity is always utilized when needed. The Hamburg Rowing Youth aims to create a safe space for everyone and, based on this concept, is fully committed to achieving this.

As of August 2025