SafeSport Professional Ethics and Conduct 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A coach notices that a fellow staff member is developing an unusually close personal relationship with one athlete, texting them privately at late hours. What is the coach's ethical obligation?
- Ignore it since it's not their business
- Confront the staff member directly and warn them to stop
- Report the concerning behavior through the organization's safeguarding channels (Correct answer)
- Wait until an athlete makes a formal complaint before acting
Correct answer: Report the concerning behavior through the organization's safeguarding channels
SafeSport requires adults to report grooming behaviors or boundary violations even before abuse occurs, using established reporting channels.
Question 2: Under SafeSport's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP), which of the following one-on-one situations IS permitted?
- A coach driving an athlete home alone after practice
- A virtual meeting with a minor athlete that is observable and interruptible (Correct answer)
- A coach conducting a private closed-door session in a locker room
- An adult staff member sharing a hotel room with a minor athlete
Correct answer: A virtual meeting with a minor athlete that is observable and interruptible
MAAPP allows one-on-one communications if they are observable and interruptible, such as a video call others can see or join.
Question 3: What does 'dual relationship' mean in the context of SafeSport professional ethics?
- Coaching athletes in two different sports simultaneously
- A professional holding both coaching and administrative roles
- When a professional has a personal or financial relationship alongside their athletic authority role (Correct answer)
- An athlete competing for two organizations at the same time
Correct answer: When a professional has a personal or financial relationship alongside their athletic authority role
A dual relationship occurs when a coach or official also holds a personal, romantic, or financial role with an athlete, creating conflicts of interest and power imbalances.
Question 4: An athlete discloses to you that they were abused by a coach two years ago. You are a mandated reporter in your state. What is your first priority?
- Tell the athlete's parents before doing anything else
- Conduct your own internal investigation to assess credibility
- Report the disclosure to law enforcement or child protective services as required by law (Correct answer)
- Inform the accused coach so they can explain themselves
Correct answer: Report the disclosure to law enforcement or child protective services as required by law
Mandated reporters must report disclosures of abuse to the appropriate legal authorities first, regardless of when the abuse allegedly occurred.
Question 5: Which behavior BEST describes 'grooming' in the context of athlete abuse prevention?
- Helping an athlete improve personal hygiene habits
- Gradually building trust with an athlete and their family to gain inappropriate access (Correct answer)
- Providing extra coaching sessions to prepare an athlete for competition
- Encouraging an athlete to maintain a healthy diet and sleep schedule
Correct answer: Gradually building trust with an athlete and their family to gain inappropriate access
Grooming is a process where an abuser systematically builds trust with an athlete and their support network to enable and conceal abuse.
Question 6: A sports organization learns that a coach has been found responsible for sexual misconduct by SafeSport. The organization is considering reinstating the coach. What does SafeSport policy say?
- Reinstatement is allowed after a two-year suspension period
- Organizations may reinstate the coach if the athlete forgives them
- Individuals under a SafeSport eligibility suspension cannot participate in covered organizations (Correct answer)
- The organization's board can override SafeSport's findings by a majority vote
Correct answer: Individuals under a SafeSport eligibility suspension cannot participate in covered organizations
SafeSport eligibility suspensions bar the individual from participating in any covered organization for the duration of the sanction.
Question 7: What is the purpose of the 'two-deep leadership' rule in athlete protection?
- To ensure two coaches always agree before disciplining an athlete
- To require two adults present whenever a minor athlete is supervised, preventing isolated one-on-one situations (Correct answer)
- To mandate that two staff members co-sign every training plan
- To ensure at least two parents attend every practice session
Correct answer: To require two adults present whenever a minor athlete is supervised, preventing isolated one-on-one situations
Two-deep leadership requires a minimum of two unrelated adults present whenever minor athletes are being supervised to eliminate isolated, potentially abusive situations.
SafeSport Professional Ethics and Conduct 2
A coach notices that a fellow staff member is developing an unusually close personal relationship with one athlete, texting them privately at late hours.
What is the coach's ethical obligation?