BNS Statement on Safe Sport

BNS Statement on Safe Sport

Basketball Nova Scotia is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment for the physical and mental well-being of every individual that is involved in the Basketball Nova Scotia community.

Basketball Nova Scotia is committed to creating a healthy, fun, accessible and inclusive environment in which athletes of all ages are able to live up to their full potential.

As part of this commitment, Basketball Nova Scotia takes situations involving misconduct or maltreatment very seriously. Basketball Nova Scotia is enacting and enforcing strong, clear, and effective policies and processes for preventing and addressing all forms of misconduct or maltreatment.

Basketball Nova Scotia’s policies are intended to promote a safe environment in a manner that allows for consistent, immediate, appropriate, and meaningful action should any issues arise. They are also intended to prevent issues from arising in the first place by communicating expected standards of behaviour.

Should anyone wish to report an incident or concern about misconduct or maltreatment involving anyone associated with Basketball Nova Scotia, including but not limited to Athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and parents/guardians of Athletes, they may do so directly to Basketball Nova Scotia, which will then determine the appropriate forum and manner to address the complaint.

Basketball Nova Scotia makes the following commitments to a sport environment free from Maltreatment:

1. All participants in sport can expect to play, practice, and compete, work, and interact in an environment free from Maltreatment.
2. Addressing the causes and consequences of Maltreatment is a collective responsibility and requires the deliberate efforts of all participants, broader sport community, sport club administrators and Basketball Nova Scotia leaders.
3. Participants in positions of trust and authority have the general responsibility to protect the health and well-being of all other participants.
4. Adult participants have a specific ethical duty and additional responsibility to respond to incidents of Maltreatment involving Minors and other vulnerable participants.
5. All participants recognize that Maltreatment can occur regardless of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, Indigenous status, or level of physical and intellectual disability and their intersections. Moreover, it is recognized that those from marginalized groups have increased vulnerability to experiences of Maltreatment.
6. All participants recognize that individuals who have experienced Maltreatment may experience a range of effects that may emerge at different time points and that can profoundly affect their lives.
7. All adults working with children and youth have a duty to prevent or mitigate opportunities for misconduct.
8. In recognition of the historic vulnerability to discrimination and violence amongst some groups, which persists today, participants in positions of trust and authority have a duty to incorporate strategies to recognize systemic bias, unconscious bias, and to respond quickly and effectively to discriminatory practices.