Reporting Violence in Sport
How to speak up, support disclosure and move concerns to the right level
Recognising a concern is only the first step. Reporting is harder because athletes must decide whom to trust, what to say, and what may happen next. In Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece, the CoViS evidence describes reporting procedures as unclear, limited or absent in many sport settings, with weak trust in formal organisational responses. This module therefore starts from the reality athletes already use: speaking first to a trusted person and then helping the concern reach a level where action can be taken.
Why this module matters
The CoViS Needs Analysis showed a clear gap between willingness to act and the practical reporting environment. Among 150 participants who gave a valid answer, exactly half said they had reported the incident to someone and half said they had not. Among 79 valid responses identifying whom they told, formal routes were uncommon.
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💬 What CoViS participants told us One Serbian participant said that “there are no clear procedures either within the club, or at the national or international level.” Across the three countries, participants described unclear procedures, fear of consequences, distrust, gossip and victim-blaming as barriers to reporting. CoViS qualitative study, Theme 6: Reporting barriers, institutional mistrust and culture of silence. |
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50% REPORTED 75 of 150 valid respondents said they had told someone about the incident. |
50% DID NOT 75 of 150 valid respondents said they had not reported it to anyone. |
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74.7% TEAMMATE 59 of 79 valid responses identified a teammate as the person they told. |
16.5% FAMILY 13 of 79 identified family; only 5.1% told a coach and 3.8% club officials. |
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CoViS insight: disclosure often begins informally 👤 ATHLETE – The first person you tell may be a teammate, parent or family member rather than an official. 👥 TRUSTED PERSON – That first conversation matters. Listen and help the concern move onward; do not investigate. 🏛 NEXT LEVEL – A responsible person or body should receive, protect, assess, refer or escalate the concern. CoViS Needs Analysis, 2026 – reporting results; sample findings, not national prevalence estimates. |
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Evidence base: CoViS Needs Analysis, 2026; IOC Safeguarding Toolkit; IOC Consensus Statement on Interpersonal Violence and Safeguarding in Sport, 2024.
Learning goals
After completing this module, participants should be able to:
› distinguish disclosure, reporting, escalation and investigation;
› identify practical steps for raising and escalating a safeguarding concern;
› respond safely and supportively when an athlete discloses a concern, without investigating it;
› understand the core features of a safe, accessible and accountable reporting system in sport.
1. Reporting is not the same as proving
Module 1 distinguished recognition from investigation. The same principle applies here: a person can report a safeguarding concern without proving that harassment occurred. A report is a way of passing information to someone who can support, assess, escalate or refer the concern.
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DISCLOSURE 👥 Telling a trusted person what happened or what is worrying the athlete. This may be a teammate, parent, family member, coach, health professional or another safe adult. |
REPORT 💬 Passing the concern to a person or body with responsibility to respond, record, refer or take protective action. |
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ESCALATION ↗ Moving the concern to a higher or more independent level when the first route is unavailable, conflicted, unsafe or does not respond. |
INVESTIGATION ↗ A formal process to establish facts. This is not the task of the athlete, teammate, parent or ordinary staff member. |
A trusted person can be the bridge
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👤 IF YOU ARE THE ATHLETE Your job is to speak up – not to prove the case. Tell a safe person what happened or what is worrying you. |
👥 IF AN ATHLETE TELLS YOU Your job is to listen and help – not to investigate. Support the athlete and help the concern reach the next appropriate level. |
› A teammate may be the first person who hears the disclosure – but should not keep it as a private secret if safety may be at risk.
› A parent or family member can help the athlete communicate with the club, federation or an external authority and can reduce the pressure of reporting alone.
› A trusted coach, doctor, physiotherapist or team official who is not implicated can receive the concern and help activate the next step.
› If the usual contact person is involved in the concern, help the athlete choose another person or a higher level. Do not route the report back through the person complained about.
The wording of reporting duties and public-authority referrals must always be adapted to national law and the athlete’s age.
2. IF YOU ARE THE ATHLETE | The CoViS practical reporting ladder
The steps below are written for an athlete who wants to raise a concern in the current reality identified in the CoViS countries, where formal safeguarding structures may be weak, inconsistent or not clearly communicated.
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1. SAFETY FIRST |
If there is immediate danger, serious physical risk, a child-protection concern or suspected criminal conduct, prioritise safety and contact the appropriate emergency/public authority according to national law. |
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2. TELL A SAFE PERSON |
Choose someone you trust: parent/family, teammate, trusted adult, coach or staff member not involved in the concern, health professional, or club official. |
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3. DO NOT CARRY IT ALONE |
Ask that person to help you pass the concern on. You do not need to confront the person involved or collect proof yourself. |
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4. MOVE IT UP |
If the concern is not addressed, the first route is conflicted, or the person involved holds power, escalate to another senior official, club management, federation, NOC/umbrella body, or another independent/external route that is available. |
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5. FOLLOW UP |
Clarify who now has responsibility, what the next step is, and how you will be protected from retaliation, exclusion, gossip or further contact while the concern is considered. |
IF YOU ARE THE ATHLETE | What information is useful?
Your first report can be simple and accessible. You do not need to produce a detailed formal statement alone. Where possible, ask for support and use a way of communicating that feels safe and workable. Keep the first report factual:
› what happened, or what was seen/heard/received;
› when and where it happened, if known;
› who was involved and whether anyone else may have seen or received the same information;
› whether the athlete is currently safe and whether contact with the person is continuing;
› relevant messages, screenshots or notes that already exist – preserve them safely; do not create risk by trying to gather more evidence.
The aim of the first report is not to present a complete case, but to communicate the concern clearly enough for the appropriate safeguarding response to begin.
3. IF AN ATHLETE TELLS YOU | First response: listen and help
The first response can determine whether an athlete continues to seek help. At this stage, the task is limited: receive the concern safely, avoid making things worse, and help it reach the next appropriate reporting level. Detailed guidance on support and recovery is provided in Module 4 – Coping with Violence in Sport.
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👥 IF AN ATHLETE TELLS YOU | Do not turn the disclosure into a private investigation Ask only what is necessary to understand immediate safety and the basic concern. Do not repeatedly question the athlete, confront the alleged person, search devices without authority, or ask teammates to “find out what really happened.” IOC Toolkit: Organisations should have reporting and case-management procedures; criminal matters should be referred to relevant public authorities rather than informally investigated by sport organisations. |
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💬 LISTEN CALMLY Give the athlete time. Stay calm. Avoid unnecessary detail. |
✓ TAKE IT SERIOUSLY Thank the athlete for telling you and check immediate safety. |
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⚠ DO NOT INVESTIGATE Do not test the story, confront the person involved or promise absolute secrecy. |
↗ HELP IT MOVE FORWARD Explain the next reporting step and stay connected until a responsible person receives the concern. |
What NOT to say
› “Are you sure?”
› “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”
› “Maybe it was only a joke.”
› “You must have misunderstood.”
› “Don’t tell anyone else; this could damage the team.”
› “I’ll deal with this myself.”
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👤 IF YOU ARE THE ATHLETE | WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I REPORT? The concern is received by a safe person or responsible body. Immediate safety and the need for protection are considered. Only the basic information needed for the next step is gathered. The appropriate person or body decides how the concern should be assessed, referred or escalated. You should be kept informed and supported rather than left in silence. |
👥 IF AN ATHLETE TELLS YOU | KEEP THE HANDOFF SAFE Explain who will receive the concern next, what will happen immediately, and what support is available. Detailed guidance on ongoing support and recovery is provided in Module 4 -Coping with Violence in Sport. |
4. Why people do not report – and what helps
The CoViS qualitative study found that non-reporting is not simply a matter of courage. It is shaped by the environment. Reporting becomes more likely when people know what to do and believe the response will be safe and responsible.
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BARRIER FOUND IN CoViS |
WHAT HELPS IN PRACTICE |
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Unclear or inaccessible procedures |
Name the next safe person and the next escalation step. Do not make the athlete search alone for the “correct” office. |
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Fear of consequences or retaliation |
Plan safety before and after the report. Consider selection, travel, training contact, communication and social pressure. |
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Distrust in the organisation |
Use another or higher route when the first person is conflicted, dismissive or closely connected to the person complained about. |
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Culture of silence, gossip and normalisation |
Share information only on a need-to-know basis. Do not turn the report into team discussion or social media debate. |
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Victim-blaming and protection of reputation |
Focus on behaviour, safety and process. The reputation of a club, coach or athlete must not be treated as more important than safeguarding. |
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Low confidence in ability to act |
Give simple step-by-step instructions, name who can receive the concern, and explain the next escalation route. |
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Low psychological safety |
Make the response predictable: protect privacy, explain what happens next, address retaliation risk, and provide follow-up. |
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The strongest CoViS educational signal Perceived ability to act was the strongest positive predictor of intention to report. The full model explained 54.7% of the variance in reporting intentions, and psychological safety also contributed positively. In simple terms: knowing what to do, and feeling safe enough to do it, matters. CoViS Needs Analysis, quantitative analysis of reporting intentions, 2026. |
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5. IF AN ATHLETE TELLS YOU | Teammates, parents and trusted people
The CoViS data show that athletes already use informal support networks. Rather than treating this as a weakness, education should make those networks safer and more effective. The first person informed can become a bridge to protection and escalation.
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TEAMMATE Stay with the athlete. Listen. Do not gossip or confront the person involved. Encourage support from a trusted adult or official and help the athlete avoid facing the next step alone. |
PARENT / FAMILY Prioritise safety and emotional support. Help preserve relevant information, communicate with the sport organisation, and escalate externally if the response is unsafe, conflicted or absent. |
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TRUSTED COACH / STAFF If you are not involved in the concern, receive the disclosure calmly, record only necessary facts, follow any applicable duty to report, and ensure the concern moves beyond informal conversation. |
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL Address immediate health and safety needs, explain the limits of confidentiality, document clinically relevant information, and refer or escalate according to professional and legal obligations. |
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🏛 CLUB / TEAM OFFICIAL Create a record, reduce immediate risk, identify who is responsible for the next action, and escalate beyond the club when there is conflict of interest or inadequate capacity. |
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👥 If the person with power is also the usual reporting contact If the concern involves the person who normally receives reports – for example, a head coach who is also the usual reporting contact – the athlete should not be required to report through that person. Help them choose another trusted adult, another club official, a higher governing body or an external/public route appropriate to the seriousness of the concern and national law. CoViS qualitative findings on power, dependency, mistrust and the need for independent reporting options. |
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IF AN ATHLETE TELLS YOU | Confidentiality is not the same as secrecy
Protect the athlete’s privacy and share information only with people who need it for safeguarding or legal action. But do not promise to keep a disclosure completely secret when someone may be at risk or when reporting is legally required. Explain this early and respectfully.
6. FOR SPORT ORGANISATIONS | What the system should build
CoViS should make a clear policy recommendation: sport organisations should establish trained, clearly identified safeguarding persons/officers and ensure that athletes have accessible reporting routes, including an alternative or independent route where possible.
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🏛 CoViS policy recommendation Clubs and federations should appoint a trained, clearly identified safeguarding person/officer – with an independent route available where possible – and publish simple reporting procedures that athletes, parents, teammates and staff can understand and use. This recommendation reflects both CoViS participant recommendations and IOC safeguarding guidance. |
IOC-aligned minimum features of a reporting system
› a clearly defined reporting procedure with more than one reporting channel and named/designated persons;
› a procedure that is easy to understand, accessible and widely communicated;
› anonymity where feasible and appropriate;
› secure handling of information and clear confidentiality rules;
› an independent or arm’s-length route where possible to reduce conflicts of interest;
› a named person responsible for receiving reports and supporting concerned persons;
› clear referral to public authorities where required, especially for suspected criminal conduct or child-protection concerns;
› recording, follow-up and protection from retaliation or further harm.
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A future CoViS reporting pathway should not depend on one person The IOC Toolkit notes that good systems specify different reporting channels and designated persons, while best practice adds security, confidentiality and independence. CoViS participants similarly called for designated safeguarding structures and warned that reporting should be independent enough to resist organisational influence. IOC Safeguarding Toolkit, Section 3; CoViS qualitative study, Theme 7. |
IF AN ATHLETE TELLS YOU | Before you pass the concern on, ask five questions
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SAFE? Is the athlete safe now? |
WHO KNOWS? Has a responsible person received the concern? |
FACTS? Are the basic facts/messages already available preserved safely? |
NEXT LEVEL? Who is responsible for the next step if the first route does not act? |
FOLLOW-UP? How will the athlete know what happens next and be protected from retaliation? |
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.