Maltreatment, Bullying & Harassment
Hockey Alberta is committed to contributing to the physical, psychological, social and spiritual health of individuals of varying abilities, backgrounds and interests. Hockey Alberta firmly believes that only when sport environments are safe and inclusive can these values be realized. Participants in Hockey Alberta sanctioned programming should have the reasonable expectation that it will be in an environment that is accessible, inclusive and free from all forms of Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment.
Fair Play Means Safety for All. Hockey Alberta is committed to providing a safe environment for everyone involved in the game.
Any form of bullying, harassment, or maltreatment - whether physical, emotional or sexual - of any participant in any program is unacceptable.
It can happen between peers, younger and older players, or adults and young players. Each association, team, parent, volunteer and staff member is expected to take all reasonable steps to safeguard the welfare of participants - especially young participants - and protect them from any form of violence. There is a shared responsibility with parents and guardians to nurture the physical and emotional well-being of our players.
All forms of Maltreatment have been brought under Section 11 of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules.
The purpose of Section 11 is to:
- Establish principles and guidelines, as well as appropriate responses to instances of Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment.
- Promote a commitment to eliminating Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment for all participants through education, awareness and prevention.
- Provide direction on establishing principles and guidelines as well as appropriate responses to instances of Maltreatment, Bullying and Harassment.
- Provide a safe environment for participants in any sanctioned program.
A new national reporting system has been implemented to eradicate discrimination of all forms from the game. The Playing Rules and system includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, skin colour, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.
Incidents of Maltreatment that occur on or off-ice may be reported. Certain infractions also include an indefinite suspension pending a hearing, as well as mandatory hearings for repeat offenders. Incidents may be reported by the official or through the Independent Safe Sport Complaint Process.
Who is Responsible for Safety?
Each association, team, parent, volunteer and staff member is expected to take all reasonable steps to safeguard the welfare of participants - especially young participants - and protect them from any form of violence. There is a shared responsibility with parents and guardians to nurture the physical and emotional well-being of our players.
Hockey Alberta is committed to ensuring a review of all reports of Maltreatment, Bullying or Harassment involving participants takes place.
This Hockey Canada Rulebook provides guidance and information about how the playing rules are to be applied in various situations, and clarify misunderstandings related to the application of rules.
Maltreatment, Bullying & Harassment Policy >
As part of the ongoing work to provide safe and inclusive environments for all hockey participants Hockey Alberta has established a group of Maltreatment Officers and Investigators to oversee specific investigations and decision-making processes.
This team will support on-ice maltreatment infractions and allegations based on discriminatory grounds (Rule 11) and off-ice conduct & maltreatment allegations.
Maltreatment Investigations & Decision Making Process >
Conduct Management Flow Chart >
If you or someone you know would be interested in joining the Maltreatment Investigator team please fill out the form here. Investigators could be engaged in situations involving both on-ice and off-ice maltreatment allegations.
Maltreatment Investigator Application Form >
To help ensure that there are safe spaces for raising maltreatment concerns, Hockey Canada has established an Independent Third Party reporting mechanism.
Independent Third Party Complaint Process >
- Definition
- 11.4 Discrimination
- In-Game Allegations
- Game & Conduct Management
- Education
- Resources
- Creating A Policy
Maltreatment
Volitional acts that result in harm or the potential for physical or psychological harm. Maltreatment can take many forms, but generally includes any act, lack of an action or deliberate behaviour, by a person(s) in a position of trust that causes physical, emotional and/or sexual harm or damage to another person. Maltreatment also includes child abuse, which can be defined as any form of physical, emotional and/or sexual mistreatment or lack of care which causes physical injury or emotional damage to a child, whether done in person or through technology (including but not limited to computers, the Internet, cell phones, cameras, web cameras and other media).
Bullying
The combined use of negative aggression and power. It occurs when one or more individuals abuse power and direct verbal, physical or social aggression at another individual. Harm inflicted by Bullying may be physical, psychological, social or educational.
Harassment
Harassment is offensive behaviour - emotional, physical, and/or sexual - that involves discrimination against a person because of their race, national or ethnic origin, age, colour, religion, family status, sexual orientation, sex/gender, disability, marital status, or pardoned conviction. It is conduct that is disrespectful, insulting, Âintimidating, humiliating, offensive or physically harmful. Harassment is a HUMAN RIGHTS violation. Harassment may be a single event or a pattern of mistreatment. Harassment occurs when someone attempts to negatively control, influence or embarrass another person or group based on a prohibited ground of discrimination. Examples include displays of favouritism, subtle put downs or ostracism. Dealing with harassment can sometimes be difficult as what is viewed as harassment by one person may be viewed as a “joke” by another person. It is the impact of the behaviour on the victim that is the most critical issue, not the intention of the person who harasses.
Discriminatory grounds include the following, without limitation:
- Race, national or ethnic origin, skin colour, or language spoken.
- Religion, faith, or beliefs.
- Age.
- Sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity/ expression.
- Marital or familial status.
- Genetic characteristics.
- Disability.
There is a responsibility to report any discrimination experienced on- or off-the-ice, whether witnessed by a member of the officiating team, or not. If an incident occurs that was not witnessed by an official, it should be reported to the official and the official shall report the individual(s) to the appropriate member of each team’s bench staff. As well, the official shall complete a Game Incident Report, that includes full details and submit it to the Member or League delegate.
Any player, goaltender or team official who engages in verbal taunts, insults, or intimidation based on discriminatory grounds, shall be assessed a Gross Misconduct.
Review the In-Game Allegations section if an incident of on-ice discrimination was not reported.
If an incident of off-ice discrimination occurs, it can be reported to the Independent Third Party (ITP) Sport Complaint Group.
An in-game allegation occurs when the incident is reported to the official, but the official did not witness incident and it was not penalized. Since the incident was not witnessed, it must be reported to the appropriate bench staff of both teams that the incident will be documented in the Game Incident Report.
Traditionally, the playing rules have been viewed as governing interactions between competing teams. But in the context of maltreatment, the playing rules apply to every participant in the game.
- Game officials must be alert to all forms of maltreatment and be ready to penalize and report any participant who violates these rules.
- Game officials must stress to players and team personnel that they want to hear concerns related to maltreatment. This is an essential step in players and team personnel feeling comfortable expressing such concerns.
- Game officials must report an incident even if they didn’t see it; this is an important part of the new process.
- Everyone must commit to ridding the game of maltreatment and to ensuring positive hockey experiences for all.
Unfortunately, there are times in all sports where behavioral expectations are not met. In the grand scope, these instances are few and far between. However, when improper behaviour issues arise the situation must be managed in an appropriate manner that respects the rights of all parties.
Hockey Alberta wants to provide parents, caregivers and families with support in all areas of hockey including working through feedback, conflict and complaints.
To help guide the understanding of the role of Parents, the Local Minor Hockey Association, and Hockey Alberta we have provided some guidance and information here.
Parents and Families
Conflict Management Strategies >
Local Minor Hockey Associations
Hockey Alberta’s Guide to Effective Conduct Management >
Detailed Conduct Management Checklist >
Simplified Conduct Management Checklist >
Hockey Alberta
Hockey Alberta Conduct Management Flow Chart >
Independent Third Party (ITP)
Hockey Alberta has pulled together a list of education resources that includes tools, videos, documents, virtual and in-person programs that are geared towards social, emotion, physical safety and wellbeing.
Note that all programs have not been personally vetted by Hockey Alberta staff for their relevance and effectiveness, please do your own due diligence and research of the programs before participating. Resources vary in cost, location of service, type of delivery and age relevance.
This list is large but not comprehensive of all the resources available to Albertans.
Visit the link to review the list of resources.
Maltreatment & Mental Health Resources >
Hockey Canada Maltreatment Coaching Resource >
Policies provide a road map for the organization and its members, continuity to the activities of the organization over time as personnel come and go, and ensure that matters are dealt with in a consistent fashion. Most organizations already have policies such as selection of coaches and athletes for competition, sanctioning and running tournaments, and appeals of decisions. Harassment and Abuse policies are additions to the policy foundation already in place in most organizations.
Developing an Abuse, Harassment and Bullying Policy
A strong policy dealing with Harassment and Abuse raises awareness and sends a message to the members that harassment and abuse will not be tolerated, while providing a mechanism to deal with these issues quickly, effectively, and responsibly.
There are two options when developing policies pertaining to harassment and abuse:
- Integrate Abuse, Harassment and Bullying into existing codes of conduct and discipline policies.
- Create a separate, stand-alone policy on Abuse, Harassment and Bullying.
Regardless of the approach chosen, there are five key areas that must be covered:
- A statement of purpose, scope and application of the policy.
- A statement of standard of behaviour which is expected, and of unacceptable behaviour.
- A description of the procedures for reviewing complaints when the standards of behaviour are breached, and these procedures must:
- satisfy legal requirements of procedural fairness
- address how an organization will respond to a complaint
- show how information about a complaint will be gathered
- inform how a hearing will occur and how a decision will be made
- A guideline for imposing disciplinary sanctions in the event there is a finding of harassment or abuse against an individual.
- An appeal mechanism to provide recourse to an individual who is not satisfied with the outcome of the dispute.
Note: If developing a stand-alone harassment and abuse policy, all five of these elements must be included in it.
If the approach is to integrate harassment and abuse into a code of conduct and discipline policy, then the harassment and abuse wording must be integrated into two separate policies:
- a code of conduct (1 and 2 above)
- a discipline procedure (3, 4, and 5 above)
Key Principles Required in a Policy
The policy must be fair to all parties involved, easy to understand and implement, and must meet your legal obligations.
A well written policy will act as an organization’s best friend by:
- ensuring that individuals respect the process because it is viewed as objective, fair, and effective.
- ensuring that individuals are dealt with fairly and responsibly.
- simplifying a complicated process with a clear outline of how the issue will be processed.
- protecting your organization by clearly outlining what is unacceptable behavior.
