What is Sport Integrity
INTEGRITY- PROTECTING WRESTLING TOGETHER
Sport should be a safe and fair place for all participants. At Wrestling Australia, we offer a safe place for people to raise concerns about behaviour they’ve witnessed or experienced in sport as well as find more information if they have an integrity question.
STAYING SAFE
YOUR SAFETY IS OUR FIRST CONCERN.
If you are in Australia and in immediate danger or at risk of harm, call your local law enforcement agency or dial triple zero (000).
WHAT IS SPORT INTEGRITY
Threats to a sport's integrity can include competition manipulation and sports gambling, doping, the improper use of drugs and medicine and behaviours that impact people’s positive experience of sport, such as discrimination or abuse, including against children.
Integrity in sport means that participants, officials, supporters, and fans can participate in and enjoy sport, confident in the knowledge that they are part of a safe, fair, and inclusive environment.
All of our members and participants have an obligation to protect and maintain the integrity of sport, as well as the health and wellbeing of everyone involved.
We work closely with Sport Integrity Australia, the national coordination agency for sport integrity threats. For more information about Sport Integrity Australia visit its website.
COMMITTMENT SAFETY
WAL is strongly committed to safe, supportive and friendly environment where children and young people are valued and enjoy sport. WAL takes seriously our responsibility to provide an environment that is caring, nurturing and safe.
We want children to be safe, happy and empowered. We support and respect all children, as well as our staff and volunteers. We are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children.
We are committed to keeping children and young people safe:
We have zero tolerance of child abuse and neglect
Through our Child Safe Policy, we document our clear commitment to keeping children and young people safe from abuse and neglect
We publicly communicate our commitment to all stakeholders
We encourage the involvement of children and young people:
We involve and communicate with children and young people in developing a safe, inclusive and supportive environment.
We give all children and young people access to information, support and complaint processes.
We actively listen to children and young people and ensure hat they are informed about their right, including their right to be safe and be heard.
We involve families and the community in promoting child safety and wellbeing
- We provide information to families and communities about
- Our commitment to keeping children and young people safe and communicating their rights
- The behaviour we expect of our employees, contractors and of themselves; and
- Our policy about responding to child abuse
- We seek feedback and have a process for responding to concerns.
We promote equity and respect diversity
We respect the rights of children who identify as LGBTQI+ to be recognised for their gender identity, sexual orientation or intersex status and to feel safe and respected when participating in sport.
We respect diversity and seek to create a culturally safe sporting environment.
We ensure that our people are suitable and supported to work with children and young people
We require all staff to undergo screening prior to commencement, including Working with Children Checks
We have embedded child safety into our recruitment process, to minimise the likelihood that we will recruit employees or contractors who are unsuitable to work with children
We encourage reporting of all complaints and concerns
We actively encourage reporting of any allegations, disclosure or concern regarding child abuse, neglect or harm.
We respond to all allegations, disclosure or concerns and act to ensure that processes are fair, transparent and child focused.
We will meet the requirements of legislated mandatory or industry reporting requirements, including Australian Child Protection Legislation.
We equip our staff, contractors and site users with ongoing education and training
We have Child Safe Practices that outline our expectations for behaviour towards children and young people.
We provide all employees and contractors with information and ongoing education about our commitment to child safety including our Child Safe Policy, Child Safe Practices and how to report a concern.
We promote awareness of the National Principles for Child Safety Organisations to our staff, contractors and stakeholders.
We ensure that environments are safe
We will identify and implement improvements to our physical and online environment to minimise opportunities for abuse to occur.
We actively seek to create environments where children and young people feel safe.
We maintain and improve our policies and practices
We are committed to maintaining and improving our policies, procedures and practices to keep children and young people safe from abuse and neglect.
We undertake an annual risk assessment to identify and document the risk of harm to children and young people, in line with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework,
We seek independent advice and conduct external reviews to support our implantation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we follow rigorously.
HOW TO RAISE A CONCERN
Everyone from athletes, officials, parents, support personnel, administrators and supporters play a role in protecting the integrity of our sport. Wrestling Australia works with Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) to coordinate and manage complaints and reports. Complaints received will be evaluated and either managed by Wrestling, referred to SIA or an appropriate external agency, or passed back to the complainant with suggested pathways for them to pursue where the Complaint is out of scope.
If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right, say something!
Raise a CONCERN
Contact the wrestling AUSTRALIA complaint manager
Questions about any integrity related matters can be directed to the Wrestling Australia Complaint Manager:
Name: Rhea Duff
Position: Complaint Manager
Email and/or Phone: nationalintegrity@wrestling.com.au
WHAT IS THE NATIONAL INTEGRITY FRAMEWORK?
We take sport integrity seriously and in February 2022, Wrestling Australia adopted the National Integrity Framework.
The National Integrity Framework is essentially a set of rules that all members of our sport need to follow when it comes to their behaviour and conduct in sport. There are four core policies which make up the National Integrity Framework. These are:
- Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy- Link
- Member Protection Policy- Link
- Improper Use of Drugs and Medicine Policy- Link
- Competition Manipulation and Sports Gambling Policy- Link
These core policies are underpinned by the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy, which explains how people who have breached a National Integrity Framework policy are held accountable for doing the wrong thing.
- Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy- Link
Check out the National Integrity Framework FACTSHEET and VIDEO.
OTHER INTEGRITY POLICIES
In addition to the National Integrity Framework policies, Wrestling Australia has the following integrity policies:
WHO MANAGES COMPLAINTS?
As a member of a sport that has signed up to the National Integrity Framework, you can make a Complaint if you believe a fellow member has behaved poorly and potentially breached one of the policies.
If the Complaint is about Child Safeguarding or Discrimination, you can make the Complaint to Sport Integrity Australia.
You can lodge a Child Safeguarding or Discrimination complaint to Sport Integrity Australia by completing the online form.
If you would prefer to talk to someone at Sport Integrity Australia, assistance is available by calling 1300 027 232.
All other integrity complaints should be submitted to and will be managed by Wrestling Australia, complaint form.
OTHER SUPPORT PATHWAYS
SAFE SPORT HOTLINE
1800 161 361
7AM-7PM, 7 DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR
The Safe Sport Hotline is part of an expanded service offered to members of sport to share their story with a trusted member of the Sport Integrity Australia team about integrity issues they have experienced.
The service includes an anonymous reporting capability that covers wider racial and cultural issues in sport for people who feel they have been discriminated against in their sport.
CONNECT WITH SUPPORT
If you, or someone you care about, is struggling with an issue it's okay to reach out for support.
MENTAL HEALTH OR WELLBEING SUPPORT SERVICE PROVIDERS
BULLYING IN SPORT
Every person in sport, in every role, has the right to participate in an environment that is fun, safe and healthy, and to be treated with respect, dignity and fairness.
RESOURCE: BULLYING IN SPORT AND AVAILABLE PATHWAYS
ABUSIVE OR INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT ONLINE
If you have a concern about abusive or inappropriate material online, you can also report it to the eSafety Commissioner for action. eSafety can investigate cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse (sharing, or threatening to share, intimate images without the consent of the person shown) and illegal and restricted content.
REPORT TO THE ESAFETY COMMISSIONER
EDUCATION AND RESOURCES
When it comes to sport integrity, it is critical for everyone who is involved in sport, from grassroots to elite-level athletes, their parents, teachers, coaches, sport administration staff and support personnel, are aware of their rights and responsibilities. There are a range of tools and resources available to help keep everyone informed.
SAFEGUARDING
The Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy is designed to protect children and young people in sport by putting in place rules and processes to ensure sporting environments are inclusive, positive and safe for all children and young people, all the time. Check out the FACT SHEET, VIDEO and OTHER RESOURCES.
The Child Safe Contact at Wrestling Australia is:
Name: Rhea Duff
Position: Complaint Manager
Email and/or Phone: nationalintegrity@wrestling.com.au
MEMBER PROTECTION POLICY
The Member Protection Policy is designed to protect the welfare, wellbeing and health of everyone involved in sport. It provides clear definitions of abuse, bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, discrimination, victimisation and vilification in sport, along with information on how to report these behaviours. Check out the FACT SHEET, VIDEO and OTHER RESOURCES.
IMPROPER USE OF DRUGS AND MEDICINE POLICY
The Improper Use of Drugs and Medicines Policy is designed to protect athletes from harm caused by the improper use of medicines, supplements and illegal drugs. Check out the FACT SHEET, VIDEO and OTHER RESOURCES.
COMPETITION MANIPULATION AND SPORT GAMBLING POLICY
The Competition Manipulation and Sport Gambling Policy is designed to keep sport fair by protecting sporting competitions from competition manipulation (also known as match-fixing) and associated betting activity. Check out the FACT SHEET, VIDEO and OTHER RESOURCES.
COMPLAINTS, DISPUTES AND DISCIPLINE POLICY
The Complaints, Disputes and Disciplines Policy (CDDP) provides sport and its participants with a best practice complaint management process that can be run by either Sport Integrity Australia or the sport. Check out the FACT SHEET, VIDEO and OTHER RESOURCES.
INTEGRITY eLEARNING
Sport Integrity Australia eLearning offers several online courses relating to sport integrity, including doping, match-fixing, illicit drugs, and ethical decision-making courses. Specific anti-doping courses are also available for coaches, support persons, medical practitioners and parents.
PLAY BY THE RULES
Play by the Rules provides information, resources, tools and free online training to administrators, coaches, officials, players, parents and spectators to assist them in preventing and dealing with discrimination, harassment, child safety, inclusion and integrity issues in sport.
eSAFETY COMISSIONER – eSAFETY SPORT HUB
Online abuse can significantly impact sport members and organisations. The eSafety Commissioner is Australia’s national independent regulator and educator for online safety. eSafety provides guidance on online safety issues including cyberbullying, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse and illegal or restricted content. eSafety can help to get harmful online content removed if it meets the legal threshold for investigation.
The eSafety Sport hub provides resources to help the sports community including information on how to recognise online abuse and deal with online abuse in sport, as well as tailored advice for sport administrators, coaches and officials, and athletes and competitors.
STAY UP TO DATE
Keep up to date with all that is happening in sport integrity by following Sport Integrity Australia on Facebook, X, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn or listen to On Side, the official podcast of Sport Integrity Australia.
You can also download the Sport Integrity App, which are available for free download from the Apple App Store and Google Play.
