Reporting abuse can be a powerful way to reclaim your voice.

Reporting Abuse & Legal Action

You don’t have to report the abuse or take any legal action for the abuse to be valid. People have different reasons for wanting to report or to not report abuse and they may report immediately after it occurs or 10 years (or longer) after the fact. We also recognize that the current reporting environment in sport is not yet equipped to appropriately handle and take reasonable, trauma-informed action in response to all reports of abuse and the re-victimization that can occur from this.

If you do report and are met with the lack of desire or ability to investigate and take corrective action, know that your reporting was not done in vain. We encourage athletes to report any abuse or mistreatment they experience when they’re in a safe place to do so as we have to continue to show that the system is not working. If athletes and athletic staff stop reporting abuse they experience or see, we will have less “data” to demonstrate the need for change.

No matter what you decide you to report or not report you deserve to be safe, treated with respect, and listened to.

Where to Report

Due to the varying governing bodies, there are often multiple routes to take with reporting. Some good places to start are:

  • Your sport club’s or organization’s website.

  • Your university’s athletic webpage, Title IX office, and/or it’s student code of conduct.

  • SafeSport - they only govern Olympic sports and do not have jurisdiction over the NCAA. If you are in the NCAA, but also have a license to compete through your sport’s organizational body, there is a possibility that SafeSport could have the jurisdiction to investigate.

  • The police for incidents of sexual assault or abuse.

  • A trusted person within your sport’s club, your sport’s governing body, your university’s athletic department, or another coach or athletic trainer.

  • A trusted doctor, sport psychologist, therapist, or other medical professional.

It is important to note that jurisdiction (whether or not the governing body has the ability to investigate) exists.

It can vary situation to situation, but SafeSport and Title IX investigations can be dependent on if you and/or the abuser are still participating in the sport or at the school.

Do not let what you think the jurisdiction may be, stop you from reporting. Even if an institution is unable to investigate, they can still take action to both increase your own safety and aid you in finding resources, even if you are no longer with them. There also may be the opportunity for an investigation to be opened in the future if the abuser tries to register for a required license, etc.

Legal Options

Another route to consider is taking legal action. Often times, pursuing a civil complaint can allow for wider opportunity for accountability to be had, especially if emotional abuse was involved.

You can also look at taking action against your sport’s governing body or the school at which you participated at if you believe that they were negligent in preventing or addressing the abuse.

Exploring legal options can often be intimidating. Two places to start that help you gain more understanding of your legal options would be:

  • Consulting with a lawyer. It depends on the firm, but lawyers will sometimes offer initial free consultations to help you understand what opportunity you may have and how they can assist. You can also check out your state’s or county’s free legal aid options.

  • Talking with a victim advocate. Often times, state, city, and/or county justice departments have information on how to get in contact with a victim advocate who can help inform you about your legal options.