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NRSA supports Abuse Prevention Education and Mandatory Reporting

North River Soccer Association (NRSA), as a youth soccer organization, takes the issue of Child Abuse, of any type (verbal, mental, physical, sexual, etc.) in any setting, seriously. 

We want our Parents, Guardians and others who bring and support their loved ones' participation in our programs to be knowledgeable of the signs of Child Abuse and of their responsibilities as members of our community.  
Both Federal and State laws REQUIRE reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect, and provide for protection of the reporters of such Child Abuse and Neglect
.   NRSA wants you know our and your responsibilities to REPORT abuse when you suspect it may be occurring.  A few of many sources of that information are below.
 
As a member of Tennessee State Soccer (TSSA) and US Youth Soccer (USYS), North River Soccer has adopted the USYS/TSSA Policy 3 - Code of Conduct, which addresses Reporting of Abuse of Suspicion of Abuse, Prohibited Substances and Activities, Physical Contact with Athletes, Bullying, Harassment, Hazing, Willfully Tolerating Misconduct, Peer-to-Peer Abuse, Team Travel, Electronic Communications and Social Media. 

A copy of the Policy 3 is HERE.

Federal Child Abuse and Prevention Act

On February 14, 2018, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 was signed into law and became effective immediately. The legislation is available for download HERE.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has released a fact sheet about the legislation which can be found HERE.

In addition to the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s factsheet, which provides information regarding the entire law, we wanted to provide additional detail on the specific mandatory reporting of child abuse requirements included in the new legislation because these requirements may impact you immediately:

  • The bill amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to extend the duty to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, within 24 hours to all adults who are authorized to interact with minor or amateur athletes by a national governing body, a member of a national governing body, or an amateur sports organization that participates in interstate or international amateur athletic competition. These individuals are called “covered individuals” in the new legislation.

  • Child abuse is defined as physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment of a child.

  • Per current federal regulations, reports of child abuse should be made to the local law enforcement agency or local child protective services agency that has jurisdiction to investigate reports of child abuse or to protect child abuse victims or to the FBI. These regulations have not yet been updated to reflect the recent change in the law. Until such time as the regulations are updated, North River Soccer Association (NRSA) will make reports to (1) local law enforcement where any alleged incident took place to the extent it can be determined and the incident occurred in the United States, (2) local law enforcement where the victim resides if different than (1), and (3) the FBI.

  • An individual who is required, but fails, to report suspected child sexual abuse is subject to criminal penalties including fines and up to one (1) year in jail.

  • These obligations are in addition to any State law requirements that an individual may have in a particular jurisdiction. 

If you make a report of child abuse to law enforcement, please also communicate this report to North River Soccer Association. As a reminder, as a member or affiliate of U.S. Soccer (because you have registered with NRSA's programs), you may be subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport under certain circumstances. The Center serves an important investigatory and remedial function where law enforcement may choose or be unable to act.  

As a club, North River Soccer Association commits to the following:

1.    Reporting – The club will make its Board of Directors, coaches, and parents aware that should they be made aware of any abuse (sexual, mental, bullying, etc.), they have twenty-four (24) hours in which to report the information. Any sexual abuse should immediately go to the Department of Child Services (DCS). 

2.    Policies/Code of Conduct – The club has amended its Code of Conduct to exceed the requirements of the 2018 law. 

3.    Training/Prevention – Members, staff, coaches, and the Board of Directors should be aware of signs of abuse. One tool is called Abuse Prevention Systems   At least one member of our Board of Directors will complete a certified Abuse Awareness Training on a yearly basis. That person(s) will share knowledge of this training to the club's Board of Directors, staff, coaches, and members.

4.    No Retaliation – North River Soccer Association will not retaliate against anyone that is reporting an abuse issue.  We have a Zero Tolerance for Abuse policy and a No Retaliation policy. 


TN Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect

The content below is taken from the US Dept of Health and Human Services childwelfare.gov website in August 2018. 
Click link at right to see current info available at their website
LINK TO ChildWelfare.gov


Tennessee Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect

To better understand this issue and to view it across States, download the PDF (763 KB).  (.pdf info current through August 2015)

Professionals Required to Report    Citation: Ann. Code §§ 37-1-403; 37-1-605

Persons required to report Child Abuse and Neglect include:

  • Physicians, osteopaths, medical examiners, chiropractors, nurses, hospital personnel, or other health or mental health professionals
  • Teachers, other school officials or personnel, daycare center workers
  • Other professional child care, foster care, residential, or institutional workers
  • Social workers
  • Practitioners who rely solely on spiritual means for healing
  • Judges or law enforcement officers
  • Neighbors, relatives, or friends
  • Authority figures at community facilities, including any facility used for recreation or social assemblies or for educational, religious, social, health, or welfare purposes, including, but not limited to, facilities operated by schools, the Boy or Girl Scouts, the YMCA or YWCA, the Boys and Girls Club, or church or religious organizations
  • Other persons  
Reporting by Other Persons  Citation: Ann. Code §§ 37-1-403; 37-1-605

Any person who has knowledge that a child has been harmed by abuse or neglect must report.

Institutional Responsibility to Report  Citation: Ann. Code § 37-1-403

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any hospital, clinic, school, or other organization responsible for the care of children from developing a specific procedure for internally tracking, reporting, or otherwise monitoring a report made by a member of the organization's staff, including requiring a member of the organization's staff who makes a report to provide a copy of or notice concerning the report to the organization, so long as the procedure does not inhibit, interfere with, or otherwise affect the duty of a person to make a report as required by law.

Nothing in this section shall prevent staff of a hospital or clinic from gathering sufficient information, as determined by the hospital or clinic, in order to make an appropriate medical diagnosis or to provide and document care that is medically indicated and is needed to determine whether to report an incident as defined in this part. Those activities shall not interfere with nor serve as a substitute for any investigation by law enforcement officials or the department. However, if any hospital, clinic, school, or other organization responsible for the care of children develops a procedure for internally tracking, reporting, or otherwise monitoring a report, the identity of the person who made a report of harm shall be kept confidential.

Standards for Making a Report   Citation: Ann. Code §§ 37-1-403; 37-1-605

A report is required when:

  • A person has knowledge that a child has been harmed by abuse or neglect.
  • A person is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from an injury that reasonably appears to have been caused by abuse.
  • A person knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been sexually abused.
  • A physician diagnoses or treats any sexually transmitted disease in a child age 13 or younger or diagnoses pregnancy in an unemancipated minor.

Any school official, personnel, employee, or member of the board of education who is aware of a report or investigation of employee misconduct on the part of any employee of the school system that in any way involves known or alleged child abuse, including, but not limited to, child physical or sexual abuse or neglect, shall immediately upon knowledge of such information notify the Department of Children's Services or law enforcement official of the abuse or alleged abuse.

Privileged Communications   Citation: Ann. Code § 37-1-411

The following privileges may not be claimed:

  • Husband-wife
  • Psychiatrist-patient or psychologist-patient
Inclusion of Reporter's Name in Report

This subject is not addressed in the TN statutes reviewed for the US DHHS site.

Disclosure of Reporter Identity  Citation: Ann. Code § 37-1-409

Except as may be ordered by the juvenile court, the name of any person reporting child abuse or neglect shall not be released to any person, other than employees of the department or other child protection team members responsible for child protective services, the abuse registry, or the appropriate district attorney general upon subpoena of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, without the written consent of the person reporting.

The reporter's identity shall be irrelevant to any civil proceeding and shall, therefore, not be subject to disclosure by order of any court. This shall not prohibit the issuance of a subpoena to a person reporting child abuse when deemed necessary by the district attorney general or the department to protect a child who is the subject of a report, provided that the fact that the person made the report is not disclosed.

Contact

North River Soccer Association
FIELDS: Cleveland T Grimes Soccer Complex, 4502 N. Access Road Chattanooga TN 37343 --
SEND MAIL TO: 5895 Union Springs Road Chattanooga, Tennessee 37415

Phone: 423-505-9451
Email: [email protected]

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