U.S. Figure Skating strives to provide a safe environment for its members, free of misconduct and harassment. The U.S. Figure Skating SkateSafe® Program was established in May 2013 to create and educate members about athlete and member safety policies and to respond to concerns of abuse or misconduct within the sport. Ten years later, the SkateSafe® Program continues to elevate and promote athlete and member safety throughout the organization.
Our SkateSafe® policies are the cornerstone of our abuse prevention efforts, but there’s more the SkateSafe® Program does to elevate athlete and member safety.
Below are some easy ways for you to learn more about our athlete and member safety initiatives. Use the information below to start a conversation at your club or program about what’s being done to elevate athlete and member safety:
- Policies: Talk to your club or program to learn more about what they’re doing to implement SkateSafe® policies.
- Education: Our team publishes articles in SKATING magazine. Have you read any of them? The topics range from basic policy information to best practices regarding abuse and misconduct prevention. Members can view an archive of past SKATING magazine issues through Members Only.
- Events and Activities: Did you know that the SkateSafe® team created a document outlining the minimum requirements our sanctioned events and activities must adhere to regarding athlete and member safety? Click here to read through these procedures.
- This includes ensuring compliance with SafeSport™ Training and background check requirements, prohibiting banned and suspended members from participating, communicating SkateSafe® policies and reporting requirements, and requiring adherence to our SkateSafe® policies throughout the duration of the event or activity.
- Response and Resolution: The U.S. Figure Skating SkateSafe® Program addresses the following types of misconduct: sexual misconduct, physical misconduct, emotional misconduct, bullying, threats and harassment, hazing and willfully tolerating misconduct. Regardless of a person’s membership status, they may report allegations of abuse or misconduct to U.S. Figure Skating. Each allegation is taken seriously and thoroughly reviewed. If you have questions about reporting, or about our response and resolution process, please contact us at skatesafe@usfigureskating.org.
- Conflict Resolution: Our SkateSafe® team educates clubs and programs on conflict resolution and often assists with managing conflicts at the local level while ensuring all policies and bylaws are being met.
- Outreach: Our team is available to assist with education at the local level as needed. We can join club board meetings, season kick-off gatherings and targeted education sessions to discuss SkateSafe® policies, best practices or specific concerns.
For any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our SkateSafe® team at skatesafe@usfigureskating.org, or 719-635-5200, Option 6.
Visit our SkateSafe® website at www.usfigureskating.org/skatesafe for additional information regarding compliance, reporting and other resources.
