FAQ

The TRI Safeguarding Policy is published on triathlon.org in three languages — English, Spanish and French. You can download it as a PDF here.

Yes. Information is shared only on a strict need-to-know basis with the Tribunal. The only exception is where the law requires it — for example, where a crime may have been committed or a child is at immediate risk — in which case the Officer may share information with the relevant law enforcement authority.

Yes — you can submit the online form anonymously. Be aware, however, that anonymous reports can limit the Officer's ability to follow up directly with you for clarification, additional detail, or to offer emotional and psychosocial support.

If the case belongs at TRI Member level, the Safeguarding Officer will help you report it through that Member's own safeguarding process. You'll receive the same trauma-informed support and guidance throughout.

Harm is any negative impact or consequences arising from abuse.

Poor practice: behaviour or inaction which may not always be immediately harmful, but which falls below expected standards and must be addressed. Acts of abuse are more likely to occur in sporting environments where poor practice exists and where harmful behaviour is not challenged. Poor practice may lead to suspicions about an individual’s motivation, even where no harm is intended, such as being alone with a child or excessive or inappropriate touching. 

Bullying or cyberbullying: unwanted, repeated and intentional, aggressive behaviour among persons under TRI’s jurisdiction, and can involve a real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying can include actions such as making threats, spreading rumours or falsehoods, attacking someone physically or verbally, and deliberately excluding someone.

Physical abuse: any intentional or unintentional act causing physical harm. This may include, but is not limited to hitting, kicking, beating, biting, shaking, poisoning, drowning, and burning. It also includes the forced consumption and/or introduction of any substance, constitutive of 
doping practices or not. In a sporting context, it can also include inappropriate and/or excessive training activities for the athlete.  

Psychological abuse: emotional mistreatment that may include, but is not limited to, degrading, humiliating, bullying, cyberbullying, threatening, scarring, discriminating, belittling, or any other behaviour that may diminish an individual’s mental and psychological well-being, sense of 
identity, dignity, self-worth.  

Sexual abuse: any conduct of a sexual nature where consent is not given or cannot be given, i.e. because the person does not have the capacity to fully understand the situation. This may include, but is not limited to, rape, oral sex, penetration, or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching, the looking at or making of sexual images 
and/or activities. The victim/survivor of sexual abuse is often in a situation where an imbalance of power has been established, and his/her options are therefore limited. 

Neglect: persistent failure to meet the basic physical and emotional needs of a person or failure to protect from exposure to danger, which is then likely to result in impacting health, morale, and mental development.

Sexual harassment: unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal, or physical. This may include, but is not limited to, intimate questions relating to body, clothes, or private life, jokes with sexual innuendo, and proposals or demands for non-consensual sexual acts. These may be in the form of unwanted text messages, telephone calls, letters or other forms of communication with sexual content. Examples of physical sexual harassment are unnecessary physical contact with a sexual nature, such as pinching, attempting to kiss or caress or touching.   

Exploitation: the use of a person for someone else's profit or gratification. This may include, but is not limited to, sexual exploitation or financial exploitation. Sexual exploitation is a form of abuse where someone is engaged in any sexual activity in exchange for money, gifts, food, 
accommodation, affection, status, or anything else that they or their family needs. Financial exploitation often refers to child labour or slave labour. 

Grooming: involves a process where someone builds a relationship to gain the trust of a victim in order to manipulate and/or exploit them for their own advantage. The Groomer often makes his/her victim believe they have to comply with his/her requests. 

Abuse can take many forms depending on the context and the culture. Abuse can be based on any grounds, including race, religion, creed, ethnic origin, physical attributes, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, socio-economic status and athletic ability. It can include a one-time incident or a series of incidents. It may be in person or online.