If you compete in US Equestrian-sanctioned events, you receive a prompt each year to complete a refresher of Safe Sport training – but do you know how this program came about, or what happens if someone violates one of the policies?
First of all, it’s important to know that Safe Sport is a global initiative to promote an abuse and harassment free culture in sport, and is not limited to equestrian sports. In the mid-2010s, a number of USA Olympic sports faced crises as whistleblowers went public with allegations of sexual abuse of young athletes which many believed were improperly handled by those sports’ national governing bodies. In response, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) established minimum criteria that all national governing bodies (NGB) must meet to maintain their status as an NGB. They incorporated the U.S. Center for SafeSport (SafeSport) as an independent entity charged with abuse prevention training and education, as well as response and resolution of allegations of sexual misconduct within the sport organizations governed by the USOPC. SafeSport opened in March 2017 and almost one year later, Congress passed the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017. This federal law recognized SafeSport as an independent body with subject-matter expertise in training, education, and response and resolution of allegations of sexual misconduct. Importantly, SafeSport could be free of personal bias when investigating allegations of sexual abuse in sport.
As a national governing body of both Olympic and amateur sports, USEF is required by law to adhere to policies set forth by the national center regarding sexual abuse reporting and prevention. If you look at the websites for other governing bodies overseeing Olympic sports, you’ll find Safe Sport training and resources there, too.
The 2017 law also required national governing bodies to create their own policies aimed at preventing emotional abuse of minors. US Equestrian already had a policy aimed at preventing bullying, hazing, harassment, and other types of physical and mental abuse of junior competitors, but the creation of the national center changed the way these policies are enforced.
All complaints related to sexual misconduct fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Members are required to report to SafeSport directly if they become aware of sexual misconduct related to a minor, and any sexual misconduct reports USEF receives are forwarded directly to the Center. From there, an information firewall goes up between SafeSport and governing bodies like USEF, by design. In order for the case to be handled as independently as possible, SafeSport conducts its own investigation and proceeds to case resolutions on its own, without the involvement or input of USEF. US Equestrian is notified if SafeSport has decided a member should be temporarily suspended, made ineligible to participate, or become banned. US Equestrian is required to enforce SafeSport’s decisions about who may or may not participate in sanctioned events.
As with any investigative body, the U.S. Center for SafeSport goes through a process of intake, investigation, and resolution. The investigation process is thorough, and as such, SafeSport is discerning in what cases it feels it may pursue successfully. Of the 24,636 cases reported to SafeSport across all sports through the end of 2024, a violation was found in 2,654 of them. Many others were declined on jurisdictional issues, insufficient information, or were dropped by the claimant. If SafeSport does choose to suspend or ban someone, that action is listed on the USEF website so that members are aware.
If US Equestrian receives a complaint about non-sexual misconduct, such as bullying or hazing, that is the Federation’s responsibility to resolve. The Federation’s Safe Sport Department goes through the same steps that USEF does for other types of rule violation allegations – determining jurisdiction and reaching out to the reporting party and any witnesses before determining whether the evidence is sufficient to move forward. Members found to have violated policies around bullying or emotional abuse may receive a warning, fine, or suspension, depending upon the circumstances of the case.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport also works to prevent abuse of young athletes and has created the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) which governing bodies are required to uphold. The MAAPP includes policies limiting one-on-one interactions between adults and minor athletes, which is intended to reduce the opportunities for grooming behaviors that lead to abuse.
In order to make sure all members know what their roles and responsibilities are, the federal law mandates that the governing bodies administer abuse prevention training to certain participants in their respective sports. The online training includes walking through the rules, requirements, and MAAPP, with annual refreshers.
According to a 2024 survey conducted by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, 11% of athletes say they have experienced unwanted sexual behavior, of whom 43% said it took place before they turned 18. We all have a role to play to ensure our members – especially our young ones – are safe.