What is maltreatment?

According to the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), Maltreatment includes volitional acts that result in harm or the potential for physical or psychological harm.

Physical Maltreatment

Physical maltreatment includes, without limitation, contact or non-contact behaviours that have the potential to cause physical harm.

Psychological Maltreatment

Psychological maltreatment includes, without limitation, verbal acts, non-assaultive physical acts, and acts that deny attention or support.

Different types of maltreatment also include bullying, discrimination, and harassment.

Bullying

As a member of Canada Soccer, Whitecaps FC adheres to the Canada Soccer Guide to Safety.

As per the Canada Soccer Guide to Safety, bullying is the severe or repeated use of oral, written, electronic or other technological expressions, image, sound, data or intelligence of any nature (regardless of the method of transmission), or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another individual that to a reasonably objective person has the effect of:

  • causing physical or emotional harm to the other person or damage to the other person’s property;
  • placing the other person in reasonable fear of harm to I or of damage to their property;
  • creating a hostile environment for the other person at any soccer activity;
  • infringing on the rights of the other person at any soccer activity; or
  • materially and substantially disrupting the orderly operation of any soccer activity.

Discrimination

The Human Rights Code in BC explains that it is against the law to discriminate or harass a person based on their protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and age. To treat someone badly based on these characteristics is discrimination.

Harassment

Harassment is a form of discrimination. It can be words or actions that offend or humiliate you. Harassment is when someone repeatedly says or does things that are insulting, degrading, or humiliating based on a protected characteristic.