Awareness-raising is the activity of informing and educating as many people as possible about a topic; in our case, about child and youth safeguarding in football. Through the dissemination of the awareness-raising materials, we wish to improve general understanding of the topic as well as to mobilise everyone to bring about the necessary changes in attitudes and behaviour. We also wish to empower those working with children and young people in football activities to protect their rights, and help prevent and respond to any form of harm or abuse.
As part of the UEFA child and youth protection programme, three types of awareness-raising materials were developed and are made available for use by national associations and football clubs:
- 3 posters - These can be printed out and displayed in various areas, such as changing rooms, entrances and meeting rooms - wherever they can be seen by as many people as possible.
- 1 leaflet - Leaflets can be printed out and distributed during events or meetings, and placed on information boards, coffee tables and other places where they will attract attention.
- 22 social media cards - These can be shared on any social media platform.
More specifically, the purpose of these materials is to:
- promote the right of children and young people to enjoy football in a safe and positive environment;
- help the audience recognise signs of abuse that can occur in football;
- encourage the audience to act when abuse is suspected and inform them where to seek help.
The materials should be distributed as widely as possible, to:
- Children and young people who play or wish to play football
- Parents of children and young people who play or wish to play football
- Coaches, staff, volunteers and any other adults who work directly or indirectly with children in football settings
- Leaders/managers of national associations, football clubs and any other institutions where children practise football
- General public, media and other stakeholders
National associations, clubs or other organisations are encouraged to distribute awareness-raising materials regularly, in addition to carrying out specific campaigns.
All the awareness-raising materials are available in four languages (English, French, German and Russian) and can be downloaded below. If national associations, clubs, or other organisations are interested in translating or adapting the materials, please contact childsafeguarding@uefa.ch.