Safeguarding Program Information
Statement of Purpose
The Women’s Tennis Association (“WTA”) does not tolerate any form of abuse, harassment, discrimination, or violence against any person, regardless of age, race, sex, gender identity, nationality, disability, or religious affiliation. The WTA is committed to fostering a healthy and safe environment for all of its members, player support team members, staff, tournament officials, volunteers, and other credentialed persons. The WTA Safeguarding Program and this Code therefore serve to ensure and protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of everyone in the WTA environment by diligently responding to and investigating all instances of reported misconduct, as well as preventing misconduct through the WTA Safeguarding Education Course.
Access to the WTA environment, and in particular a WTA Credential, is a privilege earned and maintained through compliance with the WTA Safeguarding Program. The WTA Safeguarding Program provides a clear and unified approach to Safeguarding that applies to all persons within the WTA environment and stands to clarify and endorse appropriate behavior standards within the WTA environment. WTA requires all participants to adhere to these standards. The WTA Safeguarding Program promotes the health and safety of all WTA participants, aims to keep all WTA participants safe, and promotes ethical and inclusive participation for all.
While the WTA has long invested in a safe and healthy environment for all its participants through its previous Codes of Conduct, the introduction of this Safeguarding Code aims to provide clear and concise guidance to all covered participants regarding behavioral standards. As participants in this environment, it is our duty to be aware, stay vigilant, and be proactive in safeguarding the WTA environment. Together, we can all make WTA competition a safer place.
History of Research and Global Initiatives in Sports Safeguarding
While sport is often considered to be a safe, healthy environment that contributes to the positive development of its participants, it is also a context where violence can manifest itself in various ways. Research has shown that abuse occurs in sports at all levels. The risks of non-accidental violence in sport are shown to increase as an athlete progresses up the performance pathway into elite participation. Younger athletes are also at increased risk. This abuse damages an athlete’s physical and psychological health and can cause reduced performance and premature drop-out from sport. Importantly, abuse is not limited to athletes in sport: anybody can be a victim of abuse. Abusers and their victims come from all cultures, classes, ethnic groups, religions, and levels of education. Abuse can often hide in plain sight and is usually perpetrated by someone in the victim’s inner circle. The cultural context of abuse is predicated upon the unequal and discriminatory power differentials across a range of social and individual factors. Abuse in sport can include psychological, physical, sexual, verbal, and financial harms. All are unacceptable and all can permanently impact not only a victim’s career but the rest of their life.
While research and statistics on abuse in sport is ongoing across the globe, some recent studies have revealed the following:
- Abuse in sport is prevalent: 65% of adults aged 18-30 reported experiencing psychological violence in sport as children; 44% reported experiencing physical violence in sport as children; 20% reported experiencing sexual violence in sport as children (Source: https://sites.edgehill.ac.uk/cpss/projects/child-abuse-in-sport-european-statistics-cases/);
- World Players Association’s 2021 Census of Athlete Rights Experiences found that 61% of athletes have experienced emotional abuse, more than 33% of athletes have experienced physical abuse, and 13% of athletes have experienced at least one form of sexual abuse; and
- The presence of reported interpersonal violence was much higher (84%) in international sport
- (Source)
These sobering statistics evidence the need for safeguarding across all sport. Expansion of the available science and research relevant to this topic and increased reporting and recognition in society, particularly in the sports sector, have been important determinants that have propelled many institutions and sport governing bodies to develop policies and introduce programs that address these concerns and promote safe sports participation, which includes providing “an athletic environment that is respectful, equitable and free from all forms of non-accidental violence to athletes” (IOC, 2016). It is an international imperative of good governance in sport to have a robust Safeguarding strategy.
History of WTA Programs and Initiatives Related to Safeguarding
The WTA conducted its first formal review of the unique needs of young women participating in elite international professional tennis in 1994. The independent body that conducted the ground-breaking first study and resulting recommendations helped oversee WTA initiatives relating to healthy and safe participation of WTA athletes through the WTA’s Age Eligibility Rule (“AER”) and Player Development (“PD”) programs are designed to identify and alleviate the stressors in professional tennis, improve athlete career longevity, and enhance player safety and well-being. Two further extensive formal reviews (in 2004 and 2014, respectively) demonstrated the effectiveness of these initiatives since their inception in 1995. The WTA has successfully decreased premature retirements (players leaving the Tour at or before age 21) and increased players’ career length.
In recognition of the need to enhance the safeguarding of WTA players, the WTA convened a Safety and Security Taskforce in 2006 to review its procedures and policies relevant to that area. That year-long review process identified critical components necessary to enhance athlete health and safety. Accordingly, key elements were implemented, including a robust augmentation of the Code of Conduct, and instigation of an education and training for WTA personnel, players, and Player Support Team members designed to specifically address and prevent abuse and harassment. Additionally, the Safeguarding role was included as part of a restructure of responsibilities of the former Athlete Assistance position.
Since the inception of these initiatives in 2007, the WTA has continued to monitor developments in the international Safeguarding research and practitioner community, which has exponentially grown and expanded since its early days in the late 1990s. In recognition of the WTA’s early instigation of Safeguarding policies, principles, and education programs, WTA Mental Health & Performance was invited to represent and provide expert input to both the first Burnel International Research Network for Athlete Welfare (BIRNAW) group in 2010 and to the IOC Consensus expert group on Harassment and Abuse in 2016.
In accordance with the WTA’s overarching philosophy of good governance and periodic review of its policies and programs, the WTA has undertaken a process to redefine, update and harmonize its safeguarding initiatives. In 2022, the WTA appointed its first-ever Director of Safeguarding to lead the WTA Safeguarding Program. In 2023, the WTA introduced its first-ever Safeguarding Education module, a requirement for anyone requesting a WTA Credential, to ensure that everyone has an understanding of the behavioral standards required by the WTA for a safe environment and to empower those in the WTA environment to speak up if they suspect misconduct.
Development of the WTA Safeguarding Program and Code
The WTA Safeguarding Program was developed in consultation with numerous experts in the Safeguarding field, including several safeguarding advocates throughout the tennis community. This WTA Safeguarding Code is endorsed by the WTA Legal Department, WTA Performance Health Department, WTA Member Relations Department, WTA Operations and Supervisors, WTA Human Resources, and WTA Executives.