Athletes Safeguard

United World Wrestling is committed to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all the stakeholders involved in the practice, development or promotion of the sport, whether as athletes, coaches, referees, officials of National Federations, Bureau members or staff.

UWW rejects and condemns any form of physical and psychological abuse and harassment and is firmly determined to initiate proceedings against any case of abuse and harassment within its jurisdiction and to collaborate with National Federations, National Olympic Committees, MEOs and Law Enforcement Authorities to resolve any such case arising outside its jurisdiction.

In this framework, UWW believe that keeping a safe environment requires information, education and open dialogue for all stakeholders.

What is abuse and harassment?

Harassment and abuse can be expressed in five forms which may occur in combination or in isolation. These include i) psychological abuse, ii) physical abuse, iii) sexual harassment, iv) sexual abuse and v) neglect.

These forms of abuse are defined here as:

  • Psychological abuse: means any unwelcome act including confinement, isolation, verbal assault, humiliation, intimidation,  infantilisation, or any other treatment which may diminish the sense of identity, dignity, and self-worth.
  • Physical abuse: means any deliberate and unwelcome act – such as for example punching, beating, kicking, biting and burning – that causes physical trauma or injury. Such act can also consist of forced or inappropriate physical activity (e.g., age-, or  physique inappropriate training loads; when injured or in pain), forced alcohol consumption, or forced doping practices.
  • Sexual harassment: any unwanted and unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal or physical. Sexual harassment can take the form of sexual abuse.
  • Sexual abuse: any conduct of a sexual nature, whether non-contact, contact or penetrative, where consent is coerced/manipulated or is not or cannot be given.
  • Neglect: within the meaning of this document means the failure of a coach or another person with a duty of care towards the athlete to provide a minimum level of care to the athlete, which is causing harm, allowing harm to be caused, or creating an imminent danger of harm. 

Information & Education

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s has developed information and education tools on harassment and abuse. UWW strongly recommends that everyone involved in the sport - in particular athletes, coaches, medical personnel and sport officials – familiarise themselves with this information. 

Quick links: 

The IOC has also developed a toolkit for sport organizations to develop policies on athletes' safeguard. We encourage all our affiliated/associated Members to consult this toolkit and implement policies within their organization: 

You will also find enclosed a presentation made by the IOC to the UWW HQ in 2019: 

 

Policy

Report

You may contact UWW via integrity@uww.org to report - anonymously or not - any alleged misconduct. To the extent permitted by law, and as appropriate, UWW will handle any report it receives confidentially and discretely and will not make public the names of the complainant, potential victim, or accused person.