In danger right now? Move somewhere safer and contact local emergency services or a trusted adult. This website is not an emergency service.
Get support
Whether it happened to you or a teammate, you can take the next step privately.
Nothing on this page asks for your name, your story or where you play, and nothing you do here is saved. You don’t have to go public to be taken seriously.
4 steps
Choose someone you trust
A parent or carer, a teacher, a coach, or your club’s welfare or safeguarding officer. If the problem involves that person, choose someone else.
Say what happened, your way
You don’t need a perfect statement to ask for help. If it’s safe, keep dates, screenshots of messages and the names of anyone who saw it somewhere private.
Use the right route
Your club, your sport’s governing body or a helpline can take it further. Ask what they can deal with and whether you can report without giving your name. Nobody can promise a particular outcome.
Ask what happens next
Ask who will need to know and when you’ll hear back. An adult with safeguarding duties may not be able to keep everything secret; that’s so they can keep you safe.
Find the right route
Every sport and country has its own system. Start close to home and work outwards.
Your club or school
Most clubs have a welfare or safeguarding officer, and schools have a safeguarding lead. They are usually the quickest people to act, and they know the next step.
Your national sports body
Search for your sport’s national governing body plus “report a concern” or “safeguarding”. Many have forms, and some allow anonymous reports. In England, for example, the FA, ECB, LTA, England Athletics and Basketball England all publish routes.
International competitions
The IOC directs athletes to their international federation and handles some concerns at the Olympic and Youth Olympic Games.
A free helpline
If you’re under 18 and want to talk to someone outside sport, Child Helpline International lists free, confidential helplines in more than 130 countries.
Abuse online
Report the post or account on the platform, and use block or mute to protect yourself. Screenshot it first if you can do that safely, then tell an adult or your club.
A teammate told you
Listen, believe them and thank them for telling you. Don’t promise to keep it secret forever. Offer to go with them to an adult they trust.
Words you can use
Starting is often the hardest part. Borrow a line.
- “Something happened at training and I’d like to talk to you about it.”
- “Someone has been sending me messages about who I am. Can you help me work out what to do?”
- “I saw something happen to a teammate and I’m not sure who to tell.”
- “I don’t want to make a big deal of it, but it’s been bothering me.”