Responding to reports of non-recent abuse in sport

This guidance raises awareness around non-recent abuse and why it's important that it's reported and responded to by sports organisations.

All organisations who work with children have a duty to do everything they can to recognise, and report abuse quickly and appropriately to keep children and young people safe. But many of those who have been abused are not ready to seek help until later. This guidance outlines how to respond to reports of non- recent abuse, and what organisations can do to build the trust of those who have been harmed in the past.

Author: NSPCC Sport (formerly Child Protection in Sport Unit)
Date: 2022

What's covered

• introduction
• what is non-recent abuse?
• the importance of addressing non-recent abuse allegations 
• reporting non-recent abuse

What is non-recent abuse?

Non-recent abuse refers to any type of abuse that has taken place over one year before being reported, including neglect, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Some organisations, including the police and forensic medical settings also use the term historical.

Many survivors of abuse remain impacted and traumatised by abuse many years after the abuse ended. We prefer to use the term non-recent abuse for all cases. For many people impacted by abuse it is not 'historical' and those who committed the abuse may still represent a real and ongoing risk to children.

Sometimes adults who were abused in childhood blame themselves or are made to feel it’s their fault. But this is never the case: there's no excuse for abuse.

If you recently learnt or understood that you were abused, whether the abuse happened once or multiple times, a year or many years ago, whatever the circumstances, there's support available to help.

If you would like support visit the NSPCC website.

Download this guidance (PDF)