INTEGRITY: SFV protection concept will be added
At the beginning of 2021, Swiss Olympic introduced the INTEGRITY contact and initial advice center. The new offer complements the existing offers of the Swiss Football Association. In addition to the internal reporting office, the SFV developed its own child and youth protection concept for Swiss football in cooperation with Pro Juventute.
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With its commitment to child and youth protection (Swiss Football Association – Child and Youth Protection), the SFV wants to take preventive action against violence and wrongdoing. The aim is to sensitize and strengthen all those involved for the topic, to protect their integrity and to prevent negative incidents. This commitment of the SFV is now complementing Swiss Olympic with the new INTEGRITY offer. Samuel Wyttenbach, Head of Values at Swiss Olympic, presents the new offer in an interview with football.ch.
football.ch: How did the INTEGRITY contact and initial advice center come about?
Samuel Wyttenbach: The sports associations have been running their own reporting offices since 2016. These differ greatly in terms of their area of application, their accessibility, their scope of action and the degree of anonymity. In some cases, these reporting offices are therefore unable to guarantee the full protection of the athletes. Swiss Olympic has been looking for other solutions: in 2022 there will be a national, independent reporting office with extensive competencies for everyone. However, after the incidents in gymnastics, Swiss Olympic did not want to wait until 2022 and improve the protection of athletes as quickly as possible: The INTEGRITY contact and initial advice center has been available since April 4. INTEGRITY is a transitional offer until the independent reporting office starts operations in 2022. She listens to the incidents, gives impulses and triages – if necessary – to the right contact persons in the associations or other places.
football.ch: In which case could INTEGRITY become an issue for Swiss football?
Samuel Wyttenbach: Like all sports, Swiss football has its own reporting office. However, this is not responsible for everyone involved in Swiss football, but only for the association’s employees and their committee members. In addition, Swiss football operates a helpline for coaches in cooperation with Pro Juventute. INTEGRITY now complements this existing offer: The contact and initial advice center processes reports from all people in Swiss football who want to report a violation of the principles of the ethics charter. Since INTEGRITY generally does not carry out any investigations, incoming reports that are in the area of activity of an existing SFV office are also passed on to these offices if an investigation is necessary.
football.ch: How does INTEGRITY proceed after a report?
Samuel Wyttenbach: INTEGRITY consultants have in-depth knowledge of the Swiss sports system. Together with the reporting person, they can determine whether the incident should best be addressed in a discussion between the parties involved, whether it would make sense to involve the ethics officer of the football association, whether and which specialized departments could help, or whether the incident should be sent to the Notification office of the association or other notification offices should be forwarded. Possible reports are made, for example, in the event of discrimination, unequal treatment, use of addictive substances, harassment, bullying, use of violence or preferential treatment.
(SFV/Swiss Olympic)
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