Originally published by Childhelp on December 16, 2014
Last Wednesday Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the new NFL Code of Personal Conduct Policy. Goodell stated, “The policy is comprehensive, it is strong, it is tough and it is better for everyone associated with the NFL.”
With recent cases like Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, we are glad to see the NFL taking steps to increase awareness of the issue as well as principles to guide their process for dealing with any situations like this in the future. One phrase from the memorandum Goodell released we completely agree with is:
“Our recent focus has been on domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault, all of which are complex and difficult subjects. Each is a societal problem that is frequently underreported. As a league, we must have a continued focus on the needs of victims and families; among other things, we must encourage victims and those who observe such misconduct to come forward, to report offenses, and to seek help. We can no longer defer entirely to the decisions of the criminal justice system, which is governed by processes and considerations that are not appropriate to a workplace, especially a workplace as visible and influential as ours.”
With more than 3 million reports of child abuse every year it is terrifying to know that thousands more are unreported. It is difficult for an individual to determine if someones actions are classified as abuse and reporting is even more difficult when you don’t know where to go or who to talk to. That is why we created the Childhelp National Hotline, it is a place where you can ask questions, get help and obtain referral service information. If you would like to ask one of our professional crisis counselors a question or just need someone to talk to please call 1-800-4-A-Child.
In addition to the changes that were made to how the NFL handles reporting, investigation and discipline there should be a focus on how to break the cycle of abuse. At Childhelp we believe in changing the future by educating children with Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe. It helps them learn what is abuse and who to tell when they or someone they know is being abused in a safe and grade appropriate level. The curriculum maintains focus on adult responsibility and skill building by engaging agencies, schools, facilitators, teachers, parents and designated safe adults in the protection of children. The program also focuses on meeting state standards for health and safety education, as well as reinforcement of the Common Core State Standards, which allows a complementary curriculum-based response to child maltreatment. We are confident in the power of Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe and can’t wait to teach child abuse prevention to more schools across the country.
If you would like to read the memorandum Roger Goodell released, please click here
