Goal: STOP violence against children in sport

Athletic Club and its Foundation, together with the Aterpe Programme, are celebrating World Children's Day today with a clear objective: STOPPING violence against children in sport. Unai Simón, Athletic's international goalkeeper, joins this demand through a short video in which he calls for the need to stop this type of violence against minors.

It is a task that falls to everyone, as it is society as a whole that must take responsibility for ensuring that the control mechanisms, the processes and resources necessary are in place to guarantee the universal rights of children, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Children's Rights in 1989.

Child protection is the work that gives meaning to Athletic Club's Aterpe Programme, a pioneering initiative among sports entities. Through Aterpe, Athletic Club works internally to prevent situations of violence, training sports professionals on the subject and enabling the appropriate action protocols in the event of any warning signs.

In addition to the internal work, the Aterpe programme also provides support to partner clubs, sports entities and public institutions to work together to STOP violence against children.

"Parents in Sports", an essential guide on Child Protection

The Aterpe Programme is aware that families are decisive agents in this common goal of eradicating violence against children. For this reason, the Aterpe Programme participates in the European project "Parents in Sports" (Sport Parents EU) which is an essential guide in Child Protection.

Launched in 2017, Sport Parent EU is an international project that aims to improve the support provided to parents, carers and guardians of children and young people involved in sport. With this support, it is hoped that children and parents can have a safer, more enjoyable experience in sport. Led by Camilla Knight of Swansea University, this collaborative project, co-funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ programme, draws on the expertise of academics and practitioners working across Europe in the field of youth sport.

The Aterpe Programme takes on board the recommendations from this international project and works to provide parents with some basic tools for the accompaniment and protection of children. One more step towards the same common goal: STOPPING violence against children in sport.