A&H

Abusive parent

I know the weather is too hot for snowflakes in Australia but the climate in the UK means we get a few.
Firstly, I said 'potentially'. There's no obligation for another parent to 'assume responsibility' as stated by another forum user nor, is there an obligation on the coach either. So, if you send away the parent (and good luck with that on a public field) there's a possibility the child may have to go as well. A little unfair on the child won't you say? (You can choose your friends but, you can't choose your family).
Secondly, we seem to be a confrontational bunch on this forum but in these situations I'd rather get the home team to do some legwork before making it all about me.
And yes by all means abandon if all else fails and certainly report if the miscreant is sent away and goes. My view is that you should report as a welfare issue irrespective of the parent leaving our not. Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword.

There isn't an obligation, and neither did I say so. Some kids don't even turn up with their parents, is there then a welfare issue before they've even started?
 
The Referee Store
Your approach sounds about right, I don't do youth football, and I'm lucky enough that so far I've never had a situation where I've had to send a spectator away from an adult game, but stepped approach through the coach and never engaging the player/spectator directly is the best solution. We are referees not stewards, and it is up to the coaches to control their spectators.

As for causing a welfare issue by sending the parent away, I'm not convinced. The club staff should be suitably training in safe guarding and have up to date CRBs/DBS checks so providing the child is still being supervised by a responsible adult then I don't see why they would have to leave if their parent/guardian is sent to the car park.
 
There isn't an obligation, and neither did I say so. Some kids don't even turn up with their parents, is there then a welfare issue before they've even started?
Yes, and routinely ignored it would seem.
So where is the welfare issue?.....the child(ren) are in the care of the club's coaches/managers who we have to assume are DBS checked and 'in loco parentis'.
 
So where is the welfare issue?.....the child(ren) are in the care of the club's coaches/managers who we have to assume are DBS checked and 'in loco parentis'.
In loco parentis for a football club? Interesting. Not sure many would realise they signed up for that on a volunteer basis.
There appears to be an assumption that other parents want to take care of little Dennis the Menace/Minnie the Minx or indeed, any have turned up. And said abuser has left not to return, what does the coach do? Can't be left alone with a child.
Folk appear to think, sending the parent away is easy and the correct process. Maybe it's solves one problem but just as easily creates more.
 
In loco parentis for a football club? Interesting. Not sure many would realise they signed up for that on a volunteer basis.
There appears to be an assumption that other parents want to take care of little Dennis the Menace/Minnie the Minx or indeed, any have turned up. And said abuser has left not to return, what does the coach do? Can't be left alone with a child.
Folk appear to think, sending the parent away is easy and the correct process. Maybe it's solves one problem but just as easily creates more.

Sending the parent away is the correct process. If the stepped approach has been followed then that parent will have already had 2 warnings, which they have chosen to ignore, so removing them is the only solution, and I doubt the threat of a report, which they won't get fined for anyway, would be much of a deterrent.

As for the parent being removed causing a welfare issue, surely the coaches having up to date safeguarding and DBS must be able to take some level of responsibility for the child (within current safeguarding protocols) for the remainder of the match.

If they don't then why bother with safeguarding or DBS checks at all because each child will need a guardian with them for every game and training session.
 
In loco parentis for a football club? Interesting. Not sure many would realise they signed up for that on a volunteer basis.
There appears to be an assumption that other parents want to take care of little Dennis the Menace/Minnie the Minx or indeed, any have turned up. And said abuser has left not to return, what does the coach do? Can't be left alone with a child.
Folk appear to think, sending the parent away is easy and the correct process. Maybe it's solves one problem but just as easily creates more.
Yes, why not? Those children are under the charge of the club officials.....who else would be considered?
 
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