Child Protection

Our child protection officers provide advice, listen, offer help, and can refer you to other appropriate resources.

Diana Rafaela Würz

kinderschutz@stk-hockey.de

+493081450061

Tim Schäflein

kinderschutz@stk-hockey.de

+493081450062

Steglitzer TK Hockey Child and Youth Protection Policy 

1. Positioning of the Steglitz TK 

Steglitzer TK Hockey is expressly committed to its responsibility to protect children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults from all forms of violence. The safety policy is an integral and binding part of the club’s operations and is regularly reviewed and updated. The club condemns all forms of violence, regardless of whether they are physical, emotional, or sexual in nature. It is committed to taking measures to protect children, adolescents, and adults from all forms of violence. 

Sports contribute to the physical and emotional well-being of children and adolescents, foster their personal development, and help them acquire social skills. They are characterized by a close, trusting relationship between children and adult coaches. This entails a responsibility for all those who work closely and frequently with young people. For the sports club, the priority is to protect all children and adolescents from any form of violence and to take preventive measures to ensure their safety.

The association is committed to preventing and combating sexual violence in sports. The board will be elected at the meeting onon December 8, 2025, the protection plan at its meeting on December 8, 2025. The plan will also be presented at the next general membership meeting. 

2 Analysis and Assessment of Risk Factors in the Club

A risk analysis is conducted annually by the child protection officers in collaboration with the department’s executive board, the coaches, and the parents. The results are documented andincorporated into the update of the protection plan. The first risk analysis revealed a particular need for action due to the varying conditions of outdoor fields and indoor gyms, which are a constant factor within the club. 

Because of the separate outdoor and indoor seasons, the club’s training and game locations change regularly during the hockey season. During the outdoor season, the main venue for training sessions and home games is the grounds—including the artificial turf field and clubhouse—at the Sochos Sports Field at Lessingstraße 8, 12169 Berlin, as well as alternate fields and other venues for away games. As a publicly accessible sports field, the Sochos Sports Field can also be used by non-members, which poses an increased risk and makes monitoring more difficult. There are no changing facilities available in the immediate vicinity of the field. These are located in the nearby Sochos Halle building but are rarely used. Restrooms are available in the clubhouse at the artificial turf field.  

During the indoor season, the club uses the Sochos Hall for home games and practices. There are plenty of changing rooms available here. Even during the indoor season, the club occasionally uses other gyms. Special attention is given—both during the outdoor season and the indoor season—to away games and tournament trips, which take place at various locations. Players are accompanied on these trips by coaches, staff members, or parents. 

With regard to the training and education of its members, the association is currently taking the necessary measures under the Child Protection Seal to minimize risk factors.  

However, other general risks may include: 

• Closeness and Distance – Relationships and Trust Between Athletes and Coaches, as Well as Among Athletes Themselves. 
• Situations that can lead to boundary violations. 
• Spatial conditions, access routes to and the location of sports facilities, locker rooms, and showers. 
• Training sessions, individual training, training camps, and competitions, including transportation and lodging. 
• A lack of expertise, as well as ill-defined responsibilities, communication channels, and structures. 
• Conditions, structures, and work processes that can be exploited from the perpetrator’s perspective. 
• Social media accounts for training groups, photos, and the club's website. 

3 Measures and Protection 

Below, Steglitzer TK Hockey outlines its measures for the prevention of and protection against sexual violence. 

3.1 We respect the individuality and dignity of children and adolescents. Our interactions with young people are characterized by respect and trust. We support children and adolescents in their individual and social development as self-reliant individuals capable of contributing to the community, and we help to create and maintain positive living conditions for young people. 

3.2 We embrace our role as role models for children and adolescents, handle this responsibility with care, and do not abuse the special position of trust we hold with children and adolescents. We actively take a stand against all forms of violence, discrimination, racism, and sexism. We respect the right of children and adolescents to physical integrity and do not use any form of violence, whether physical, psychological, or sexual. 

3.3 When a child’s well-being is at risk, we do not turn a blind eye; rather, we take an active role in protecting children from danger, neglect, violence, and abuse. Club officials and coaches receive regular training on child protection. We are attentive to relevant signs and, in cases of serious suspicion, seek professional advice and support from the relevant youth welfare offices and counseling centers. 

3.4 The following provision is therefore included in § 12 (Prevention of Violence) of the Steglitzer TK Hockey club bylaws: DThe club condemns all forms of violence, regardless of whether they are physical, psychological, or sexual in nature. It is committed to initiating measures to protect children, adolescents, and adults from all forms of violence. 

3.5 Before beginning employment, all individuals who work with children and adolescents must provide an extended criminal background check, and proof of this must be documented. The criminal background check must not be more than three months old at the time of submission. Steglitzer TK Hockey does not employ individuals who have been convicted of a criminal offense under the Agreement on the Exclusion of Persons with Relevant Criminal Convictions from Employment. 

3.6 The safety policy and the contact information for the child protection officers are posted in the clubhouse and published on the website. New coaches and supervisors are informed of the contents of the safety policy upon joining the club and, by signing it, commit to adhering to the code of ethics. 

3.7 The Steglitz TK has two contact persons who, in their capacity as child protection officers, can be reached by email at kinderschutz@stk-hockey.de . They have participated in the workshop for child protection officers organized by the State Sports Federation. The certificates of participation are verifiably documented. 

3.8 The club has clear and transparent rules of conduct that are known to everyone. These rules of conduct are set forth in the STK Code of Ethics. We are committed to adhering to these guidelines and building trust among young people, parents, and the public. In addition, all coaches working at the STK are required to sign the Code of Ethics. The rules of conduct apply to all volunteers, part-time, and full-time staff members of the club who care for or supervise children and adolescents. 

Club officials such as coaches, instructors, and supervisors, whether volunteer or full-time  

• Do not make discriminatory remarks about origin, sexual identity, appearance, religion, etc. 
• foster a respectful atmosphere in our interactions. Children, adolescents, and athletes are not insulted, humiliated, or exposed to sexualized language. 
• Keep access to training facilities open; in particular, do not close any doors during individual training sessions. 
• Never take children or adolescents into your private spaces—such as your house, yard, locker room, or apartment—individually or outside of team activities. 
• Do not shower with children or teenagers. 
• Do not stay overnight (including during tournament trips) alone in a room with children or teenagers. 
• have no secrets when it comes to children and teenagers. 
• Do not give gifts to children and teenagers that have not been approved by the team. 
• do not engage in physical contact against the will of the children and adolescents.  
• do not have sexual relationships with athletes under the age of 18. 
• comply with the Data Protection Act when taking photos and recording videos, and obtain permission from children and adolescents. 

4 Intervention 

As soon as there is a risk to a child's well-being within the club, the intervention plan is activated. 

VProceduresProcedures to Follow When Child Welfare Is Suspected – A Simplified Overview of an Intervention 

1. Signs of potential danger are observed. Listen to the person involved and take what they say seriously. Protect the person involved and respect their personal rights. Remain calm.  
2. Document the information entrusted to you. Document assessments and interpretations separately. In doing so, take into account the age, gender identity (m/f/d), and developmental stage of the person concerned; do not make decisions without consulting the person concerned; and do not disclose any information to the person under suspicion.  
3. Examine your own feelings and emotions. Contact the association's child protection officers.
4. Child protection officers plan the next steps or contact a specialized counseling center to seek advice. In cases of suspected abuse, the association works closely with external specialized agencies, such as the Steglitz-Zehlendorf Youth Welfare Office, the Berlin Child Protection Center, or the Berlin Child Protection Hotline (030 610066). All responsible personnel receive annual training on the intervention procedure.  
5. If there is a specific suspicion, the child protection officers inform the board of directors.
6. The board is discussing further possible internal and legal steps with the child protection officers. 

This protection policy is reviewed annually at the youth assembly or the department meeting and adjusted as needed. It is published on the club’s website and posted in the clubhouse. Steglitzer TK Hockey is committed to making child protection an integral part of its club activities and to continuously improving its prevention efforts.