Advice for Children and Young People in Taekwondo.

This section is to help you understand where you can go for more information on how to be safe and what to do if you are worried or have any questions about anything which might be making you feel uncomfortable.

Simply click on the button below, fill out your name, number and email address and our Safeguarding Manager, Sarah, will contact you within 24 hours. Don’t worry about entering any further details – our Safeguarding Manager will help you with this.

If you would prefer to speak to Sarah you can do so by calling 07568 503791. You can leave a message at any time of the day or night.

Messages sent to you which are hurtful and making you upset should be reported. You could talk to any of the people below:

  • parent/guardian
  • member of the coaching team at your club
  • teacher
  • doctor or school nurse
  • Club Welfare Officer (every Taekwondo club should have one. Please speak with your club / coach to find out who it is).

You can also look for advice on the ‘Stop, Speak, Support’ campaign website.

‘Stop, Speak, Support’ aims to help young people spot cyberbullying and know what steps they can take to stop it happening and provide support to the person being bullied. It was designed by young people, for young people. Watch the video on YouTube.

If you think your safety is at risk, you can report a concern to safeguarding@britishtaekwondo.org

We’re really sorry to hear that you are being bullied and it is affecting how much you enjoy taekwondo. Nobody has the right to hurt you or make you feel bad. Bullying can be in a range of different forms but the main ones are:

  • being called names
  • being teased, put down or humiliated
  • being pushed or pulled about
  • having money and other stuff taken
  • having rumours spread about you
  • being ignored and left out
  • being hit, kicked or physically hurt
  • being threatened or intimidated

If you feel that the above is happening to you, you should look for some support. This can be from adults, teachers, coaches and even your friends – you may not want to tell your friends the details but they can help support you when you are feeling down and help take your mind off it.

If you feel you are being bullied and would like more information you can visit our friends at the Anti Bullying Alliance who can give you some more information on what to do if you feel like you’re being bullied. Childline also have a section on their website which can provide more support and guidance.

You can report your concerns to them, or contact us by emailing safeguarding@britishtaekwondo.org and talk to us about what is happening and how we can help.

Just because someone says it is just ‘banter’ or ‘a joke’, doesn’t make it ok. Making jokes or having banter which makes people feel upset or sad is bullying.

Look at the tips above for information on how to deal with bullying. Banter can come under this and you shouldn’t put up with it just because someone says so.

You should report it as soon as possible to an adult that you trust, this could be a:

  • parent/guardian
  • Club Welfare Officer (every Taekwondo club should have one. Please speak with your club / coach to find out who it is).

Or you could contact British Taekwondo and tell Rachel at safeguarding@britishtaekwondo.org

Taekwondo can be a very competitive sport and you may feel pressured to perform well. This pressure could come from yourself, other competitors in your club, the coach or even your parents, but there are ways to make sure that Taekwondo stays fun.

If you are feeling under pressure from your coach or parents, you should tell them how that pressure makes you feel. They simply may not be aware that how they are acting is making you feel pressured and this should help them realise and make them adapt their ways. There are some top tips on how to cope with pressure:

  • if a bad match affects your confidence, get out there quickly and start playing again
  • focus on how you thought you performed, not what anyone else thought
  • give yourself time for things to get better
  • if pressure keeps stopping you from enjoying it, you could try taking up a different sport or joining a different club
  • remember it’s ok to tell an adult you trust about the pressure being too much.

You should always try as hard as you can as nobody can ask anymore of you if you do. You should always be proud of your efforts. If you have performed well and you are happy with that, there is no need to compare yourself to any other competitors.

The Childline website has some great advice on how to build your confidence and self-esteem.

If you feel your safety is at immediate risk and need to speak with someone immediately please contact the police by dialing 999.

If you think another child is being abused or you think their safety is at risk, contact your local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) team.