Harassment Policy

Harassment Policy

1. Purpose Statement:

The Kitchener Minor Baseball Association (KMBA) is a leader in our athletic community and is committed to providing methods to always keep our members and our community safe. The protection of every one of our members and participants from harassment of any form is critical to providing continued safety throughout our program and our community. KMBA considers any form of abuse and harassment – no matter the magnitude of the offence – to be unacceptable and will be prevented at all costs. KMBA will raise awareness about the negative and lasting impact that harassment can have within an organization and promote clear messages that it will not take such offences lightly.

2. Policy Statement:

It is the policy of the Kitchener Minor Baseball Association that there will be ZERO tolerance of bullying, harassment, and abuse in all their forms throughout the entirety
of the association and during all its activities and programs. All members of the association are to be held responsible and accountable to uphold commitment to this
policy. It is expected that members refrain from harassing behaviour and respond to incidents promptly while following all KMBA, local, and national guidelines to
handle such situations. Included in these expectations are the player participants as well. Players are expected to refrain from such activities while also being encouraged
to report all suspected incidents of bullying, harassment, and abuse.

2.1. This policy applies to all employees, volunteers, coaches, officials, players, parents and families, and any other members or spectators. Each of these groups of individuals shall discourage others’ participation in any form of harassing behaviour.
2.2. Harassment can occur during, but is NOT limited to:
2.2.1. Baseball games, tournaments, practices, training sessions, and any other baseball-related activities
2.2.2. Team and/or association-related gatherings (team dinners, meetings, conferences, award ceremonies, workshops, clinics)
2.2.3. Travel related to the activities of the team, group, or association
2.2.4. Any form of communication, including via phone, email, text messages, websites, social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook)
2.3. KMBA recognizes that any individual that experiences or is a witness of harassment reserves the right to obtain assistance from resources outside of KMBA
2.4. KMBA recognizes that harassment cases and claims can be potentially detrimental to someone’s reputation and their career. False accusations of harassment that cause unnecessary use of resources of the association will be subject to possible penalties and/or suspensions.
2.5. KMBA also recognizes that harassment is a form of discrimination and is prohibited and protected by the Canadian Human Rights Act and enforced in every province and territory of Canada. Harassment/discrimination is offensive, degrading and threatening. In its most extreme forms, harassment can be an offence under Canada’s Criminal Code.

3. Definitions:

3.1. Activities:
Baseball and association related events. Games, practices, tournaments, meetings, and/or conferences.

3.2. Bullying:
Bullying is a form of abuse at the hands of peers that can come in different forms at different ages. Bullying is defined as repeated aggression in which there is an imbalance of power between the person who bullies and the person who is being victimized and is understood as a disrespectful relationship problem.
Bullying is offensive, cruel, intimidating, insulting and humiliating behaviour. Combined with the misuse of power it can be physical or verbal, direct or indirect. Adults, children or youth who bully are typically cruel, demeaning and hostile towards the target of their bullying. The issue of bullying between youth under the age of 12 years old is not addressed by law. However, bullying behaviour is similar to harassment in that it is defined as the hurtful interpersonal mistreatment of another person.

3.3. Harassment:
Harassment is defined as conduct, gestures or comments which are insulting, intimidating, humiliating, hurtful, degrading or otherwise offensive to an individual or group of individuals. This creates a hostile or intimidating environment for sports activities and negatively affects performance in those sports activities. Any of the different forms of harassment must be based upon prohibited disciplinary Human Rights legislation. Some types of harassment include, but are not limited to racism, disability harassment, sexual harassment and criminal harassment.

3.3.1. Additional types of harassment include, but are NOT limited to: age, creed/religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression,mfamily status, marital status, disability, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, ethnic origin, citizenship, record of offenses (criminal conviction for a provincial/federal offence, or for an offence for which pardon has been received), association or relationship with a person identified by one or more of the aforementioned grounds, perception that one or more of the above grounds applies.
3.3.2. Harassment can also encompass multiple forms and be delivered in many ways such as verbal, physical, sexual, cyber (online/virtual), direct, in-direct, and more.

3.4. Members:
All people that are involved in the association. This includes coaches, players, umpires, parents, spectators, volunteers, staff, board members, operations committee members, trainers, advisors, sponsors and donors, medical personnel.
3.5. Minor:
All participants and members that are under the age of 18 (legal minimum age of an adult in Ontario where KMBA is located).
3.6. Participants:
All the players/athletes that are registered and participating in KMBA-Sanctioned baseball programs and activities.

3.6.1. Also applicable to any parent or guardian of the individual(s) participating in a KMBA-Sanctioned activity/event.

3.7. Programs:
Established events facilitated by the KMBA that encourage athletes to get involved with the association and develop to aid in furthering their baseball development.
3.8. Report:
In the context of this policy, to Report is the action to notify the appropriate authorities and figures if a person is a witness and/or victim of abuse, bullying, or harassment that is in violation of this policy.