SAFE SPORT INTERVIEWS

INTERVIEW BEHAVIOUR

Courtesy of The Canadian Centre for Childhood Protection

 Sex offenders do not look strange or act sinister. Rather than making judgements based on appearance, pay attention to situations and behaviours. Be aware of adults who seem to cross boundaries with children or have distorted perceptions of appropriate relations with children. While an individual may not be a child sex offender, s/he may blur boundaries that can put children at risk or violate your organization’s code of conduct. These types of mistakes/misunderstandings are important to pick up during the interview process.

During the interview, pay attention to whether the candidate makes reference to:

• Being friends/establishing inappropriate relationships with children
• The frequency of time spent with children relative to time spent with adults
• Questionable terms used to describe relationships with children
• Frequent and/or unauthorized time spent alone with a particular child
• Giving children personalized attention
• Any comments that point to blurred boundaries with children

Note: The presence of any of the behaviours does not necessarily indicate that an individual is a sex offender, but are worth noting, especially if they contradict your organization’s code of conduct.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Examples of interview questions that incorporate Safe Sport elements:

• Would you tell us about your experience in working with children, youth and/or vulnerable individuals?
• What do you find most rewarding about working with children, youth and/or vulnerable individuals?
• What do you find most challenging about working with children, youth and/or vulnerable individuals?
• How would you handle a child, youth and/or vulnerable individual who is behaving in a manner that is disruptive in a group setting?
• How do you think your peers, supervisors and referees would describe the way you work with children, youth and/or vulnerable individuals?
• Are there any children, youth and/or vulnerable individuals with whom you would not wish to work and if so, why?
• Can you tell us about children, youth and/or vulnerable individuals you have found challenging to work with? What strategies do you use to handle challenging behaviour?
• How would you handle a child, youth and/or vulnerable individual who appears sad and refuses to participate in activities?
• How would you deal with a child, youth and/or vulnerable individual who is acting aggressively?
• Have you ever lost your temper working with children, youth and/or vulnerable individuals? What was the trigger for this? What was the outcome?
• A parent of a child, youth and/or vulnerable individual wants someone from the organization to care for their child out of hours. What would be your response to this request?
• What would you do if you thought another person was harming a child, youth and/or vulnerable individual?
• Have you ever had a complaint made against you in relation to your working with children, youth and/or vulnerable individuals?
• Describe how you would work to help create a club environment that is welcoming and inclusive.
• Describe an experience in which you responded to a colleague or athlete who made an insensitive remark.
• What do you see as the most valuable aspect of creating a diverse and inclusive environment?
  • What about the most challenging?