Phoenix Youth Sports Sexual Abuse Attorneys
Committed to Fighting for Your Child’s Safety
Youth sports can be a highly beneficial way for children to get exercise, make friends, and learn valuable, lifelong skills regarding teamwork, fitness, and more. Unfortunately, youth sports officials, coaches, and volunteers can take advantage of the trust young children and teenagers inherently place in athletic leaders. In fact, recent studies have shown that up to one million children report suffering some form of abuse every year in a youth sports setting. Of those reported instances of abuse, over 6% include sexual abuse.
If your child has told you about inappropriate behavior or you suspect sexual abuse is taking place, it’s vital that you contact a Phoenix youth sports sexual abuse attorney as soon as possible. At Montoya, Lucero & Pastor, P.A., we act quickly to help parents and guardians take action against abusive coaches, doctors, volunteers, and youth sports leagues.
Contact us by phone at (602) 483-6869 to arrange a confidential initial consultation today. We offer weekend appointments and services in both English and Spanish.
Standards of Care in Youth Sports
After numerous accounts, including several high-profile cases of sexual abuse in youth sports, legislation to combat this problem was introduced in February of 2018. This legislation, known as the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, is designed to help protect children from predators by ensuring that youth sports organizations comply with strict standards of care.
What changes were made to the standard of care in youth sports?
- Prevention Policies - All youth sports organizations must now prove that they have sexual abuse prevention policies in place and that they have taken reasonable actions to ensure these policies are followed. Prevention policies must include the limiting of one-on-one interaction between adults and children as much as possible.
- Prevention Training - New requirements demand that youth sports organizations take the necessary steps to provide ongoing training for adult volunteers and employees. Training should include procedures for prevention and reporting of sexual abuse.
- Mandatory Reporting - New regulations require any adult who interacts with minor or amateur athletes to report sexual abuse. In some cases, adults must immediately alert law enforcement and agencies of suspected sexual abuse as well.
While these new regulations and laws that have already been set in place aim to protect children and quickly address instances of sexual abuse, they are not always followed. If a youth sports league, organization, or affiliated individual fails to follow the standard of care, this can be considered negligence. You may be able to take action against one or multiple negligent parties.
Find Out How Our Attorneys Can Help
If you believe that your child or loved one is a victim of sexual abuse by a coach, volunteer, or fellow team member, contact Montoya, Lucero & Pastor, P.A. for a free, confidential consultation. With more than six decades of legal experience, we know how the process works and can help you take the appropriate action to secure justice and recovery for your child and yourself. We take a look at every unique detail of your situation in order to help you build a solid case. Our Phoenix youth sports sexual abuse attorneys offer compassionate, one-on-one legal service and tireless advocacy for our clients.
Schedule a consultation with us when you call (602) 483-6869.
