The Berlin Soccer Association (BFV) will continue to hold the Child Protection Seal from the Berlin State Sports Federation (LSB) for the next five years. The renewal is valid through 2031 and confirms that the BFV continues to meet the LSB’s mandatory requirements for the protection of children and youth.
“For us, the Child Protection Seal is not an end in itself, but a mission,” says Bernd Schultz, president of the Berlin Soccer Association. “Children and young people must be able to feel safe in Berlin soccer. This requires clear structures, qualified points of contact, and, above all, people who take responsibility and stay vigilant. As an association, we want to lead by example in this regard and continue to develop these standards together with our clubs.”
Child Protection Requires Structures
The LSB Berlin Child Protection Seal comprises six key criteria. These include the appointment and training of child protection officers, the enshrinement of the prevention of all forms of violence in the bylaws, and the signing of a child protection declaration and a code of ethics. In addition, there are regular training sessions for those who work with children and adolescents, the verification of expanded criminal background checks, and the implementation of key elements of a protection plan.
The seal thus represents a structural approach: child protection should not only come into play after an incident has occurred. Prevention, clear responsibilities, and the confidence to take action should be an integral part of the day-to-day operations of clubs and associations.
BFV Calls for Shared Responsibility Within Team Berlin
The BFV also wishes to use the renewal of its own child protection seal as an opportunity to raise awareness of the issue among its member clubs and to support them on their path toward obtaining their own child protection seal.
“Child protection is a shared responsibility of the entire Berlin soccer community,” explains Özgür Özvatan, BFV Vice President for Social Responsibility. “We want to encourage our clubs to pursue the Child Protection Seal and to establish the necessary structures in a sustainable manner. This is not just about meeting formal criteria. It is about working together to create a culture in which children and young people are protected, taken seriously, and empowered in their rights.”
The LSB Child Protection Seal is intended for Berlin sports clubs and associations and is valid for five years. Further information can be found on the Landessportbund Berlin website at: www.lsb-berlin.de/themenwelten/kinderschutz/siegel
