Respect and Responsibility Policy

University High School-Victoria University Football Club (UHS-VU) is committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all players, officials and supporters (club members).

The Respect and Responsibility Policy applies at training, club events, on match days and on social media, and should be read in conjunction with the VAFA Player Code of Conduct, which governs on field conduct.

UHS-VU is wholly committed to fully integrated men’s and women’s teams, and these principles are intended to ensure appropriate behaviour by all club members at all times.

In completing registration for the club, players agree to be bound by both the VAFA Player Code of Conduct and the UHS-VU Respect and Responsibility Policy.

Principles of Respect:

Club members are encouraged to report conduct which does not align with these principles to any of the following people at the club:

• We respect people’s cultural, ethnic, religious and racial identities and their right to express their gender and sexual identity.
• We respect the right of all people to feel physically safe.
• We respect people’s right to be free from harassment, unwelcome advances, inappropriate comments, unwanted touching or physical closeness, and sustained unwanted social contact.
• We recognise that consent is not merely the absence of ‘no’; it is an enthusiastic ‘yes’.

Principles of Responsibility:

• It is the responsibility of club members to ensure that any guest they invite to a UHS-VU game or event is familiar with the principles outlined in this policy.
• UHS-VU has a zero-tolerance policy towards domestic violence and sexual assault, and club members are responsible for upholding that policy. Credible reports of domestic violence or sexual assault may result in a suspension of registration or de-registration. Attitudes or behaviour seen to minimise or diminish the impact of domestic violence may also lead to suspension of registration or other actions, outlined below.
• Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be considered a mitigating factor in any incident of inappropriate conduct.
  
• UHS-VU believes that the standard you walk past is the standard you accept. As such, club members are encouraged to report conduct which does not align with these principles, as per the below reporting guidelines, even if they are not directly impacted by the inappropriate conduct.

Reporting Guidelines

Club members are encouraged to report conduct which does not align with these principles to any of the following people at the club:

• Player Leaders
• Coaches
• Executive Members of the Committee

If you wish to make an anonymous report, a submission can be made via the club website.

Possible actions which the club might take in response to a breach of this policy include:

• Mediation
• Private or public apology
• Barred from attending social events
• Suspension
• De-registration

To report any breaches of the Respect and Responsibility Policy, please send us a message via the form below: