• Home
  • Scotland
    • News
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Scotland Squads
      • Scotland Men's A
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Squad
      • SWNT
        • News
        • SWNT Fixtures & Results
        • Squad
      • Men's Under-21s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Under-21 Squad
      • Men's Under-19s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Under-19 Squad
      • Men's Under-18s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Men's Under-17s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Men's Under-16s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-23s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-19s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Women's Under-19 Squad
      • Women's Under-17s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-16s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
    • Supporters & Tickets
      • News
      • Scotland Tickets
      • Ticket Information
        • Hampden Park Ticket App
        • SSC Ticket Info
      • Scotland Supporters Club Membership
        • SSC FAQs
        • SSC Loyalty Points
        • SSC Benefits
      • Hampden Hospitality
      • Newsletter Signup
      • Matchday Information
        • Supporters Buses
        • Code of Conduct
      • Liechtenstein (A) Travel Guide
    • Shop
    • Official Scotland Podcast
    • Competition | Scotland Golf Accessories
    • 50 Greatest Internationals
    • Roll of Honour
  • Scottish Cup
    • Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Scottish Cup 360
      • Scottish Cup Predictor powered by Scottish Gas
        • Register
        • Predictions
        • Leaderboards
        • My Account
      • Archive
        • Scottish Cup History
    • Scottish Gas Women's Scottish Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Women's Scottish Cup Past Winners
    • Youth Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Youth Cup Past Winners
    • Hampden Hospitality
    • Scottish Gas Hub
      • Cups
      • Camps
        • Scottish Gas Para Festivals
    • Big Screen Messages
  • Performance
    • News
    • JD Performance Schools
      • Braidhurst High School Motherwell
      • Broughton High School Edinburgh
      • Graeme High School Falkirk
      • Grange Academy Kilmarnock
      • Hazlehead Academy Aberdeen
      • Holyrood Secondary Glasgow
      • St John's High School Dundee
      • Applications
    • Club Academy Scotland
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Club Academy Scotland League Tables
    • Next Gen
      • Fixtures & Results
  • Football Development
    • News
    • Participation
      • Children's & Youth Football
        • Player Journey
        • Mini-Kickers
        • Cashback for Communitites
        • McDonald's Fun Football
        • Heading Guidelines
      • Adult (18 years+) Football
        • Futsal
        • Walking Football
        • Heading Guidance
      • Girls' & Women's Football
        • KDM Group Soccer Centres
        • SPAR Future Stars Football Cup
        • UEFA Disney Playmakers
      • Para-Football
    • Attractive Game
      • Facilities
      • Grassroots Awards
        • Award Categories
        • Winners
      • Discrimination Reporting Form
    • Coaching
      • News
      • Become a Coach
      • Find a Course
      • Coaching Pathway
        • Main (Youth/Adult) Pathway
        • Goalkeeping Pathway
        • Children's Pathway
        • Futsal Pathway
        • Degree & Specialist Courses
        • Talent ID Pathway
      • Coaching Development
        • Coaching CPD
        • Continuous Coach Development (CCD)
        • Scottish Football Coaching Podcast
      • Coach Education Newsletter
    • Club Services
      • Developing Your Club
        • Club Resources
        • Club Stories
        • Scottish Football Marketing Podcast
        • Howdens Game Changer Programme
      • Teamworks
      • Club Accreditation
        • Quality Mark Criteria
        • Quality Mark Club Opt-In
        • Quality Mark Club Sign Up
        • Club Resources
      • Scottish FA Grassroots Pitch & Facilities Case Studies
        • Netherdale Arena
        • Station Park
        • Gussie Park
      • Scottish FA Extra Time Programme
    • Regions
      • News
      • North Region
      • Central Region
      • East Region
      • West Region
      • South East Region
      • South West Region
    • Value of Football
    • Activity Hub
      • Physical Activities
        • Develop Your Skills
        • Challenge Yourself
        • Fun Activities
      • SPAR Fun At Home
    • Scottish Football Facilities Fund
  • Scottish FA
    • News
    • Referees
      • News
      • Referee Appointments
      • Become A Referee
        • Referee Structure & Pathway
        • Female Referee Recruitment
      • Referees' Associations
        • Aberdeen
        • Angus & Perthshire
        • Ayrshire
        • Edinburgh
        • Fife
        • Glasgow
        • Lanarkshire
        • Moray & Banff
        • North of Scotland
        • Renfrewshire
        • South of Scotland
        • Stirlingshire
        • Referee Association Training Days
      • Referee Education
        • Referee Courses
        • Laws of the Game
        • SQA Awards & Login
      • Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy
      • Key Match Incident Review Panel Outcomes
    • Football Governance
      • Scottish FA Handbook
      • Judicial Panel Protocol
      • Disciplinary
        • Disciplinary Updates
        • Player Suspensions
      • Club Licensing
      • Registrations
      • Anti-Doping
        • Staying Clean
        • Anti-Doping Testing
        • Anti-doping Resources
        • Summary of Anti-Doping Activities 2021/22
      • Security & Integrity
    • Wellbeing & Protection
      • Information for Children and Young People
      • Information for Parents and Carers
      • Information for Clubs
      • Wellbeing and Protection Resources
      • Adult Survivors of Abuse
      • Independent Wellbeing and Protection Advisory Board
      • How to Report a Concern
    • Organisation
      • News
      • Strategy & Structure
        • Who We Are
        • Affiliated National Associations
      • Hampden Park
      • Diversity & Inclusion
        • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board
        • Resources
        • Football Unites
      • Youth Ambassadors of Change
        • Apply to be an Ambassador
        • Meet the Team
        • Case Studies
      • Charities
      • Business Club
      • Media
        • Media Guidelines
      • Contact Us
      • Our Partners
        • Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
    • Power of Football
  • Pitching In
Scottish FA
  • Tickets
  • Shop
  • Newsletter
  • Careers
  • Supporters Club
  • Login
  • Hampden Park
  • Scotland
    • News
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Scotland Squads
      • Scotland Men's A
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Squad
      • SWNT
        • News
        • SWNT Fixtures & Results
        • Squad
      • Men's Under-21s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Under-21 Squad
      • Men's Under-19s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Under-19 Squad
      • Men's Under-18s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Men's Under-17s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Men's Under-16s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-23s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-19s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
        • Women's Under-19 Squad
      • Women's Under-17s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
      • Women's Under-16s
        • News
        • Fixtures & Results
    • Supporters & Tickets
      • News
      • Scotland Tickets
      • Ticket Information
        • Hampden Park Ticket App
        • SSC Ticket Info
      • Scotland Supporters Club Membership
        • SSC FAQs
        • SSC Loyalty Points
        • SSC Benefits
      • Hampden Hospitality
      • Newsletter Signup
      • Matchday Information
        • Supporters Buses
        • Code of Conduct
      • Liechtenstein (A) Travel Guide
    • Shop
    • Official Scotland Podcast
    • Competition | Scotland Golf Accessories
    • 50 Greatest Internationals
    • Roll of Honour
  • Scottish Cup
    • Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Scottish Cup 360
      • Scottish Cup Predictor powered by Scottish Gas
        • Register
        • Predictions
        • Leaderboards
        • My Account
      • Archive
        • Scottish Cup History
          • The History of the Cup
          • Scottish Cup Winners
    • Scottish Gas Women's Scottish Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Women's Scottish Cup Past Winners
    • Youth Cup
      • News
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Format & Rules
      • Youth Cup Past Winners
    • Hampden Hospitality
    • Scottish Gas Hub
      • Cups
      • Camps
        • Scottish Gas Para Festivals
    • Big Screen Messages
  • Performance
    • News
    • JD Performance Schools
      • Braidhurst High School Motherwell
      • Broughton High School Edinburgh
      • Graeme High School Falkirk
      • Grange Academy Kilmarnock
      • Hazlehead Academy Aberdeen
      • Holyrood Secondary Glasgow
      • St John's High School Dundee
      • Applications
    • Club Academy Scotland
      • Fixtures & Results
      • Club Academy Scotland League Tables
    • Next Gen
      • Fixtures & Results
  • Football Development
    • News
    • Participation
      • Children's & Youth Football
        • Player Journey
        • Mini-Kickers
        • Cashback for Communitites
        • McDonald's Fun Football
        • Heading Guidelines
      • Adult (18 years+) Football
        • Futsal
        • Walking Football
        • Heading Guidance
      • Girls' & Women's Football
        • KDM Group Soccer Centres
          • North Region
          • Central Region
          • West Region
          • East Region
          • South West Region
          • South East Region
        • SPAR Future Stars Football Cup
        • UEFA Disney Playmakers
      • Para-Football
    • Attractive Game
      • Facilities
      • Grassroots Awards
        • Award Categories
          • Best Volunteer in Youth Football
          • Best Volunteer in Girls' & Women's Football
          • Best Volunteer in Adult Football
          • Best Para-Football Activity, Project or Person
          • Best Community Football For All Project
          • Best Young Volunteer
          • Best Community Football Club
          • Best Fun Football Centre/Activity/Coach
          • Best Grassroots Referee
        • Winners
      • Discrimination Reporting Form
    • Coaching
      • News
      • Become a Coach
      • Find a Course
      • Coaching Pathway
        • Main (Youth/Adult) Pathway
          • UEFA B Licence
          • C Licence
          • UEFA Youth B Licence
        • Goalkeeping Pathway
          • UEFA Goalkeeping A Licence
          • UEFA Goalkeeping B Licence
          • Goalkeeping Coaching Award
          • Goalkeeping Coaching Certificate
        • Children's Pathway
          • Advanced Children's Coaching Licence
          • UEFA C Licence (Children's Pathway)
        • Futsal Pathway
        • Degree & Specialist Courses
          • BSc (Hons) Football Coaching, Performance & Development
          • Football Fitness Licence
          • First Aid E-Learning
          • Coach Educator Award
          • Football Unites E-Learning
          • Early Years
          • Performance Analysis
          • Continuous Coach Development
          • Continuous Professional Development
        • Talent ID Pathway
          • Introduction to Talent ID
          • Talent ID Certificate
          • Talent ID Award
          • Talent ID Licence
      • Coaching Development
        • Coaching CPD
        • Continuous Coach Development (CCD)
        • Scottish Football Coaching Podcast
      • Coach Education Newsletter
    • Club Services
      • Developing Your Club
        • Club Resources
        • Club Stories
          • Annan Athletic Case Study
          • Blairgowrie & Rattray
          • Bonnyrigg Rose Case Study
          • Cumbernauld Colts
          • Cumnock Juniors & Ayr United
          • Jeanfield Swifts Case Study
          • Jimmy Johnstone Academy
          • Musselburgh Windsor
          • Turriff Community Football Club
          • Broxburn United Case Study
          • East Kilbride United Community Sports Club Case Study
          • Sauchie Juniors Academy Case Study
          • Hermes Bridge of Don YFC Case Study
        • Scottish Football Marketing Podcast
        • Howdens Game Changer Programme
      • Teamworks
      • Club Accreditation
        • Quality Mark Criteria
        • Quality Mark Club Opt-In
        • Quality Mark Club Sign Up
        • Club Resources
      • Scottish FA Grassroots Pitch & Facilities Case Studies
        • Netherdale Arena
        • Station Park
        • Gussie Park
      • Scottish FA Extra Time Programme
    • Regions
      • News
      • North Region
      • Central Region
      • East Region
      • West Region
      • South East Region
      • South West Region
    • Value of Football
    • Activity Hub
      • Physical Activities
        • Develop Your Skills
        • Challenge Yourself
        • Fun Activities
      • SPAR Fun At Home
    • Scottish Football Facilities Fund
  • Scottish FA
    • News
    • Referees
      • News
      • Referee Appointments
      • Become A Referee
        • Referee Structure & Pathway
          • Category One Referee
          • Specialist Assistant Referee
          • Category Two Referee
          • Category Three Referee
          • Category Three Development Referee
          • Category Four Referee
          • Category Four Development Referee
          • Category Five Referee
          • Category Six Referee
          • Category Seven Referee
          • Category Seven A Referee
          • Category Seven B Referee
          • Category Eight Referee
          • Senior Associate Referee
        • Female Referee Recruitment
      • Referees' Associations
        • Aberdeen
        • Angus & Perthshire
        • Ayrshire
        • Edinburgh
        • Fife
        • Glasgow
        • Lanarkshire
        • Moray & Banff
        • North of Scotland
        • Renfrewshire
        • South of Scotland
        • Stirlingshire
        • Referee Association Training Days
      • Referee Education
        • Referee Courses
        • Laws of the Game
        • SQA Awards & Login
      • Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy
      • Key Match Incident Review Panel Outcomes
    • Football Governance
      • Scottish FA Handbook
      • Judicial Panel Protocol
      • Disciplinary
        • Disciplinary Updates
        • Player Suspensions
      • Club Licensing
      • Registrations
      • Anti-Doping
        • Staying Clean
        • Anti-Doping Testing
        • Anti-doping Resources
        • Summary of Anti-Doping Activities 2021/22
      • Security & Integrity
    • Wellbeing & Protection
      • Information for Children and Young People
      • Information for Parents and Carers
      • Information for Clubs
      • Wellbeing and Protection Resources
      • Adult Survivors of Abuse
      • Independent Wellbeing and Protection Advisory Board
      • How to Report a Concern
    • Organisation
      • News
      • Strategy & Structure
        • Who We Are
          • Board & Committees
          • Congress
          • Our Strategy & Values
        • Affiliated National Associations
      • Hampden Park
      • Diversity & Inclusion
        • Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board
        • Resources
        • Football Unites
      • Youth Ambassadors of Change
        • Apply to be an Ambassador
        • Meet the Team
        • Case Studies
      • Charities
      • Business Club
      • Media
        • Media Guidelines
      • Contact Us
      • Our Partners
        • Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
    • Power of Football
  • Pitching In
Scottish FA
Menu

Wellbeing & Protection

  • ...
  • Scottish FA
  • Wellbeing & Protection
  • Adult Survivors of Abuse
  • For Children
  • For Parents & Carers
  • For Clubs

Adult Survivors of Abuse in Football

In November 2016 a number of adults came forward in Scotland and England to share their experiences of abuse, particularly sexual abuse, in football.  Their courageous decision has led to other people coming forward since that time to talk about their own experiences, both publicly and privately. 

Abuse in football can take a number of different forms – it can be physical, emotional, sexual, neglectful and/or bullying in nature.  Abuse in football is never OK and it is never the fault of the person abused.

There is no place for abuse in football and the Scottish FA takes its responsibilities for the prevention of abuse very seriously. 

If you or a person you know has been abused when involved in Scottish football then we would like to know so that we can:

  • look into your experiences – we will do this by following our wellbeing and protection concerns procedure
  • do what we can to support your recovery by helping you to access suitable services
  • learn from those experiences so we can do all we can to prevent abuse in football in the future

We can’t make decisions about civil or criminal liability for your experiences or offer compensation since these are all matters for a court, but we can listen, learn and support you to access services as best we can.

Listening and Learning

You can contact us by:

Email: childrenswellbeing@scottishfa.co.uk

Telephone: 0141 616 6133

Post:  The Wellbeing and Protection Team, Scottish FA, Hampden Park, Glasgow.  G42 9BA.

A member of the wellbeing and protection team will be the first person you speak to and, where possible, this person will remain your point of contact for as long as you are in touch with us.

What can you expect if you do contact us?

  • We will support you to say what you want to say, however you want to say it. This could be by meeting with us, speaking to us on the telephone or in writing
  • We will listen to you
  • We will treat you with respect
  • We will keep any information about you safe and secure
  • If you tell us information that suggests that a child is, or may be, at risk of harm we will pass that information to agencies such as Police Scotland or Local Authority Social Work Services. We will always tell you if we need to share the information you have given us in this way.

Supporting You

The Scottish FA is not a counselling or support service but we can help you to access support from others if that is what you would like to do.   Any service we support you to access will be at no cost to you.

Different types of support are available and we will discuss different options with you initially so that you can decide what is best for you.    We will never share information about you with any support organisation without your permission. 

Examples of support can include:

  • A Needs Assessment – a needs assessment with a Clinical Psychologist is something that we could arrange for you through the Hampden Sports Clinic. A needs assessment is a way of making sense of your experiences in the context of your life events, social situation, relationships and employment choices. Initial needs assessment sessions normally take approximately ninety minutes and a discussion will then take place on the best way forward.   If further support is agreed then you will be referred to the most appropriate agency for this support to be given.
  • Counselling – this involves meeting with a trained counsellor to talk about your mental health and wellbeing and how to resolve any concerns about this.  This will usually be arranged for you through the Hampden Sports Clinic.
  • Practical support from an organisation like Victim Support Scotland. This could involve helping you access information about the criminal justice system, providing general practical and emotional support or helping you find other services to support you.

You can also contact any of the services listed below that you may feel will be able to help you. You can contact them directly, but if you don’t feel confident enough to do that then we can help you to get in touch with someone who can listen to you and support you.

Police Scotland: www.scotland.police.uk

Your GP or NHS24: www.nhs24.scot

Childline: www.childline.org.uk

Parentline: www.children1st.org.uk/help-for-families/parentline-scotland

Victim Support Scotland: www.victimsupportsco.org.uk

Mental Health and Wellbeing: http://breathingspace.scot/

Wellbeing audio resources, including relaxation: http://wellbeing-glasgow.org.uk/audio-resources/

Alcoholics Anonymous: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Gamblers Anonymous: www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk

Money Advice: www.moneyadvicescotland.org.uk

Money Advice: www.nationaldebtline.org/S/Pages/default.aspx

Eating Disorders: www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

Domestic Abuse: http://womensaid.scot/

Survivors of Sexual Abuse: www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

Survivors of Sexual Abuse: http://talknow.org.uk/

Survivors of Sexual Abuse: www.breakthesilence.org.uk

Reporting Childhood Abuse to Police Scotland

Police Scotland produced a film to give information to adult survivors of abuse in childhood.  It takes us through the journey of reporting to police, the subsequent criminal justice process and focuses on key areas covering some frequently asked questions. 

Their priority is always to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of the person reporting, to identify anyone who may pose a risk to children and to protect any person who may be at risk of harm.   

Independent Wellbeing and Protection Advisory Board Vacancy

Click here to find out about the role and apply.

Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy

Child Wellbeing and Protection Strategy 2024-2030

Click here to read the 2024-30 Child Wellbeing and Protection strategy.

The Report of the Independent Review of Sexual Abuse in Scottish Football

adidas logo
Chase
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
Howdens logo
Impact logo
  • Scotland
    • News
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Scotland Squads
    • Supporters & Tickets
    • Shop
    • Official Scotland Podcast
    • Competition | Scotland Golf Accessories
    • 50 Greatest Internationals
    • Roll of Honour
  • Scottish Cup
    • News
    • Fixtures & Results
    • Format & Rules
    • Scottish Cup 360
    • Scottish Cup Predictor powered by Scottish Gas
    • Archive
  • Performance
    • News
    • JD Performance Schools
    • Club Academy Scotland
    • Next Gen
  • Football Development
    • News
    • Participation
    • Attractive Game
    • Coaching
    • Club Services
    • Regions
    • Value of Football
    • Activity Hub
    • Scottish Football Facilities Fund
  • Scottish FA
    • News
    • Referees
    • Football Governance
    • Wellbeing & Protection
    • Organisation
    • Power of Football

Social

Scotland National Team Scottish Cup
Scotland National Team Scottish Cup Scottish FA
Scotland National Team Scottish Cup
Scotland National Team Scottish Cup Scottish FA
Scottish FA
The Scottish Football Association Ltd, Hampden Park, Glasgow G42 9AY | T: +44 (0) 141 616 6000

Want to advertise on this site? Email for further details.
© The Scottish Football Association 2025. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ticket Terms & Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Newsletter Sign-up
  • SSC Member Login