Safer space guidelines for university sports

This page tells about measures that promote a safer space in grassroots university sports around Finland. FSSF/OLL have their own safer space guidelines for their own events and meetings, which you can familiarize yourself with here.

Safer space guidelines for university sports

The guidelines for safer space in university sports were created 2024 in a cooperation between FSSF/OLL, local university sports services professionals and student unions. The Family Federation of Finland/Väestöliitto acted as expert partners in the process.

The purpose of these guidelines is to prevent inappropriate behaviour such as harassment, bullying and discrimination in university sports, and to help us intervene in this kind of behaviour.

We can create an equal and community-focused atmosphere in university sports by taking other people into consideration in a respectful way.

1) We respect our fellow participants

• We let everyone train in peace.
• We use respectful language.
• We give everyone a chance to participate.
• We only give advice and comment on the performance of others if asked.
• We are also respectful on social media.

2) Other people’s bodies are none of our business

• We don’t touch others without permission.
• We don’t comment on other people’s bodies or appearance.
• We don’t bother people by staring at them.
• We ask for permission before taking photos, filming or recording.

3) We treat each other equally

• We cannot know someone’s experiences, thoughts, life situation, sexuality, gender, nationality, culture, language, religion, values, health status or functional ability based on their appearance, manner of speaking or other behaviour.
• We evaluate assumptions we make about others critically and treat them only as assumptions, not as facts.

4) We learn from our mistakes

• We take responsibility for our mistakes by apologising and by changing our way of operating if needed. We all make mistakes and may violate the safer space guidelines from time to time.
• We understand that everyone has a right to their personal boundaries. People feel differently about different kinds of behaviour.

5) We intervene in inappropriate behaviour

• We intervene in inappropriate behaviour that we observe by helping the person who has been subjected to this behaviour.
• We can also interrupt the situation calmly by saying something like “What you are saying/doing feels offensive” or by questioning the person’s actions by asking “Why are you doing that?”
• We make sure that the person who has been subjected to the inappropriate behaviour isn’t left alone with what happened.
• We inform a member of staff or a harassment contact person.
• In situations where physical safety is at risk, we call for further assistance for example by phoning the emergency number 112.

6) If you are subjected to inappropriate behaviour

• You have the right to ask the person to stop.
• If you want to, you can remove yourself from the situation. Everyone has the right to walk away.
• If you are able, you can ask others present, a staff member or the harassment contact persons for help.

• On the website Et ole yksin (You are not alone), which is aimed at people taking part in sport and exercise, you can talk about harassment, bullying, violence and other kinds of inappropriate behaviour anonymously with a safe professional. You can find more information on etoleyksin.fi.