Harassment of officials
Harassment is defined as offensive, abusive, belittling or threatening behaviour directed at a person or persons because of a particular characteristic of that person on persons. The behaviour must be unwelcome and of a nature that a reasonable person would recognise as unwelcome.
Role of the official
Officials have a key role to play in ensuring the spirit of the game/event is observed by all. They play an integral role in sport and make sure that the game/event is played fairly, in accordance with the rules and in a safe environment.
Officials have no stake in the outcome of the game/event. They range from volunteers, trained and accredited, right through to career/elite officials.
Decline in number of officials
Australian sport faces a crisis in the declining number of officials being recruited or retained in the system. In January 2002, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released data indicating that the number of officials in Australian sport dropped 26 per cent between 1997 and 2001. Some sports have indicated that they have lost more than 50 per cent of new recruits in one season.
A survey of National Sporting Organisations conducted in March 2002 by the Australian Sports Commission identified abuse and lack of respect as major causes of the declining numbers of people officiating.
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