Why this must stop

Children should never be exposed to violence. Hit reports from sab groups regularly show criminal activity  and violence towards people and animals.

Children should never be exposed to criminal activity. In the past 18 months, (to July 23), members of hunts have been convicted of: illegal hunting, assault, badger sett interference, public order, criminal damage, animal cruelty, dangerous dogs, and road traffic offences.

Children should not be invovled in dangerous activities. Hunting is known to be a high-risk sport.

The importance of Our good Conduct

This is a sensitive and difficult subject. It is the responsiblity of every adult to protect every child. This applies in all situations, including times when we have witnessed children at hunts for ourselves. We must never forget that the child’s wellbeing is the most crucial thing here and nothing we do should compromise this. If you use the advice set out here, you must observe AAF’s high standards of conduct at all times.

Who to report it to

The organisation responsible for safeguarding children in sports is the NSPCC. They have a special unit called

Child Protection in Sport Unit, or CPSU.

cpsu@nspcc.org.uk 

This organisation has statutory powers, meaning that they can take offfenders to court, if they have enough evidence.

The CPSU has a contact form on the webpage (see above), where you can report any concerns you have about a child’s presence at a hunt. It is important that you are very specific about what you have seen, when and where.