We've created WhatsApp guide for sports to help support you if you're thinking of using, or are already using, WhatsApp.
How do sports clubs and activities use WhatsApp?
Clubs and groups might use WhatsApp
- to communicate details of group sessions such as, timings, who’s playing, what kit or equipment is needed and venue details or directions
- to share updates, results and details of ongoing matches, competition, events or tournaments
- to share messages, images, videos, emojis, gifs, documents and sharing a person’s live location
Possible safeguarding risks of using WhatsApp
Coaches and leaders should not message any child or young person directly on an individual WhatsApp chat.
Here are some of the possible risks of using this social media platform to communicate with young people:
- only the people within the chat can see the information shared – so it’s important to have a least two trusted adults as leads for your WhatsApp group and business account. They should be accountable to each other, your online safety policy, codes of conduct and safeguarding procedures.
- inappropriate, harmful or illegal messages or videos can be shared
- bullying or grooming behaviour could take place
- the ‘read once’ feature, allows a message or image to be sent and then deleted once it has been seen
- disappearing messages could go unnoticed if the chats are not monitored regularly
- live locations could be shared in the group showing a young person’s live location
- 'broadcast lists' can receive private responses, which can expose young people to potentially harmful behaviour
- if businesses use the personal version of WhatsApp, they can't comply with GDPR, due to end-to-end encryption. There is also the risk that data is backed-up and these secondary sources could be accessed by others.
The pros and cons of using WhatsApp in sports groups
WhatsApp is a very easy option when it comes to communicating with groups - it's easy to set up an account and to create groups, it's free to use and very user-friendly. But there are downsides of using it.
The downsides of using Whatsapp
- Phone numbers can be seen by all users in chats. This could make young people vulnerable to abuse from adults and leaders, by allowing one-on-one communication to happen. Or it could open up the potential for peer-on-peer bullying.
- Instant sharing doesn’t allow for much thinking time before information is shared.
- Group organisers can’t control what others post, although the group admin for the chat can delete other people’s messages, videos or images. (There is a time restriction.)
- Messages can be set to disappear from chats after a particular length of time, but this doesn't delete them from a device or backup if downloaded - so unless the group is closely monitored, inappropriate messages could fly under the radar.
- 'Live locations' poses a risk when children share their location with others.
- WhatsApp collects data about online behaviour which can be used for advertising purposes
- Those who don't have a smart phone, or internet access to use WhatsApp would be excluded from potentially important information.
- Features such as 'last seen’ and ‘online’ status can create social pressure and anxiety to respond immediately.
The upsides of using Whatsapp
- It’s fun, fast, free, easy to use and share information with your contacts.
- You can invite people to join your WhatsApp group chat as long as you have their phone number, which can be access controlled by a group administrator.
- You can directly communicate with parents and carers, quickly and efficiently, on a platform that
is almost instantly accessible. - Read receipts show you quickly and easily who has or hasn’t seen the information you have
shared (by displaying two small blue ticks). - Information can be sent on the go and directly to your group of contacts.
- If children and young people are part of the group chat, they can see the messages and feel part of the online community.
Setting up a WhatsApp group for your sport or activity
If you decide to go and ahead and set up a WhatsApp group, we recommend the following steps:
- research WhatsApp Business and understand how to use it
- seek permission to add young people to a new WhatsApp group (from both the young
person and their parent or carer) - ask young people, parents and carers to sign up to codes of conduct and a safer use
policy/online safety policy - consider the name of your group chat carefully
- have at least two staff members or volunteers who are part of the WhatsApp
group to have responsibility and are trained to monitor and moderate the group chat. These
individuals are:- DBS checked
- understand the app and the risks
- have safeguarding training
- understand our safeguarding procedures
- know what’s expected from them through our staff code of conduct, safeguarding policy
and online safety policy
- invite parents to the group or have created a separate group for parents and carers and
considered the advantages and disadvantages of both options - signpost young people to helpful resources, websites and support (for online safety and
social media usage) - let young people, parents and carers know who they can go to if they have any worries,
concerns or need any help
You can download all these steps as a checklist in our WhatsApp Guide.
Download the guideExample: setting up a WhatsApp group
Noah is setting up a WhatsApp Business group for a group of young skateboarders. There’s a national two-day competition coming up and young people and their parents or carers need to know the arrangements for this event, including travel and accommodation.
Noah has asked for parents or carers permission to add young people and their parents and carers to a new WhatsApp group. Noah has researched WhatsApp and understands how to use it, including how to delete messages, how to invite new people to the group and block members if necessary.
Noah has asked the young people that wish to be part of the WhatsApp group to sign-up to a code of conduct and an acceptable use policy. He has also drafted some rules on the use and acceptable behaviours (codes of conduct) as the first post in the group chat.
Noah has invited parents to this group chat and has made sure they are also aware of, and have signed-up to a code of conduct for parents and a safer use policy/online safety policy.
Noah will have an ‘in-person’ discussion with the parents and young people about using WhatsApp safely and the codes of conduct, at a training session before the event.
He has considered what to name the chat, so it’s easily identifiable to reduce the potential for mistake or human error posting. He asked a colleague, Fran, to help monitor the chat, so there are two staff members supervising. Fran is also DBS checked and, like Noah, has been safely recruited to the role.
Noah and Fran have a basic level of safeguarding training and understand the group's safeguarding reporting procedures. They’ve also signed up to a code of conduct for staff, and read the group's online safety policy.
Young people have been sign-posted to online safety information and resources, including how to remove the app if needed, Childnet, UK Safer Internet Centre and Childline for online safety and social media guidance and support. Noah has told the young people, parents and carers, who to go to if they experience bullying or feel uncomfortable with anything in the chat, have any concerns or worries or need help.