All clubs in the English Football League should roll out mandatory sexual consent training, the West Midlands Victims’ Commissioner said today.
Nicky Brennan has praised the Premier League for doing so, but insists those clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two should quickly follow suit.
There are more than 500 professional players in the Premier League who, along with club staff, will receive the training. It will address healthy, respectful relationships and is designed to build an understanding of harassment and consent.
It comes after recent high-profile police action against a number of professional footballers.
However, Nicky says she wants all of the 1,500+ football league players and staff to receive the training in order to help challenge negative male attitudes towards women.
She said: “The Premier League should be commended for taking action to educate the young men who play in the division.
“But the Premier League is really only the beginning. We need all players and staff in the English Football League to follow suit and lead the way in training their young men in how to treat women and girls.
“If the big clubs can do it I believe it will act as a catalyst for other organisations to do so too.”
The hope is that as more organisations with high profile reputations take steps to combat negative attitudes then others will do so too.
Nicky recently launched a #NoExcuseForAbuse campaign which asks men and boys in the West Midlands, as well as businesses, to speak out against harassment and challenge misogynistic and abusive male attitudes. As Victims Commissioner, Nicky was appointed by the Police and Crime Commissioner to represent the interests of victims in our region.
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