Malmö FF Foundation and Friends Invest in the Fight Against Bullying

Malmö FF Foundation and Friends Invest in the Fight Against Bullying

The Malmö FF Foundation and Stiftelsen Friends have jointly launched a free training programme for coaches and leaders in sports in Sweden. The programme aims to create better conditions for dealing with bullying and abuse.

Initiatives such as this are extremely important to address the problems associated with bullying and abuse in sport. According to figures from Friends, 26 per cent of young people in sport say they have been victimised. In society as a whole, at least 140 000 young people have been victims of bullying at school and online in recent months.

“Both the leagues and the clubs are working to ensure that everyone feels welcome and safe in Swedish elite football, and we are very positive about all forms of initiatives that make football and society a better place.”

Beatrice Clarke, Head of Sustainability at Swedish Elite Football

The “Team spirit on and off the pitch” initiative is based on a digital training programme for coaches and leaders working with children and young people. The training will provide participants with knowledge to counteract bullying that can occur online and in the context of sport.

“Bullying is increasing in Sweden, which is a worrying trend. I am therefore pleased that Malmö FF Foundation has chosen to act and that together we can offer knowledge to all sports leaders. Children have the right to a safe everyday life, free from bullying.”

Maria Persson, Sports Expert at Friends

Earlier this year, an inventory of the mental health of men’s elite clubs was conducted on the initiative of Swedish Elite Football in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet (KI) and the Centre for Psychiatric Research. The inventory included questions related to bullying, harassment, and hate and threats on social media and inside the stadiums.