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Recommended Best Practice
1. The publishing of a photograph of swimmer under 18 either on a notice board or in a published article or video recording (including video streaming) of swimming competitions (“Publication”) should only be done with parents consent and in line with ASA guidelines. An issue has arisen in the past where a child’s photo was published and led to a parent under court order only to have supervised contact with that child, discovering their whereabouts and making direct contact.
2. A parent or guardian has a right to refuse to have children photographed. The exercise of this right of refusal should not be used as grounds for refusing entry into a swimming competition. Therefore any photo that may go to press or on a notice board, be it through a member of the club or official photographer, should have receive parental consent before publishing/ displaying the photo, preferably in writing. A suggested Form allowing parents to indicate refusal of consent is set out below.
3. Under ASA guidance on the taking of photos once a parent has signed the Club’s Photography Book Register we are happy for them to take photos on the belief that their swimmer is the main subject of the photograph. Other competitors nearby may be included in the shot but should not be the main subject of the photo. However, another person can object to a parent/carer taking a photo if they believe their child not the child of the photographer to be the main subject of the photo, but in practice this seldom happens.
4. In the case of Open meets and other competitions where the host club has an Official Photographer present all parents attending should be made aware of this in your meet details. If photos are to be published anywhere the individual parent should be given the opportunity to withhold their consent. Their right to do so should be specifically drawn to their attention. The ASA guidelines on photos for publication are as follows:
All photographs must observe generally accepted standards of decency in particular
- Action shots should be a celebration of the sporting activity and not a sexualised image in a sporting context.
- Action shots should not be taken or retained where the photograph reveals a torn or displaced swimming costume.
- Poolside shots of children should normally be above the waist only in a swimming costume though full length tracksuit shots are approved.
- Photographs should not be taken from behind swimming blocks at the start of a race or exhibit young swimmers climbing out of the swimming pool.
Published photographs may identify the swimmer by name and club but should not state the swimmer’s place of residence or school attended.
The ASA do not wish to stop parents photographing their children if they wish at their "moments of glory" but all clubs have to ensure they do all we can to safeguard children’s well being in the current climate of concern.
Mobile phones
Mobile phone should be registered as a camera if it has that facility in line with our policy on cameras. All clubs need to make its members aware that while the ASA does not support the banning of phones as children need them to keep in touch with parents, particularly in emergencies, they support a requirement that manufacturers ensure they add a “noticeable sound” that it is audible if a phone camera is used. In the meantime clubs should remind members any photos taken should come within our guidelines and that if mobile phones are taken into changing rooms the facility to take photos must not be used.
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