British Esports Federation Partners With NSPCC

British Esports Federation and NSPCC team up to create safety programs for children in esports

The new partnership will see both organizations work together to create “a parent’s guide” to help adults understand the world of esports, as well as the “implementation of safeguarding initiatives, such as coaching guidance, streamer best practice, and more.”

BEF said in a release that more safeguards and additional guidance for parents are sorely needed, as “the NSPCC saw a significant rise in online grooming crimes against children in the past five years, and with a majority (89%) of young people in the UK playing video games, esports should serve as a safe space for children to engage in.”

Over the next several months the NSPCC and BEF will collaborate to create and eventually deploy a long-term vision and plan to address these and other issues that could affect children competing in video games in the region. This partnership follows the “Safeguarding in Esports Conference,” a joint event put together by NSPCC and British Esports earlier this year. 

BEF said that it will work closely with the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), a department within the NSPCC that works with traditional sports clubs, teams, and institutions to implement safeguards for young participants. Currently, the plan is to institute a similar model for esports in the region.