Evaluation of Publicly Accessible Child Protection in Sport Education and Reporting Initiatives

Abstract

Despite sport being a vehicle through which youth may achieve positive developmental outcomes, maltreatment in the youth sport context remains a significant concern. With increased athlete advocacy and research demonstrating the high prevalence of maltreatment in sport, and the urgent need to address it, many international organisations have created child protection in sport initiatives. Of particular focus to athletes and researchers is the provision of evidence-based comprehensive education and independent reporting mechanisms for athletes who experience harm. The current study examined the extent to which the publicly accessible information provided by three sport-specific child protection organisations regarding education and reporting is aligned with recommendations provided by researchers and athletes. With regard to education, the findings highlight accessibility, programming for various stakeholders, and coverage of topics of interest (e.g., forms of harm and reporting processes). However, educational information about equity, diversity, and inclusion and information on how to foster positive environments in sport was lacking. For reporting mechanisms, results showed that each organisation’s approach to receiving reports of maltreatment varied, including their ability to directly intake, investigate, and sanction instances of maltreatment. The findings are interpreted and critiqued considering previous literature and recommendations for future research and practice are suggested.

The Dropout From Youth Sport Crisis: Not as Simple as It Appears

“…To combat harms, numerous safe sport education and training initiatives have been implemented (Kerr et al, 2014). Although safe sport education is needed to inform stakeholders on positive and safe sport experiences for youth, to date, education focuses on the preventions of harm (what not to do), with little information provided on the optimization of the sport experience through the promotion of positive values (what to do; MacPherson et al, 2022). Another limitation is that safe sport education is not adequately informed by athletes' voices (Mountjoy et al, 2022).…”

Promoting safe and enjoyable sporting experiences for children in Wales

“…Previous research suggests that providing accessible information can help effectively communicate information about different forms of maltreatment, young athletes' rights, and avenues to report concerns about their safety and welfare in sport (Macpherson et al, 2022).…”

“…When such behaviours are normalised and thus go unnoticed by young people within a sporting environment, it reflects the underlying sporting culture in which those in positions of authority are not addressing behaviours. With this in mind, there is an increasing need for key individuals within youth sporting organisations to understand how to promote and foster positive environments (Gurgis & Kerr, 2023;Lang & Hartill, 2015;Macpherson et al, 2022).…”

“…Although research suggests that maltreatment issues should be considered and addressed at a systemic level Kerr et al, 2019), providing ongoing evidence-based education on bullying and emotional abuse for young people, coaches, parents, and other key individuals within the sporting environment can also potentially be a catalyst for long-term transformations in sports culture (Breger et al, 2019). It is suggested that education is particularly valuable as it can help equip individuals with the knowledge to recognise, respond to, and report concerns (MacPherson et al, 2022).…”