What Enables Child Sexual Abuse in Sport? A Systematic Review

Abstract

Sporting environments provide opportunities for perpetrators to commit child sexual abuse (CSA). While awareness of CSA in sport and preventative interventions are increasing, CSA in sport still occurs at alarming rates. A systematic review was conducted to identify and synthesize the extant literature on the enabling factors for CSA in sport. The 34 included articles were peer-reviewed and were primary sources; had full-text versions in English; included the individual, situational, environmental, or systemic antecedent factors and characteristics which enable CSA in organized sport (clubs, schools, universities, and representative teams); and focused on abuse in children (0–18 years old), and included retrospective incidents. The enabling factors from across the broader sports system were identified and mapped using a systems thinking-based approach, the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and the associated AcciMap method. The results indicated that enabling factors for CSA in sport were identified at multiple levels of the sporting system hierarchy. The results show that 24.1% ( n = 46) of the enabling factors identified in the literature relate to the hierarchical level of the Athlete, teammates, opponents, and fans levels, and 52.9% ( n = 101) of the enabling factors relate to the level of Direct supervisors, management, medical, and performance personnel level. However, only 13% ( n = 25) of enabling factors to CSA in sport were identified at the combined top four hierarchical levels. Results indicate that the problem of CSA in sport is a systems issue, and future research is required to explore how these factors interact to enable CSA in sport.

A Systematic Review of the Facilitators and Barriers to Help-Seeking for Self-Harm in Young People: A Systems Thinking Perspective

“…This disproportionate representation of factors in the system is a common observation across different domains of research, as evident in studies that have used systems thinking frameworks and methods. For example, studies have sought to identify what is known regarding barriers to treatment access for individuals with eating disorders (Lane et al, 2020), the factors that enable child sexual abuse in sport (Dodd et al, 2023), the factors that contribute to cycling incidents , and the factors influencing risk at rail level crossings (Read et al, 2021), have all concluded that more is known regarding the lower level factors.…”

When the Media Omits or Includes Scientific Evidence in Its Publications: Science and Battles on X about Child Sexual Abuse

“…Another form of VAC which has prompted considerable attention within the scientific community is that of child sexual abuse (CSA). The numerous studies available show that CSA is present in diverse settings, including homes [6,7], schools [8,9], religious institutions [10], and broader communities [11]. The most prevalent context for children to encounter physical and emotional violence is typically within their own homes [12,13].…”