Child protection in sport
Suggested research areas
Certain areas of research into child abuse in sport must be carried out with great care and sensitivity. For example, collecting direct personal accounts of experience of abuse. This kind of research should only be conducted by suitably qualified postgraduate researchers.
However, there is a wide range of related topics that do not involve highly sensitive issues. These provide plenty of scope for undergraduate researchers. For example:
Safeguarding in sports organisations - roles and responsibilities
- Which are the roles that involve responsibility for safeguarding in different organisations?
- How confident are staff about the safeguarding responsibilities that their particular role may involve?
- How do sport organisations compare with other voluntary organisations over their safeguarding practices? For example, in comparison with leisure and hobby groups, music and drama groups and uniformed organisations?
Safeguarding policy development and analysis
- What are the main components of policies for safeguarding in sport?
- What is the range and content of policies for safeguarding?
- What are the attitudes of people in different roles towards this issue (e.g. parents of young athletes, athletes themselves, coaches, teachers or Sports Development officers)?
- How do organisations set about developing their policies?
- How are policies for safeguarding linked to those for equity, disability, ethnic diversity and social inclusion?
- How does safeguarding provision vary between sports and between levels of the sport development continuum (from beginner or 'foundation' to elite or 'excellence' level)?
Policy implementation
- What difficulties are experienced by organisations trying to implement policies?
- What are the experiences of those in different roles who have to implement policies, such as Sports Development Officers, leisure centre managers or national governing body executives?
Policy evaluation
- How do organisations monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their safeguarding policies?
- How are evaluation and monitoring results used to change and improve policies?
- Is safeguarding work in sport incorporated into existing monitoring systems (such as Quest)?
- What are the perceived costs/benefits of safeguarding work and how do these compare with, for example, spending on doping control?
Best practice
- What is best practice in coaching, teaching or sport development to ensure the safety of athletes?
- How do coaches and instructors interpret best practice for safeguarding?
- Have there been any changes in coaching techniques in order to safeguard children?
Parents
- What do parents know about child abuse and safeguarding in sport?
- How much do parents get involved in their children's sport?
- What would parents like to see done to enhance child safety in sport?
Media
- How is the issue of child abuse in sport covered in the media?
- What sorts of language and attitudes are portrayed?
- What constitutes 'balanced' coverage of this issue?
- How are different groups portrayed by the media (e.g. abusers in sport, parents, athletes)?
Education and training
- What courses and workshops are available about safeguarding in sport?
- Who attends these and why?
- What are the child protection training needs of sport industry workers, coaches and others?
- What level of confidence is there in the sport industry about handling safeguarding issues?
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