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Safeguarding in, around and through sport

 

Throwing yourself headlong down a sheet of ice

GB womens skeleton Yarnold

Over the past few days I have enjoyed watching the winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. While I have no desire to throw myself headlong down a sheet of ice at speeds faster than I would drive, I am nevertheless amazed at the skill, courage and grace of these athletes. Seeing the way the athletes interact with each other, their coaches, families and supporters, and even some of the political developments going on in the background reminds me of the incredible potential of sport to bring out goodness, beauty, and all that is best in our humanity.

Sadly, though, sport also carries the potential for some of the worst in humanity. And Barry Bennell’s conviction last week on 43 charges of sex abuse against young people under his care as a football coach truly highlights that. As has been shown now in so many different areas, striving for excellence also brings vulnerability. And that vulnerability can be exploited.

I am pleased that FIFA and other bodies in sport are taking their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. They have a long way to go to ensure that children are safe in sport, and it won’t be an easy road. But it is a road that must be travelled.

 

Safeguarding in, around and through sport

Four years ago, at a summit in Johannesburg, Unicef launched its ‘International Safeguards for Children in Sport’. This ground-breaking initiative was based on research by Daniel Rhind and colleagues from Brunel University. I am really pleased that Daniel will be presenting at the BASPCAN 2018 child protection congress, exploring the development, implementation and evaluation of these international standards.

Daniel Rhind picture 2015

This presentation will consider safeguarding in, around and through sport. Safeguarding ‘in’ sport concerns the prevalence of the different forms of abuse along with the factors which may make children more vulnerable to abuse. Safeguarding ‘around’ sport will be discussed with reference to research on how mega sports events can impact children. Safeguarding ‘through’ sport concerns how participation can help to safeguard children beyond the context of sport.

 

 

 

 

To join the congress and hear Daniel’s talk, or to find out more about the other great presentations and opportunities to get involved, take a look at the congress website:

https://www.baspcan.org.uk/congress-2018/

 

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Safeguarding and sport

Safeguarding in, around and through sport is the theme of the latest in our lineup of keynote talks for the BASPCAN 2018 international congress.

Daniel Rhind picture 2015

Daniel Rhind

Dr Daniel Rhind is a chartered psychologist and head of the Brunel International Research Network for Athlete Welfare.

His deep engagement with the issues of safeguarding and sport make him the ideal person to explore this theme.

 

Safeguarding in, around and through sport

The importance of safeguarding children and young people within organizations has been repeatedly demonstrated in a range of recent high profile media stories. These organizations cover a variety of different contexts such as schools, churches, hospitals, and care homes. Although sport can provide significant physical, social and psychological benefits for children, research evidence over the past 20 years has demonstrated that sport can also be a context in which children can be subjected to different forms of abuse.

This presentation will consider safeguarding in, around and through sport. Safeguarding ‘in’ sport concerns the prevalence of the different forms of abuse along with the factors which may make children more vulnerable to abuse. Safeguarding ‘around’ sport will be discussed with reference to research on how mega sports events can impact children. Safeguarding ‘through’ sport concerns how participation can help to safeguard children beyond the context of sport.

Over the past 5 years, a working group has developed and piloted the International Safeguards for Children in Sport. The International Safeguards set out the actions that all organizations working in sport should have in place to ensure children are safe from abuse. The presentation will outline the development, implementation and evaluation of these International Safeguards. The CHILDREN Pillars (i.e., Cultural sensitivity, Holistic, Incentives, Leadership, Dynamic, Resources, Engaging stakeholders and Networks) which have been found to under-pin an effective safeguarding system in sport will then be discussed.

 

Thinking Outside the Box: BASPCAN 2018 international child protection congress

Plans for the congress are really coming together well, and it promises to be a really worthwhile programme. Click here to take a look at the congress website to find out more about the programme, the other keynote speakers, and how you can get involved.

The call for abstracts is now open, so do check it out and see whether there is something you might like to present.