A Critical Examination of Child Protection Initiatives in Sport Contexts

dc.contributor.authorKerr, G., Stirling, A., & MacPherson, E.
dc.date.accessioned2014-12-29T15:38:12Z
dc.date.available2014-12-29T15:38:12Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractWith the broadening of focus on child maltreatment beyond intra-familial settings, there is growing awareness of occurrences of maltreatment within the sport context. Millions of children participate in organized sport annually, and despite a tendency to view sport as a context by which to enhance the overall health and development of children, it is also a context in which children are vulnerable to experiences of maltreatment. The well-documented power ascribed to coaches, the unregulated nature of sport and a “win-at-all-costs” approach contribute to a setting that many propose is conducive to maltreatment. A number of high profile cases of sexual abuse of athletes across several countries in the 1990s prompted sport organizations to respond with the development of child protection measures. This study examined seven child protection in sport initiatives in terms of the extent to which they originated from research, had content that was consistent with scholarly work and were evaluated empirically. The findings indicated that these initiatives were not empirically derived nor evaluated. Recommendations are made to more closely align research with these initiatives in order to protect children and to promote a safe and growth-enhancing experience for young participants in sport.en_US
dc.identifier.citationKerr, G., Stirling, A., & MacPherson, E. (2014). A Critical Examination of Child Protection Initiatives in Sport Contexts. Social Sciences, 3(4), 742-757.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/3/4/742
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11212/2013
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSocial Sciencesen_US
dc.subjectsportsen_US
dc.subjectchild protectionen_US
dc.subjectempirical foundationsen_US
dc.subjectInternational Resourcesen_US
dc.subjectCanadaen_US
dc.titleA Critical Examination of Child Protection Initiatives in Sport Contextsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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