Safeguarding and Safe Practice
when working with Elite Youth
Athletes
Dr. Melanie Lang
Edge Hill University
langm@edgehill.ac.uk
 Dr. Melanie Lang
 Edge Hill University,
Ormskirk, near Liverpool
Contact:
 langm@edgehill.ac.uk
 01695 583402
Content
 Definitions
 International and UK
policy context
 Violations of
children’s rights in
elite youth sport
 Ensuring safe practice
and children’s rights
Definitions (1)
• Safeguarding & safe practice:
“Taking all reasonable measures to ensure that
the risks of harm to children’s welfare is
minimised; and where there are concerns about
children and young peoples’ welfare, taking
appropriate action to address those concerns.”
(UNICEF working group, http://www.sportanddev.org/en/newsnviews/news/?4769/1/UNICEF-takes
safeguarding-procedures-beyond-paper)
Definitions (2)
• A child:
“A child is regarded as a
human being below the age of
18 years, unless national or
state laws recognise the age of
majority earlier.”
• Elite child athlete: “Any
person under the age of
eighteen who competes in any
sport at international or
national level competition.”
(UNCRC, 2011)
International Context (1)
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Direct link to sport:
“The protection of young athletes should
be understood in the perspective of the
principles stated in the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child. That is why
protection should not be understood
solely in terms as health as well as
physical and psychological
integrity...Protection also includes
safeguarding against such dangers as
violence, doping, early specialisation and
over-training” (UNICEF, 2003, p. 2)
International Context (2)
• IOC http://www.olympic.org/s
ha
• Host of other
international
organisations – IAYS,
Panathlon International,
Keeping Children Safe
network, Save the
Children charity
• ‘International Standards’
– from UNICEF & CPSU
UK context (1)
• 1995 – Olympic swim coach
Paul Hickson arrested for
raping swimmers
• 1996 – Amateur Swimming
Association introduced a
voluntary safeguarding
policy
• 2001 – Safeguarding policy
becomes mandatory; CPSU
set up
UK context (2)
• 2002 - CPSU launches National Standards for
Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport
• 2005 – Post of Lead Officer and Club Welfare
Officer becomes compulsory; CRB checks
mandated
• 2011 – CPSU introduces the Sports
Safeguarding Framework
What do we know about violence and
abuse in youth sport?
TRUE or FALSE?
•
•
•
•
•
Children are mostly abused by strangers
Men abuse children more than women
Disabled children are less likely to be abused
Girls are more likely to be abused than boys
More children are abused now than 10 years
ago
• Children often lie about abuse
• Elite athletes are more likely to suffer abuse
than non-elite athletes
• Athletes in sport where clothing is minimal (ie:
swimming, gymnastics) are more likely to be
sexually abused?
Children are mostly abused by strangers
FALSE = more than 90% of abusers are
known to the victim
Men abuse children more than women
TRUE and FALSE = Depends on type of
abuse
Disabled children are less likely to be
abused
FALSE = limited research on athletes
with disabilities but research suggests
they are more vulnerable to all forms of
abuse
Girls are more likely to be abused than boys
TRUE and FALSE = Depends on type of
abuse
More children are abused now than 10 years FALSE = reporting and awareness of
ago
abuse is higher, however
Children often lie about abuse
FALSE = less than 1% of reported cases
are found to be false; cases of abuse that
go unreported are far higher
Elite athletes are more likely to suffer abuse
than non-elite athletes
TRUE = those on the cusp of elite level
and at elite level are more vulnerable to
abuse
Athletes in sport where clothing is minimal
(ie: swimming, gymnastics) are more likely
to be sexually abused?
FALSE = the extent of clothing worn or
body exposed appears to have no impact
on rates of abuse
Defining violence and abuse (1)
 Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or
scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child.
Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the
symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
 Examples in sport include when a child is forced into training and competition
that exceeds the capacity of his or her growing body or where the child is
given drugs to enhance performance or delay puberty.
 Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual
activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is
happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative
or non-penetrative acts.
 In sport, coaching techniques which involve physical contact with children
could potentially create situations where sexual abuse may go unnoticed. The
power of the coach over young performers, if misused, may also lead to
abusive situations developing.
Defining violence and abuse (2)
 Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child
such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s
emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they
are worthless or unloved or inadequate. It may feature age or
developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children
including interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental
capability or preventing the child participating in normal social
interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of
another, serious bullying, causing children frequently to feel frightened
or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children.
 Examples of emotional abuse in sport include subjecting children to
constant criticism, name-calling, and sarcasm or bullying. Putting them
under consistent pressure to perform to unrealistically high standards is
also a form of emotional abuse.
Protection from violence and abuse –
Article 19
• NSPCC retrospective study carried out between 2007-2010
with more than 6000 students regarding their experiences in
sport up to the age of 16
• 75% of respondents had experienced emotional abuse
• 29% had experienced sexual harassment
• 3% had experienced sexual abuse
• 24% had experienced physical abuse
- in all cases, the numbers for males and females were
broadly equal
(Alexander, Stafford & Lewis, (2011) The experiences of children participating in organised
sport in the UK. London, NSPCC)
The risk to elite athletes
• Elite youth athletes at
highest risk of sexual and
physical abuse and
exploitation
Perpetrators of violence and abuse
• Athletes most common perpetrator of
bullying and harassment in sport –
bullying and hazing
• Coaches are most common perpetrators
of violence and abuse in sport, especially
sexual and physical abuse – male and
female
• Power imbalance in coach-athlete
relationship = abuse of trust:
http://sha.olympic.org/home.html
(Ashley’s story)
Protection from exploitation – Article 39
Protection from illegal drugs – Article 24
• ‘Win-at-all-costs’
mentality getting a ‘return’
on your
investment
• Commodification
of young athletes
Right to health – Article 24
Right to age-appropriate leisure – Article 31
• Early specialisation
• Intensive training &
competition regimes
What is Safe Practice?
• http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/cpsu/resources/vi
deo/poorpractice/PoorPractice_wda65063.html
Ensuring safe practice and children’s
rights in sport (1)
• “The protection of young athletes
should be understood in the
perspective of the principles stated
in the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child. That is why
protection should not be
understood solely in terms as
health as well as physical and
psychological integrity...Protection
also includes safeguarding against
such dangers as violence, doping,
early specialisation and overtraining” (UNICEF, 2003, p. 2)
1. Protection
2. Promotion
3. Prevention
Ensuring safe practice and children’s
rights in sport (2)
1. Protection:
• Develop and implement
safeguarding policies
• Have a mechanism in place
for reporting & managing
suspected abuse and poor
practice
• Joint responsibility with
sport managers & funders
Ensuring safe practice and children’s
rights in sport (3)
2. Promotion:
Train coaches on best and safe practice – new
staff induction, codes of conduct
Communicate policies and procedures around
safeguarding – posters, handbooks, lead
contacts
Give children a voice – athletes commissions
Ensuring safe practice and children’s
rights in sport (4)
Prevention:
• Have safe
recruitment checks
in place
• Challenge others if
they behave
inappropriately
Conclusion
“The entire sports process for the elite child
athlete should be pleasurable and fulfilling”
(IOC, 2005, p.1)
Thanks for listening
Any questions?
Implications of UNCRC for sport 91)
• Health-related risks of intensive training & early
specialisation (Article 24)
• Sexual, emotional and physical abuse and neglect
(Article 19)
• Violence (Article 19)
• Doping (Article 24)
• Economic exploitation (Article 32)
• Trafficking/sale of athletes (Article 35)
• Right to education (Articles 28 and 29)
• Discrimination (Article 2)
UNCRC (1)
The UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child asserts that all children,
regardless of identity, have the
right to:
• Be protected from all forms of
violence, abuse, maltreatment
and exploitation (Article 19)
• Engage in play, leisure and ageappropriate recreation (Article 31)
• Enjoy a standard of living which
provides adequate physical,
mental, spiritual, moral and social
development (Article 27)
UNCRC (2)
• Obtain an education that contributes to the development
of his or her personality, talents, and mental and physical
abilities to their fullest potential (Article 29)
• Express their views on matters that affect them (Article
12)
• Enjoy a full and decent life in conditions that ensure
dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate active life in
the community (Article 23)
• Ensure that decisions and actions taken do not have a
negative impact on a child’s survival and development,
including the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral,
psychological and social development