Part 3 GLOBAL ISSUES: HARASSMENT AND ABUSE RESEARCH

These findings indicated that clubs generally were aware of the risk of abuse
between coaches/leaders and athletes. However, the depth of their discussions of
moral behaviour and norms seemed to vary greatly between clubs. Surprisingly, 175
clubs who claimed that they had discussed tone and behaviour had not had any
discussions regarding the consumption of alcohol within the sport clubs. 54% of the
responding sport clubs had discussed a policy regarding the consumption alcohol in
or around the club domain.
Generally, the sports clubs seem to be reluctant to ask for personal or formal
qualifications when appointing new coaches. Only occasionally would clubs arrange
formal interviews and ask for personal or educational qualifications. As shown in
Table 3.2, sports clubs would generally demonstrate reluctance to hire coaches who
had been involved with child abuse, drunk driving or drug possession or abuse. 87%
of responding clubs said that they would not hire a leader or coach if he/she had a
criminal record for child abuse. 9 The interviews revealed that clubs were less likely to
ask about alcohol conviction and drug abuse than to ask permission to obtain a
criminal record check regarding sexual offences.
Table 3.2 Special conditions regarding the background of applicants
Would you hire the
coach/instructor
if you knew he or she
had…
A criminal conviction for
drunk driving
Used doping
Been in possession of
drugs
A criminal conviction for
child abuse
Yes No Måske Missing
Just 5% of clubs reported that would ask new, unknown coaches for permission
to make criminal record checks on them regarding past sexual crimes. With known
coaches this figure was only 2%. The gap between attitude and actions refers to a
widespread misapprehension that ‘it’ (sexual abuse) could not happen in their own
36
3
2
>1
42
64
70
87
11
22
17
2
11
11
11
1
1
43