Part 3 GLOBAL ISSUES: HARASSMENT AND ABUSE RESEARCH

Whilst 8% of sports clubs knew of sexual abuse cases, and more than 9 out of
10 agreed that the prevention of sexual abuse was the most important prevention
field in sport, it may appear paradoxical that only 15% of these clubs had written
guidelines for coaches. This incongruence between attitudes and actions may
indicate that many sport clubs avoid child protection initiatives due to complacency
and ignorance about abuse dynamics. The fact that than 70% of the responding clubs
had informal norms about interpersonal behaviour and only 60% said they had
discussed such norms may indicate that sport clubs prefer to have informal
agreements rather than written regulations and to leave things unsaid, thinking such
measures are unnecessary or even expressions of distrust. There were remarkable
differences between the clubs that had had previous cases and those that had not,
with the former being twice as likely to have written guidelines and three times as
likely to have written procedures for case handling.
The reported results replicate the past findings by Brackenridge in a smaller
English sample, which indicates that results can be generalised to other countries or
at least serve as some kind of benchmark. Since this study was completed it has
become compulsory for all sectors of Danish society where adults are working with
children to obtain a criminal record check for all new staff. This legislation has been
approved and recommended by the national governing bodies of sport and today the
majority of clubs comply with this procedure opposed to less than 5% in 2003. This
may reinforce the need for sports organisations to make clear child protection policies
in order to guide youth sports clubs whose members generally have little knowledge
about how to develop effective child protection measures. It appears to be unfair that
children should pay the price of adult vanity and complacency: this research
underlines that all parts of organised sport have an important role to play for
developing safe and healthy sport environments.
Notes
1. Fasting, K., Brackenridge, C.H. and Walseth, K., ‘Consequences of sexual harassment in sport for
female athletes’, in C.H. Brackenridge and K. Fasting., (Eds.) Sexual harassment and abuse in sport:
International research and policy perspectives, Journal of Sexual Aggression, 2002, 8, 2, pp.37-48.
2. Brackenridge, C.H., Spoilsports: Understanding and preventing sexual exploitation in sport, 2001,
pp. 135-145.
3. Brackenridge, C.H., ‘“… so what?” Attitudes of the voluntary sector towards child protection in sports
clubs, Managing Leisure, 2001, 7, 2, pp. 103-124.
45