Activism by individuals who were sexually victimised as children within sport

Description

Over the past fifteen years, my research has focused on the sexual abuse of children within sports contexts. The starting point for this endeavour has been to engage with and listen to the experiences and perspectives of those who have been subject to sexual violence within sport. From very modest beginnings, this engagement has expanded significantly over recent years. During this time, the international sport sector has shifted considerably in its approach to this issue, as increasing numbers of athletes have felt able to speak publically about their victimisation. In the UK, with the support of a national sport agency, I have recently initiated a ‘survivor-led’ project where activists with a lived experience of sexual abuse in sport have undertaken to engage directly with the sport sector with the aim of improving its response to child abuse. In this paper, I report some preliminary findings from this project and reflect on some of the ethical, methodological, political and personal aspects of this work.

Period	19 Jul 2019
Event title	European Congress of Sport & Exercise Psychology
Event type	Conference
Location	Münster, Germany
Degree of Recognition	International