Safeguarding Children in Sport: An Examination of the Safeguarding in Sport Field

Abstract

England is seen as a leading nation for its safeguarding in sport (SiS) provision. More recently, however, the sector has received intense public and political scrutiny following a series of independent reviews into the maltreatment of children. Despite the significant levels of accountability and responsibility sport now has for safeguarding children, limited research has examined the experiences of its stakeholders responsible for implementing safeguarding policy and practice.

Introduced in 2003, designated lead safeguarding officers (LSOs) within national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport occupy unique positions within SiS in England. Utilising Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice, this research examines the implementation of SiS in England. Data was collected through semi structured interviews and self-report questionnaires with individuals with primary responsibility for safeguarding in a range of NGBs. The overarching aim was to identify key social dynamics that influence the effectiveness of their practice.

The social space of SiS is a social setting with competing field hierarchies. LSOs contend with a range of ideologies relating to the treatment of athletes. These views impact the implementation of safeguarding policy and practice at the grassroots level. LSOs reported unmanageable workloads and are forced to rationalise their practice to make the most impact. Child protection responses are prioritised over engaging in preventative safeguarding approaches, which does little to reduce their overall workloads and limits the scope of their effectiveness.

Within the statutory safeguarding field, LSOs face challenges in being viewed as a recognised safeguarding professional. Many statutory sector professionals lack awareness of the role NGBs and LSOs play in the management of SiS cases. This results in LSOs having their legitimacy questioned which limits their effectiveness of achieving their own safeguarding responsibilities within their organisation.

A more collaborative approach between sport and the statutory sector is required to ensure safeguarding cases are suitably managed to effectively protect children in English sport.

Key words: Safeguarding, Policy, LSO, NGB, Bourdieu,

Date of Award	2 Jun 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Edge Hill University
Supervisor	MICHAEL HARTILL (Director of Studies), MELANIE LANG (Supervisor) & LEON CULBERTSON (Supervisor)