Safeguarding in Sport

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is the proactive, continuous process of protecting the welfare and human rights of individuals who are, in some way, connected with an organisation or its work. It involves creating and embedding safe policies, practices, and cultures that ensure organisations are actively working to prevent harm and have clear procedures for how to act if there are concerns. ^{2, 3, 4, 34}

Identifying the frequency and type of abuse that occurs in sport can be difficult. Abuse may not be understood or reported for many years, or ever, and can be perpetrated in different ways. ^{5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}

While there is often a focus on athletes—especially those under 18 years of age—safeguarding is equally important for everyone who engages in sport, including coaches, officials, administrators, volunteers, spectators, and fans. ^{8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20}

Safeguarding is a priority for all. When done effectively it creates environments where people of all ages and abilities feel encouraged to speak up if they feel uncomfortable or see something that concerns them. This includes being aware of and reporting potential incidents of harm, such as: ^{2, 3, 21}

• Sexual harassment, bullying, or abuse. ^{22, 23, 24, 25, 26}
• Threats of or actual violence. ^{13, 15}
• Verbal, emotional, or social abuse. ^{13, 27, 28}
• Cultural or identity abuse, such as racial, sexual, or gender-based discrimination or hate crimes, including harm perpetrated online. ^{13, 14, 29, 30, 31}
• Coercion and exploitation, including sexploitation. ²⁹
• Abuse of power. ^{21, 26, 28, 32}

Topic Focus

Related Topics

• Australia's First Nations Peoples and Sport
• Children and Youth in Sport
• Sexuality and Gender Diversity in Sport
• Sport and Persons with Disability
• Women in Sport