Safe Sport : Critical issues and practices

Abstract

This edited book addresses a critical social and ethical issue – safe sport. Organizations within all levels of the sport system face a crisis in relation to safe experiences for athletes and other participants. It is imperative that comprehensive and open-access safe sport information is available to as wide a range of stakeholders as possible in order to build awareness and education, and advance action to ensure safe sport is a priority.

Comprised of 18 chapters from 21 contributors across academic and professional realms, the book offers insightful commentary that addresses athlete voices, governance, human rights, legal issues, coaching, and officiating perspectives. The unique format combines research and practice in safe sport, and provides comprehensive information for courses, research and professional training. The scholarly and “from-the-field” content applies to: • Post-secondary programs, secondary school courses, various sport in sport (such as sport management, kinesiology, recreation), health, social sciences, gender, cultural and child and youth studies, psychology, history, policy, and many more • Secondary school courses within health and physical education, social sciences and humanities, business, and Canadian studies • Sport system roles such as athletes, coaches, officials, boards of directors, volunteers, administrators, and policy-makers • Organizations throughout all levels of the sport system

The book employs various pedagogical features designed to directly engage learners with the material. Educators may utilize these text boxes, which contain relevant content and thought-provoking questions for learner assignments and professional and volunteer training. The interactive figures and colourful text boxes include the following: • In the News: news articles both past and present to illustrate chapter concepts • Self-Reflection: Learner thoughts and experiences relating to particular issues • In Practice: concepts are applied in the real world, or how they might apply concepts • Case Study: a case for analysis • Counterpoint: an alternative point of view

In this resource, athletes are the main priority. This edited book applies various perspectives to address the harassment and abuse of athletes, and the lack of administrative action in these instances. The chapters acknowledge that the long-term negative ramifications of a failure to ensure safe sport for athletes at all levels of the Canadian sport system is a significant issue that requires discussion and action.

This edited book also offers a summary of where we currently stand in this safe sport movement, and an important perspective on what steps need to be taken next to put the words of the Universal Code of Conduct to Address and Prevent Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) into action. This resource offers ways to counter current challenges of the existing sport structure, to commit to safe sport values and to enact these values through policies and programs.