Conceptualising safety culture for safeguarding children in sport

Abstract

Research over the past 30 years suggests that sport can provide a context in which children are subjected to several forms of maltreatment. Various countries, regions, sports and individual organisations have responded to this evidence, causing a proliferation of methods used to safeguard children from harm. However, one approach that is yet to be considered is the safety culture approach. This is despite its potential to address all of the potential risk factors of child maltreatment in sport, and its evidenced ability to tackle a wide range of safety concerns in fields as far-reaching as healthcare, aviation and energy production. Based on this, the aim of this thesis was to conceptualise safety culture in sport from a child safeguarding perspective. A total of 45 interviews and 7 focus groups were conducted with participants from five organisations which differed on the grounds of size, mission and geographical location. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings suggested that safety culture in sport is influenced by the presence and nature of; safety management systems, committed leadership and stakeholder engagement. Findings also suggested that these factors have an interconnected relationship, which influences the nature and strength of the safety culture. These factors and their subsequent safety culture were also found to be influenced by a multitude of internal and external contextual factors. Therefore, the findings of this thesis are used to present the Safety Culture Model for Safeguarding Children. This is the first of its kind as both a model of safety culture in sport, and a safety culture model that specifically relates to safeguarding children. Practical implications and avenues for future research are also presented.