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Victims or winners – children’s rights the next big issue for sport

By 2 June 2020June 11th, 2020No Comments

The Observatory for Sport in Scotland was founded on principles driving some of the most respected institutes across the world and one of our close partners, the Danish Institute for Sports Studies, has raised some searching questions of how we protect – or fail to protect – children in sport.

The article focuses on a Canadian study of more than 1,000 current and former athletes which found that 17 percent of participants had experienced harmful behaviour while doing their sport, 15 percent reported eating disorder behaviours and 13 percent revealed suicidal thoughts. Most worryingly, perhaps, only a small minority reported their experiences to their sport clubs or organisations.

In this fascinating article, published by Play the Game/Danish Institute for Sports Studies, writers Søren Bang, Christina Friis-Johansen and Jens Alm reflect on how, despite sport being hailed and promoted as a good for children and society at large, and often justified as such, there is a growing awareness on the downsides of sport that can turn children into victims rather than winners.

We would like to hear your thoughts on the article and the issues it raises, and how it compares with your experiences of sport in Scotland.