Child abuse and safeguarding in sport

Recent research and reporting have indicated that – despite funding regulations and anti-harassment and abuse policy requirements for national sports organizations that have been in place since the 1990s – there has been limited enforcement, resulting in an inconsistent and ineffective  system of safeguarding in sport. 

In response to calls for action and change, and in the wake of a CBC investigation, media reporting on cases and filed harassment complaints, and recent Canadian studies looking at abuse in sport, the Government of Canada announced a number of initiatives since 2018 to address abuse in sport. These initiatives, which have now been implemented, include:

• A national toll-free Canadian Sport Helpline for survivors of abuse, harassment, discrimination, and/or bullying in sport
• A third-party Investigation Unit to assist the national sports community in handling complaints and allegations of harassment, abuse, and discrimination (for all ages, not just cases involving children and youth). The Investigation Unit has been set up through the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada and has been operational since December 2018. Since the launch of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) in 2022, services, such as investigating complaints of workplace misconduct (e.g. abuse of authority, intimidation, etc.), are offered to program signatories only. 
• A Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) that can be used by sports organizations of all levels

On June 20, 2022, the national independent mechanism to address and prevent maltreatment in sport was created, and the first phase of operations of the OSIC was launched. The mechanism, called Abuse-Free Sport, is part of a growing national movement to rid Canadian sport of all forms of harassment, discrimination, and abuse. It aims to prevent maltreatment at all levels of sport across Canada through education, training, and research. It is also responsible for addressing reported violations of the UCCMS to program signatories.

The Abuse-Free Sport website provides information to all Canadians about resources and tools available to prevent maltreatment in sport, including more details on its safe sport education accreditation program and its safe sport research grant program. It also introduces the key components of the complaint management process to increase understanding of the services available to eligible individuals. 

It's clear that the system of safeguarding in sport in Canada is evolving and efforts are being made to improve the safety and well-being of athletes, however systemic change takes time and activities to date have primarily focused on the national level of the sports sector, meaning gaps and inconsistencies, particularly at the local level, may persist until policies, requirements, and safeguarding mechanisms are harmonized across all levels of sport.