Safeguarding in sport isn’t just about policies or procedures — it’s about people.
It’s about creating safe environments where everyone, from elite athletes to grassroots participants, can thrive without fear of violence, harassment or abuse.
But what does safeguarding really mean? Who does it protect? And why does it matter in every corner of the sporting world?
At Safe Sport International, we believe safeguarding is not a checkbox — it’s a mindset, a responsibility, and a call to action.
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding in sport refers to all measures to prevent violence, harassment, or abuse to children or adults in sport and all recognition, reporting, response, and remedy activities undertaken to respond to actual or potential abuse or harmful behaviour. It means ensuring that sport is a space of respect, fairness, and safety — for everyone.
This includes:
- Children and young people
- Athletes of all levels and ages
- Coaches, volunteers, officials, and staff
- Marginalised or vulnerable groups
Safeguarding is about prevention, protection, and empowerment. It ensures the systems around sport — from training environments to governance structures — promote dignity, equity, and wellbeing.
Why is Safeguarding Necessary?
Sport has the power to inspire, unite, and transform lives. But without safeguarding, that power can be misused.
Across the globe, people involved in sport have experienced:
- Sexual abuse and exploitation
- Bullying and emotional harm
- Neglect, coercion, and physical abuse
- Discrimination and unsafe practices
These are not isolated incidents. They are systemic risks — and they occur in every sport, at every level, in every region.
Safeguarding is what helps prevent these harms before they happen. It’s what gives athletes the confidence to speak up. It’s what helps organisations respond responsibly, instead of reactively.
What Does Safer Sport Look Like?
Effective safe sport is building a culture in which everyone can enjoy and thrive in and through sport and creating safe, supportive environments which uphold peoples’ rights.
At a minimum, strong safeguarding systems should include:
- A policy with a clear commitment to safe sport and safeguarding.
- Systems and procedures to respond to safeguarding concerns.
- Advice and support to help people to play their part in safeguarding.
- A risk management approach to reduce the possibility of harm.
- A code of conduct with guidelines for behaviour.
- Safer recruitment practices and ongoing training for all.
- Partnership working to encourage implementation of safeguarding.
- On-going monitoring to identify improvements or patterns of risk.
Organisations should prioritise the voices of those most impacted — survivors, children, and those from marginalised groups — in shaping safeguarding practices.
Safeguarding vs. Protection: What’s the Difference?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but there’s a key distinction:
- Protection is specific to individuals who are at risk of, or are suffering harm.
- Safeguarding is proactive — preventing harm before it happens.
At Safe Sport International, we champion a safeguarding-first approach, because prevention is always better than reaction.
Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility
Safeguarding isn’t just the job of one person, team, or department. It’s a shared duty — from governing bodies to grassroots volunteers. Everyone can play a part in the five key stages for incident reporting in sport:
- Readiness – Is the culture prepared to address violence or abuse?
- Recognition – Do you know what abuse or harmful behaviour looks like?
- Reporting – How do you raise concerns or make a disclosure?
- Responding – What follows a discovery, disclosure or declaration?
- Remedy – How are situations resolved?
Whether you’re a coach, researcher, parent, policy maker, athlete, or advocate, you have a role to play in ensuring sport is safe, ethical, and inclusive.
How We Help at Safe Sport International
SSI is a global leader in promoting evidence-informed safeguarding in sport. We work across practice, policy, and research to:
- Support the development of international safeguarding frameworks
- Deliver expert-led training and education
- Convene global voices through our annual conference
- Promote athlete-centred, rights-based approaches
- Strengthen capacity across sport systems, especially in under-resourced regions
We also host Safe Sport Connect, our digital hub for learning, connecting, and collaborating around safeguarding worldwide.
Final Word: Safe Sport is a Human Right
At its core, safeguarding in and through sport is about upholding the right of every individual to participate in sport without harm.
It’s about believing those who have experienced violence, harassment or abuse. It’s about challenging cultures of silence. It’s about building systems that centre care, accountability, and equity.
Because sport should be a space of joy — not fear. Growth — not trauma. Empowerment — not harm.