ABSTRACT
As evidenced throughout this edited collection, the emergence of the issue of sports coaches’ sexual abuse of young people involved in sport has led to a fear of paedophiles and a concern that sports activities may not be safe for children. This fear has been particularly evident in the US and a number of European countries. While sports organisations in many Western countries implement child protection policies, including mandatory criminal record checks, child protection courses, ethical standards, and restrictions on photography, there is some concern and scepticism in Western and other countries, suggesting that such efforts will not really protect children from abuse but rather, from a wider perspective, potentially do more harm than good. Moreover, it is believed by many that more rules, regulations, and controls can be interpreted as expressions of distrust, which may serve to increase the fear of false allegations, and intensify the bureaucratic activity required in sports clubs (Piper, Taylor, & Garratt, 2011). Through describing and discussing the moral panic associated with media disclosures of paedophilia in sports, this chapter considers the genesis, nature, and appropriateness of contemporary child protection measures in Danish sport.
