Citation

Papaefstathiou M, Rhind D, Brackenridge CH. Child Abuse Rev. 2013; 22(2): 127-141.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/car.2228

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Over the past 15 years, there has been a growing concern regarding child protection (CP) in the sport context yet there remains a lack of research into how key stakeholders view related CP policies. The present exploratory case study of a UK ballet organisation focuses on the following research questions: (1) What are the key elements of good practice for CP in ballet? and (2) Which discourses are adopted by ballet stakeholders when discussing CP-related experiences? Semi-structured interviews and self-report semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with 13 stakeholders drawn from ballet teachers, students and administrators. Inductive analysis revealed five welfare discourses: positive, neutral, negative, contradictory and rationalising. A tendency to normalise negative experiences in ballet was also identified. The CP-related policy knowledge of teachers and administrators was generally satisfactory with some gaps being highlighted. Recommendations for implementation of CP policy in ballet are outlined. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 'Semi-structured interviews and self-report semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with 13 stakeholders' Key Practitioner Messages * There is growing concern for CP in contexts which attract the participation of children. * Aesthetic activities, such as ballet, have been identified as facing welfare issues. * Ballet students' experiences can vary, thus indicating a need for CP policy implementation. * Elements of good practice for CP indicate a safe environment. * Recommendations for preventative and proactive CP policy implementation are outlined.

Language: en