Abstract
Abuse in sports is a systemic issue necessitating efficient safeguarding policies and preventive strategies. This qualitative case study examines safeguarding policy implementation in the South African Football Association (SAFA) and its member clubs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from SAFA, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), and various football clubs.
The study found that safeguarding policy implementation is compromised by lack of awareness, resource constraints, and inadequate monitoring. Organisational resistance, decentralisation of power, and lack of collaboration between sport organisations and stakeholders exacerbate the issue. The findings highlight the need for a strengthened collaborative approach between sport organisations, governments, and stakeholders to ensure effective safeguarding policy implementation and protection of athletes' human rights within South African Sport.
This study contributes to the development of efficient safeguarding policy implementation. The results have implications for sport organisations, policymakers, and stakeholders, emphasizing the need for collective effort to address safeguarding complexities in sport. The study's findings provide valuable insights illustrating the complexities in the process of implementing safeguarding policies within South African sport. This research utilised an array of safeguarding toolkits form the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) Safeguarding Policy against harassment and Abuse Within Sport.
The study concludes with recommendations for future research from the identified gaps to specifically investigate certain issues identified within this research to enhance the safeguarding policy implementation landscape of South African football.