Child Abuse In Sports

The idea of one's child being a victim of a form of child abuse especially sexual abuse, is a huge fear that many parent have. A parent believes that it is their job to make sure their children never have an experience in which they are sexually assaulted yet, in reality a parent cannot control everything. Together they should help each other out yet, they cannot prevent anything. On average every family unit in the united states have at least one child in a sport. This is on average, other families may have more meaning that they are constantly battling the clock to get where they need to be. Often times, sexual abuse is far more common than other forms of abuse in sports. Child abuse has been around forever, and has been a problem and

Sexual abuse is the most common form of abuse that is seen a sports scene compared to other forms. Although parents do not want to have the thought of their children possibly being a victim of not only child abuse but sexual abuse it is a problem that exists in many sports today. Fear is a big component to why kids often times do not stand up to an adult or another athlete in some cases. In the book Sport, Children’s Rights and Violence Preventions, shows that as of 2008 the targeted age of sexual abuse victims are ages walking to six years old are thirty-seven percent of the targeted group, ages seven to twelve average around thirty-five percent, and ages thirteen to young adults make up twenty-eight percent of the group. This goes on to show that as kids get older they begin to understand and get out of some situations easier than a kid that is a few years younger. A fifteen year old will oftentimes have more knowledge and understand situation better than an eleven year old, who should not be having to worry about being exposed to certain ideologies at such a young age. Brackenridge states, “ 7% of athletes are victims of sexual abuse.. Elite athletes have higher rate of sexual abuse that lower level athletes”( 114). This goes on to argue that an elite athlete who is spending anywhere from eighteen to twenty-two hours a week- or more- oftentimes build a higher trust with coaches and staff that an idea of possibly being hurt by one of them will oftentimes not cross their