Is sport safe with safe sport? A critical examination

Psychol Sport Exerc. 2025 Jul 30:102964. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102964. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

In response to widespread concerns about interpersonal violence towards athletes in sport, the safe sport movement has emerged as a concerted effort to prevent harm and safeguard athlete well-being. Increased attention on safe sport is reflected in the growth of research and the development of education initiatives, policies, and complaint mechanisms. Given the rapid progress in safe sport-related research and initiatives, as well as the complex and multifaceted nature of safe sport issues, a critical look at the field is timely. Using a constructivist lens, we suggest that safe sport is characterized by various ontological, epistemological, and axiological limitations, which encompass conceptual, methodological, and practical shortcomings. This analysis aims to stimulate scholarly discussion and enhance understanding of the complex challenges inherent in safe sport through a critical examination of its shortcomings.

PMID:40749880 | DOI:10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102964