Work

STAMPing out child sexual abuse in football: A systems thinking approach for safeguarding in football

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Child sexual abuse (CSA) in sport remains a focal issue within Australia's national safeguarding agenda, prompting calls for more comprehensive, system-oriented prevention strategies. Football, the most widely participated organised sport among Australian children and adolescents, offers a representative context for examining CSA prevention and management across diverse communities and governance structures. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand the control structure of the current safeguarding system in football in Australia using the Systems Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP). METHODS: A STAMP control structure was developed through a multi-phase validation process. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Nineteen subject-matter experts (14 females, 5 males; mean age = 46.1, SD = 10.8) with an average of 5.8 years (SD = 7.6) in their current safeguarding roles and a further average 10 years (SD = 10.8) of related experience, recruited through targeted sampling across multiple levels of the safeguarding system, participated in the study. RESULTS: The resulting control structure model included 161 actors and organisations across 7 hierarchical levels of the broader sports system, 120 control mechanisms, and 94 feedback mechanisms across six hierarchical levels. CONCLUSIONS: The STAMP control structure supports a systems-thinking understanding of risk propagation and highlights how structural vulnerabilities and control mechanisms can contribute to safeguarding inadequacies. The developed control structure enables the identification of structural vulnerabilities, supports the detection of leading indicators of CSA, and informs systemic safeguarding reform. By integrating actionable feedback, the model promotes adaptive learning and a shift from compliance-driven reporting to proactive, system-wide responsiveness.

Source: Child Abuse & Neglect

DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107991

Authors: Karl Dodd, Colin Solomon, Paul M. Salmon, Scott McLean

Institution: University of the Sunshine Coast

Language: English

Topic: Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,050