Despite the transformative power of sport in children's lives, it remains a space where many children face heightened risks of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This presentation critically examines the persistent gaps in the protection and promotion of children's rights within sport and calls for urgent, systemic alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) at all levels of sport, local, national, and international.
It argues that children involved in sport must be recognised first and foremost as rights-holders, not merely athletes, beneficiaries, or performers. Yet, across many sporting organisations, children's rights remain marginalised or inadequately understood. As such, there is a pressing need to mainstream children's rights within governance, policy, practice, and accountability structures across the entire sporting ecosystem.
The presentation also explores the application of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) (the Ruggie Principles) in the context of sport. It emphasises the corporate responsibility of sporting bodies, sponsors, and other actors to respect human rights, including the specific rights of children. From safeguarding to participation, from remedy to transparency, this paper will outline a framework for giving real and practical effect to these principles, ensuring that the sport sector no longer overlooks its responsibilities toward children.
Dr Suzanne Everley is Head of Sport Social Science and a Reader in the Sociology of Physical Education, Activity and Health at the University of Chichester. Her research of over 20 years focuses on understanding the experiences of children and young people.
Suzanne has published in academic papers and texts and has written a book on the use of creative arts-based research methodologies. She has conducted investigations for the Youth Sport Trust, the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit and the FA. Following recommendations of Clive Sheldon’s Independent Review into Child Sexual Abuse in Football 1970-2005, she is currently lead researcher on a project seeking to understand how children’s voices are heard in the sport and where this might be improved to create more child centred cultures, preventing abuse.
Dr Seamus Byrne is a Reader in Law at Manchester Law School.
He is currently the Faculty Lead for the Faculty of Business and Law for the Institute for Children’s Futures at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Seamus’s research expertise falls into two distinct areas; children’s rights law on the one hand, and the interface of sport and human rights law on the other.
My membership is something I value as I work in academia, my knowledge and expertise is enhanced by the AoCPP community itself and the Child Abuse Review journal. I enjoy and receive great benefit from the opportunity to attend conference events and Congress to "tap into" cutting edge research and evidence of best practice nationally and internationally, all of which benefit the students on my teaching programmes and my own research and publications
