Child protection training in sport-related degrees and initial teacher training for physical education: An audit

摘要

This article reports on an online survey of child protection training for students on sport-related and Initial Teacher Training Physical Education degrees and on the views of recently graduated teachers of the usefulness of such training in their everyday work. The results indicate that child protection training is provided in most courses but in varying amounts. Respondents to the survey reported positively in the main about the effects of new requirements for teacher training (Every Child Matters: Change for Children Department for Education and Skills 2004). Reasons given for not including child protection in courses were: lack of time; the perceived vocational nature of the topic; lack of fit with course aims and objectives; lack of relevance; and the research rather than professional orientation of the course. Recently graduated teachers' views on their pre-service child protection training differed from the claims made about this in the survey. In particular they raised concerns about their lack of preparation for dealing with potential child protection situations. The article concludes that child protection training within sport-related degrees is deficient in both consistency of delivery and in content and that in addition to preparing students to recognise signs and indicators of abuse curricula should also address undergraduates' confidence and skills for responding to abuse in their everyday professional practice.