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Safeguarding in sport: Toward a performative compliance of international sports federations?

Carole Gomez & Lucie Schoch

International Review for the Sociology of Sport2026https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902251404389article
ABDC B
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

Drawing on Bourdieu's theory, this study examines the development of safeguarding measures by international sports federations, conceptualised as a case of ‘performative compliance’. Using a multi-step qualitative abductive approach, through a document analysis, it analyses how these organisations address safeguarding. The findings reveal a proliferation of measures introduced in response to external pressures and rising stakeholder expectations. However, federations often tend to privilege initiatives with high symbolic value over comprehensive strategies with lasting impact. This emphasis on appearances suggests that the pressure to demonstrate compliance implicitly drives the adoption of measures that, while contributing to safeguarding, carry a strong symbolic dimension. Building on these insights, the study theorises safeguarding as a process that entails both practical implementation and symbolic positioning within the field and proposes a model to help federations develop more effective safeguarding strategies.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902251404389

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{carole2026,
  title        = {{Safeguarding in sport: Toward a performative compliance of international sports federations?}},
  author       = {Carole Gomez & Lucie Schoch},
  journal      = {International Review for the Sociology of Sport},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10126902251404389},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.