Politically KorreKt Beyond Reason

national | miscellaneous | press release

Monday November 21, 2005 12:42

by Robert Hamm - Sligo Olympic Handball Association

soha2000 at gmx dot net

Get the balance right - child protection policies, recent discussions, reviews, reflections

A sports club in Sligo has published a booklet to provide a necessary counterpoise to the reactionary tendencies that are part of the demand on sports clubs to adopt the Irish Sports Councils 'Code of Ethics'.

POLITICALLY KORREKT BEYOND REASON - GET THE BALANCE RIGHT

Child protection policies – recent discussions, reviews, reflections

Sligo Olympic Handball Association started a process of review, reflection and discussion about child protection policies over a year ago. It was initiated as a result of our involvement in the ‘Junior Club Development’ program, an initiative in which local groups received funding for certain categories of youth sport development.

We found it very disturbing to see, how child protection issues in sports are exploited by the Irish Sports Council to promote a climate of fear and mistrust. The ‘Code of Ethics – Good Practice for Children’s Sport’, the guidelines laid out and published by the Irish Sports Council (ISC) in 2000, was taken as a starting point and a constant point of reflection and reference in our review process.

In a series of public talks we tried to find a more balanced and rather rational view of the matter. We entered into a number of discussions about various aspects of the complex of themes.

Debates about child protection in Ireland are going through all fields of work with children and youth.

Initiated after decades of neglect and on a background of high profile cases of sexual abuse these debates are more than welcome! However the discussions seem to have a paradoxical effect.

If the idea is to improve the quality of life (for children, for youths, for everyone!) then one has to realise that the constant drawing on fear issues in fields of work with children and youth is contradictory to the envisaged aim.

Positions currently circulated in codes of ethics, codes of conduct, guidelines etc. far too often paint a picture of harm and danger where rather trust and understanding would be required between partners in social interaction (child-care, school, sport, youth work etc.).

The whole debate runs out of balance, where fear becomes the driving force for behaviour. Dialogue of two teachers:
“If a child gets sick and parents can’t collect her, I would not bring her home in my car.”
“But sure, you could always take a second child with you in the car, to cover yourself.”
“Yes, but what about coming back from the house, when the sick child is left home?”
“Well, then take another child with you, so you have two on the way back as well.”

Where thoughts like this enter the minds of teachers (childminders, coaches, youth workers), something completely wrong seems to happen. Children are seen as a danger by their teachers/coaches as well as the teachers/coaches are designed as a danger to the children. That is not a healthy relationship!

Underlying the debate are moral traits that are deeply rooted in a fear of sexuality. And, the same old recipes are presented in a new look. Physical contact is suspicious, thus avoid it. Being alone with a child is suspicious, thus make sure that there is always someone nearby (if you are alone with one child in a room, always have the door open!). This is the breeding ground for neurosis – for ALL participants in the context. Do not think that there would be no effects for the children of neurotic teachers/coaches!

The whole debate is presented in the interest of children and the vocabulary that is used sounds progressive. Indeed there are elements in the various materials that would have a liberating potential, yet the context in which they are embedded fires back on them.

In relation to young participants in sport the idea of child centered activities appears to become a dogma. Political correctness goes beyond reason in this context quite easily and the wishy-washy character of the underlying argumentation is covered in ‘killer-phrases’. A sacrosanct system of seemingly unquestionable statements is erected in a campaign which neither sport nor children will benefit from.

A conflict of values and value-systems is constantly pushed into the shadow. In our discussions we tried to get them back to light to make a more reasonable and fruitful debate possible.

We have now published a little booklet in which the main points of discussion are presented. The reader can follow the lines of argumentation about
- public presentation of fear issues
- value for money, subsumption under capitalist economy
- sexuality discourse between pleasure and abuse
- construction of childhood
- standardized behaviour, strategies of normalization
- child-centredness
- what is sport
- gender issues, joy for success
- sport in the microphysics of power.

With our brochure we hope to provide a necessary counterpoise to the reactionary tendencies that are part of the demand on sports clubs to adopt the ISC Code of Ethics.

Our booklet is available for € 4. It can be obtained via SOHA; 17, Meadow Vale; Sligo (Tel. 071 9150428),
or from one of the coaches of our youth teams.

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