| dc.description.abstract | This thesis examines policy developments, laws and practices in the Nordic countries related to criminal background checks for people working with children in the sports environment. Additionally, it discusses their associated effects and potential consequences. The system of background checks, here called childcare record checks, aims to prevent abuse and maltreatment of children in sports by excluding individuals with certain crimes on their records from this sector. The characteristics of the Nordic systems and policy developments addressing childcare record checks in sports are mapped out by looking at the content of the policies and the operationalization of the systems. To the author's knowledge, this is the first systematic overview and analysis of the developmental tendencies of the childcare record check systems used in sports in the Nordic countries. Previous research on criminal record checks points to an expansion and increase in the use of these preventative measures. Similarly, research on abuse and maltreatment of children in sports suggests a culture of fear and risk management where protection policies are increasingly used to protect the child athlete. There is, however, a lack of research on the policy developments addressing childcare record checks in sports in the Nordic countries, despite a significant political and societal focus on this subject. By examining these policy developments through the theoretical lens of “risk society” and “ban-opticon”, as well as “function creep” and “unforeseen consequences”, it is possible to improve the understanding of the development and expansion of the system and its implications. Further, increased Nordic information exchange and cooperation call for more knowledge about each country's system of childcare record checks in sports. The method used in this study is document analysis, with case design as research design. The different Nordic systems of childcare record checks are understood as constituting cases in the bigger context of the risk society and the exclusion of specific individuals from certain i societal sectors. The data studied consists of legislation and policy documents from the Nordic countries addressing childcare record checks. The findings show significant differences between the Nordic nations regarding systems for childcare record checks in sports. Norway seems to operate with the most extensive childcare record, with both sexual-, violent-, and drug-related crimes appearing on the record, as well as a lifelong limitation time for some offenses. Denmark seems to have the most limited childcare record, with primarily sexual violations against minors appearing on the record. Norway and Iceland operate with automatic exclusion when the childcare record is tainted, while Sweden, Denmark, and Finland have a system based on discretion. The findings further suggest policy developments characterized by an expansion beyond the initial intention of the system, that is, a function creep. In the policy developments, this function creep can be observed as an expansion with regard to which offenses should appear on the records, automatization of the systems, systems for renewing childcare record checks, as well as more categories of individuals controlled through childcare record checks in sports. Overall, there is a tendency for the Nordic childcare record check systems to slowly expand their initial frames, portraying a function creep of control and surveillance. This is despite a lack of empirical findings related to whether the childcare record check system is preventing abuse in the sports environment. On the other hand, highly profiled cases of abuse in sports seem to lead to pressure for policy developments within criminal record checks and other preventative measures. Findings related to potential consequences of the expanded system suggest that a more holistic approach to child sexual abuse and maltreatment in sports and its prevention is called for. This entails a shift from the micro-perspective focusing on the potential offender and their criminal record, towards a meso- and macro-perspective where the situational risk factors and the relationships between the child athlete and the coach is in focus. An expansion in the record check system might result in fewer recourses available for this sort of prevention. Further, the expansion of the systems, as well as a micro-perspective on prevention, seem to be continuing despite a lack of empirical research investigating the preventative effects of the childcare record check system. By conducting more empirical research on the effects of childcare record checks in sports a more knowledge-based and targeted prevention that is better able to protect the child athlete can be achieved. | eng |