Why the study?
Maltreatment in sport gained unprecedented attention in Canada and prompted major policy reforms, motivating an examination of how Hockey Canada responded to a mandate to strengthen safe sport policies.
National sport organisations can play a substantive role in a public health approach to prevent athlete maltreatment by addressing risk and protective factors at multiple levels.
Hockey Canada's policy convergence offers a model for other NSOs; leaves open whether reforms reduce maltreatment incidence.
Maltreatment in sport has gained unprecedented attention in Canada, prompting significant policy reforms targeting safer sport environments. This paper examines how one of Canada’s largest national sport organisations (NSOs), Hockey Canada, responded to a recent mandate to strengthen safe sport policies. Using a descriptive case study design, we identify three key developments in Hockey Canada’s approach to maltreatment: internal and external policy convergence with national standards; enhanced policy implementation via clearer rules, enforcement mechanisms, and mandatory training; and improved policy evaluation through systematic data collection and transparency. These developments illustrate the substantive role NSOs can play in a public health approach to prevent athlete maltreatment by addressing risk and protective factors at multiple levels. We also point to ongoing challenges related to organisational culture, government oversight, and the need for empirical evaluation. Our findings contribute to sport policy discourse by highlighting both the potential and the limits of NSO-led interventions in fostering safe sport environments.
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Kevin Mongeon (2025) studied this question.
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