Fears about child abuse and inappropriate touching are creating an uneasy “climate of suspicion” for volunteer sports coaches in New Zealand, a University of Auckland academic has said.
Blake Bennett, a martial arts coach and lecturer with the faculty of education and social work, is looking at how codes of ethics, mandatory police checks and ‘no touch’ policies are affecting NZ sports.
“The potential for, and reality of, inappropriate touch and abuse of young athletes in the coaching environment is ever-present,” he said in a university statement.
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