Sport is often perceived as healthy and safe. However, research has demonstrated that problems involving sexual, psychological, and physical abuse exist in this context and that very few protection measures are available in sport organizations. Quebec’s sport organizations are not an exception. The research project presented here was part of Phase I of a broader project aimed at gathering information on the creation and functioning of the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) in England to assess the possibility of setting up a similar system in Quebec. The results presented here focuses on the analysis of the legal, political, and sociocultural context of sport in Quebec in an attempt to better understand the currently existing problems and challenges regarding the protection of athletes. The gap between policies and intended outcomes is recognized as problematic in the child protection field, but this article demonstrated how big the gap is in reality. Proposals arising from the findings will hopefully guide policy makers on this issue in the coming years.
