New study says school football is a form of child abuse

Rugby is a team sport played on a rectangular field with an oval ball.

Rugby is a popular team sport that originated in England in the early 19th century and has a long history and passionate fan base. However, recent research suggests that allowing children to participate in contact sports such as rugby and boxing should be viewed as a form of potential damage to children’s brains.

The study found strong evidence linking impact sports to severe brain injuries in children, raising legal concerns. Researchers believe the injury breaches UK child abuse laws and contradicts the sport’s own policies.

“Children’s sports should not intentionally harm their brains. They should focus on fun, health and social development rather than training them to compete in elite-level sports,” Professor Eric Anderson saysA professor of physical education at the University of Winchester led the research.

This study has been accepted for publication in the next edition of Sport, Ethics and Philosophy: Journal of the British Association for Philosophy of Sport.

Dr Keith Parry, head of the Department of Sport and Event Management at Bournemouth University, said: “Rugby or American football may be fun to play against, but there is no evidence that a blow to the head is harmful to physical or mental health compared to There are benefits.” A safer, contactless version.

“The FA is very concerned about the dangers of head injuries and has introduced guidance to limit the number of headings in youth football training. Other and even more damaging sports should also follow and eliminate intentional collisions.”

“Many sporting bodies define child abuse in their safeguarding policies in terms such as ‘hit’, ‘shaken’ or ‘causing bodily harm’,” explains Gary Turner, who has won world titles in taekwondo and Muay Thai and is studying for a PhD road. Winchester talks combat sports and traumatic brain injuries.

He added: “You can’t be complicit and allow young bodies and heads to bump into each other and call it a safe environment.”

Professor Anderson said: “These collisions can cause cognitive damage and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and dementia; so they abuse children’s brains.”

“There is a cultural perception that beating children outside of sport is abuse, but beating children in sport is somehow socially acceptable. We are working hard to change that. Damage to the brain occurs regardless of social background, he continued.

The study made a clear distinction between sports that intentionally involve body collisions, such as football, and those in which collisions occur accidentally, such as basketball. The researchers stress that their guidelines specifically address the participation of children.

“Although we are sports academics, some will dismiss our claims as being anti-sport or trying to wrap children in cotton wool. But evidence of abuse of children’s brains is a medical reality. Therefore, impact sports should be regulated.” Professor Anderson of the school said : “Clubs must not expose children to harm while participating in sport. Society should recognize this brain abuse as a unique form of child abuse. “