Federal Minister for Communications and Sport, the Hon Anika Wells MP, has today officially launched the findings of Sport Integrity Australia’s (SIA) inaugural Hear me play: youth perceptions of safety in sport study to sport leaders at SIA’s CEO Sport Integrity Forum.
Hear me play is a long-term study designed to amplify the voices of children and young people in Australian sport and help shape future safeguarding priorities.
The study, which will be conducted annually over five years, provides important insights into how young people experience sport and what helps them feel safe.
More than 1,000 young people aged 12 to 18 took part in the survey during 2025.
Key insights include:
- 93% of young people love, or like their sport a lot
- 93% feel safe in sport always, or most of the time
- 91% have fun always, or most of the time.
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When asked why they enjoy sport, young people overwhelmingly prioritised friendships, fitness, and fun over winning or losing.
However, around 1 in 3 said reduced enjoyment was the main reason for dropping out.
The study also revealed that the more younger people are exposed to negative experiences in sport, the more likely they are to accept these situations as being normal.
Notable findings include:
- 27% reported witnessing peer bullying in sport, consistent with rates seen in other environments like education and online
- 92% said they would be willing to report inappropriate behaviour to someone they trust, such as a parent or coach.
The study also highlighted that parents play a vital role not only protecting young athletes but shaping positive sporting experiences.
Children with ‘Praise Parents’ – those who encourage them, were much more likely to feel safe, have fun, love their sport and be motivated to participate, than those with ‘Instruction Parents’ – those who tell their child what to do and how to do it, and ‘Criticism Parents’ – those who tell their child what they did wrong.
In launching the report, Federal Minister for Communications and Sport Anika Wells said the study emphasised the importance of listening to young people and children in sport.
As we look toward Brisbane 2032 and welcome more young people into sport, it’s clear the future of sporting culture lies in their hands, making this work more vital than ever.
— Anika Wells, Federal Minister for Communications and Sport
SIA’s Director of Safeguarding, Lisa Purves, said the agency will use the findings of the report to inform its safeguarding priorities in future.
“Over the next 12 months, the agency will lead a range of projects informed by this research, including the ongoing translation of policy documents into child-friendly language to help young people better identify poor behaviour in sport.”
“SIA is already developing an online safeguarding course designed specifically for young athletes, and this year we will also collaborate with leading experts to develop practical tools and resources that support sports to manage peer-on-peer issues effectively,” said Ms Purves.
“We also plan to develop initiatives to better educate players and parents, improve engagement with junior match officials, and understand the impact of poor sideline behaviour.”
This first year of findings provide a benchmark for future annual insights and will help guide SIA’s ongoing work to ensure safe, fair and inclusive sport for children and young people.
— Lisa Purves, Director of Safeguarding, Sport Integrity Australia
The Hear me play report was launched during SIA’s second annual CEO Sport Integrity Forum, which brought together 160 leaders from across Australian sport to discuss key issues facing sport, including child safeguarding.
- Download the report from the SIA website.