Professor Mike Hartill

Mike Hartill is Professor of the Sociology of Sport at Edge Hill University and director of the Centre for Child Protection and Safeguarding in Sport (CPSS). Mike has conducted research into child abuse and child protection in sport for over twenty years and has authored research articles, reports, book chapters, and a research monograph 'Sexual abuse in youth sport: a sociocultural analysis' (Routledge, 2016). Mike works with many organisations such as the Council of Europe, Sport England, the English Football Association, and the Male Survivors Partnership (MSP). He also acted as the child protection in sport expert for the English Football Association's independent review into allegations of child sexual abuse in football led by Clive Sheldon QC. 

Recent projects include the multi-national prevalence study CASES (Child Abuse in Sport: European Statistics), funded by the European Union. He is currently editing a special issue for the journal Social Sciences titled ‘Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Sport: New Evidence, Perspectives, and Interpretations’ with colleague Bettina Rulofs (German Sport University, Cologne). Mike and Bettina are also editing a new book ‘Child Abuse in Sport: Critical Perspectives’ to be published by Emerald in 2024.