Professor Daniel Rhind

Dr Daniel Rhind joined Loughborough University as a Reader in Organisational Psychology as part of the Excellence 100 campaign in 2018. He was awarded the personal title of Professor in 2023. Daniel is a Chartered Psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. Daniel completed his PhD at Loughborough University in 2008. He has also been awarded a PGCHE (Brunel University), MSc in Applied Psychology (Cranfield University) and a BSc in Social Psychology (Loughborough University).

Daniel’s research is primarily focused on safeguarding people in, around and through sport. In terms of ‘in’ sport, Daniel’s research was fundamental to the development of the International Safeguards for Children in Sport, which are now endorsed by over 400 organisations around the world. With respect to ‘around’ sport, Daniel’s research on how Mega Sports Events can impact the rights of children has had significant impact through influencing how such events are awarded, planned, delivered and evaluated. In terms of ‘through’ sport, Daniel has published research regarding how sport can safeguard children through the development of life skills as well as via Sport for Development programmes. Daniel has received over £1.5m in funding from National Governing Bodies, charities and foundations, including:

• Economic and Social Research Council
• National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
• Oak Foundation
• Daiwa Foundation
• UK Sport (International Inspiration)
• Commonwealth Secretariat
• European Commission
• FIFA
• The Football Association
• The Rugby Football Union
• The International Tennis Federation
• Cricket for Change

Daniel was also awarded the Sport Psychology Research Prize by the University of Manitoba for his PhD research.

Doctoral Research Students

• Dr Alison Maitland – Organizational culture in elite Rowing - completed 2013
• Dr Georgia Allen – Developing life skills through youth sport - completed 2014
• Frank Owusu-Sekyere – Safeguarding children in sport – completed 2018
• Dr Gerd Marie Solstad – Safeguarding children through sport in Zambia – Completed in 2019
• Anastasia Christophorou – Family well-being in elite youth sport – Completed in 2020
• Nicola Crawley – Well-being in elite youth football – Completed in 2020

Daniel is a member of the following expert groups:

• Chair of the International Safeguards Working Group for Monitoring and Evaluation
• International Safeguards Advisory Group
• BASES Expert Panel on Safeguarding in sport
• BASES Expert Panel on Integrity in sport
• Keeping Children Safe Independent Advisory Group

He makes regular contributions to national (e.g., BBC Radio Five Live, BBC News, Newsnight and a range of newspapers) and international media (e.g., CCTV in China, TRT World, NHK in Japan and ESPN in the USA) on issues related to safeguarding in sport.

• Tuakli-Worsornu, T., Kirby, S., Tiivas, A. & Rhind, D. J. A. (2023). The journey to reporting child rights violations in sport: Stakeholder perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
• Booth, R., Cope, E. & Rhind, D. J. A. (2023). Crossing The Line: Conceptualising and Rationalising Bullying and Banter in Male Adolescent Community Football. Sport, Education and Society.
• Prior, E., Papathomas, A., & Rhind, D. J. A. (2022). A systematic scoping review of athlete mental health within competitive sport: Interventions, recommendations and policy. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-23.
• Wilson, A. L. & Rhind, D. J. A. (2022). Tracking progress towards the International Safeguards for Children in Sport. Social Sciences, 11, 322-330.
• Kavanagh, E., Knowles, Z., Brady, A., Rhind, D. J. A., Gervis, M., Miles, A. & Davison, R. (2022). The BASES Expert Statement on Safeguarding in the Sport and Exercise Sciences. The Sport and Exercise Scientist.
• Schinke, R., Griffiths, C., Harwood, C. G. & Rhind, D. J. A. et al. (2021). International Society of Sport Psychology Position Stand: Mental Health Through Occupational Health and Safety in High Performance sport. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-23.
• Owusu-Sekyere, F., Rhind, D. J. A. & Hills, L. (2021). Safeguarding Culture: Towards a new approach to preventing child maltreatment in sport. Sport Management Review, 1-23.
• Rhind, D. J. A. & McDermott, J. (2020). The TACL Model: A Framework for Safeguarding Children with a Disability in Sport. Social Sciences, 9, 48-57.
• Rhind, D. J. A. & Owusu-Sekyere, F. (2019). Evaluating the impacts of working towards the International Safeguards for Children in Sport. Sport Management Review, 23, 104-116.
• Vertommen, T., Schipper-Van Veldhoven, N., Wouters, K., Kampen, J. K., Brackenridge, C. & Rhind, D. J. A. et al. (2016). Interpersonal violence against children in sport in the Netherlands and Belgium. Child Abuse and Neglect, 51, 223-236.
• Mountjoy, M., Rhind, D. J. A., Tiivas, A. & Leglise, M. (2015). Safeguarding the child athlete in sport: A review, a framework and recommendations for the IOC youth athlete development model. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49, 883-6.

Invited Keynote Presentations

• Safeguarding Summit, FIFA HQ Zurich
• Safe Sport International conference, London
• The British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Conference, Warwick, United Kingdom.
• The Child Protection and well-being in Sport, Children in Scotland Conference, Glasgow.
• Policy Cohesion Expert Round Table, Commonwealth Secretariat, London.
• Protecting Children in Sport in Japan Conference, Tokyo.