Organised competitive sport forms a social institution in many countries which addresses Articles 29 and 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – the directives that respectively, every child has the right to play and that children’s talents, mental and physical abilities be developed to their fullest potential. However, the documentation of the occurrence of sexual harassment and abuse in sport in a number of countries has challenged our consensus vision of competitive sport as a positive, empowering environment for gifted young people. This has led to a more critical analysis of the sporting environment as a socio-cultural system and its impact on young people. Both human rights frameworks and the scientific biopsychosocial paradigm are underpinning the development of preventative policy and practice. In this article, I provide a brief summary of current knowledge on sexual abuse in sport, and propose a gatekeeper role for psychologists working with athletes.