Harassment In Sport Research Articles

Assessing the Reliability of the Sexual Violence Questionnaire in Sport among Spanish-Speaking Athletes.

The prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse in school sport, specifically by coaches against their athletes, remains a concerning and pervasive issue. In an attempt to better understand and prevent specific coach-behaviours associated with such sexual misconduct, researchers have developed the Sexual Violence Questionnaire in Sport. While the reliability of this measurement tool has been tested in Anglo-Saxon cultural contexts, it is not known whether the questionnaire is applicable to other cultural contexts. This study aimed to analyse the internal consistency and reliability of the questionnaire on sexual harassment in sport, originally designed and developed in English. A sample of 146 (52 female, 94 male) undergraduate students from a university in the Basque Country participated in this cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was administered twice over a two-week period to assess test-retest reliability. The internal consistency of the Sexual Violence Questionnaire in Sport was high, with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.891 for perceptions and 0.813 for experiences across all participants. Gender-specific analysis showed similar reliability, with females having slightly lower alpha values for perceptions. Although significant differences were observed between the test and the retest on eight perception items and one experience item, Cohen's kappa analysis indicated agreement on all items; however, some of them were low (e.g., 0.13). In conclusion, the study highlights the questionnaire's overall reliability and suggests its effectiveness as a tool for measuring sexual violence in sport within the Spanish context. Nonetheless, the findings of this study underscore the need for further research to enhance the instrument's stability and to better understand gender differences in perceptions and experiences of sexual violence in sport contexts.

“It’s a Balancing Act”: Contradictory Ambitions of Journalistic Media in Addressing Harassment in Sport

Over the last five years, the Finnish sports media has played a key role in disseminating information and stimulating debate on gender equity, sexual harassment, and the structures and culture that perpetuate the latter in sport. Triggered by the Me Too movement, the handling of harassment cases has shifted from the private domain to the public debate in the media, making it political. In this article, I study the perception of the politicisation of harassment within sports media. The article utilises interviews with 16 Finnish sports journalists who have been reporting on harassment cases in national and regional media houses. In the thematic analysis, the facilitators and constraints of harassment reporting are examined in relation to the prevailing power structures, culture, and attitudes in the professional sports environment. While the interviews highlight the changing face of sports journalism and, within it, an ambition to move from entertainment and performance reporting to socio-politically critical journalism, the article also highlights the problematic contradictions embedded in the ambition within sports media to address harassment in sport. The findings of this research suggest that when studying the outcomes of news reporting, it is important to pay attention to news production processes and the gendered aspects that influence them.

Sexual harassment in sports: insights from female athletes in Pakistan

Sexual harassment in sports: insights from female athletes in Pakistan

Sexual Harassment or Just Coaching? Sport Students Making Sense of Possibly Sexualising Coach Behaviours

Research has shown that athletes are divided in their assessment of possibly sexualising behaviours from coaches towards athletes. How they arrive at their conclusions has received less attention—yet it is crucial to understand as a basis for safeguarding measures. Using video-elicitation focus group interviews with sport students, we zoomed in on different types of ‘grey area’ situations involving coaches and athletes. We drew on social script theory to highlight the cultural tools sport students use to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable coaching behaviours. Our analyses showed that the students drew on two types of scripts in their interpretative work: (1) sport scripts, denoting templates for ‘normal’ coach–athlete interactions (typically with a performance and/or caring rationale), and (2) sexual harassment scripts, encompassing beliefs and expectations of how sexual transgressions play out and among whom. We discuss how the students evaluated concrete grey area situations by comparing and contrasting them with both scripts. In these assessments, the students relied on cues and clues from the portrayed interactions, including the gender of the coach and athlete and knowledge about the specific sport setting. Our analyses demonstrate how views about sexual harassment in sport relate to the specificities of the sport setting and the gendered social dynamics in the situation.

"Nothing About Us, Without Us": Empowering the Youth Athlete Voice in #SafeSport.

"Nothing About Us, Without Us": Empowering the Youth Athlete Voice in #SafeSport.

A large and troubling iceberg: sexism and misogyny in women’s work as sport coaches

ABSTRACT In the wake of a number of high profile cases, sport organisations in Canada, are taking abuse and harassment in sport more seriously. For the most part, recent initiatives have addressed the harms faced by athletes. This paper considers the harassment experienced by Canadian women coaches. The study is based on data from two focus groups (n = 4 and n = 5) held with women basketball and volleyball coaches. The coaches described a range of common experiences that would be classified as harassment under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Focusing here on the harassment perpetuated by male referees, we argue that such incidents stem from systemic issues in sport and in the broader culture. Our evidence suggests that misogyny and sexism need to be explicitly addressed in safe sport policies and in programmes designed to address the diminishing numbers of women in coaching.

Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sports: Recommendations from Malaysian Perspective

Sexual harassment is identified as a gratifying problem in sport and defined it as "behaviour towards an individual or group that involves sexualized verbal, non-verbal or physical behaviour that is considered by the victim or a bystander to be unwanted or coerced". Despite the effort to combat this problem, the prevalence of sexual harassment in sports has been repetitively reported by the media. One of the shocking news was during the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast Australia whereby a team official from Mauritius has been charged with the sexual assault of a 26 year-old athlete. This article attempts to discuss issues concern on the existence of sexual harassment and abuse among Malaysian sports practitioners. There were many glaring cases of sexual harassment in sports reported in the media. Unfortunately, most of these cases end up without any redress to the victor or punishment against the perpetrator. It is deeply disturbing to realise the vicious cycles of sexual harassment report led to double victimization of the victims particularly by criticizing victims' behaviour, outfit and choice instead of focusing on the perpetrators. Hence, this article aims discuss best practices and recommendations made by various Malaysian stakeholders to prevent and eliminate these cases from repetitively occur. Keywords: Sexual Harassment, Sports, Best Practices and Recommendations

THE DARK SIDE OF SPORT: MANAGERIAL BULLYING AND HARASSMENT CHALLENGES IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPORTS

Bullying and harassment are the dark side of sport, not open to spectators and often ignored by coaches and leaders. Therefore, the research aim is to identify prevalence of bullying and harassment in Lithuanian organized sport with regard to individual, combat and team sports, highlighting measures/actions used to manage these phenomena. Survey research uses quantitative research strategy. The study involved 1440 organized sports athletes representing all sports types. The prevalence of bullying actions with regard to separate type of sports was identified: in individual sports (9.8%), in combat sports (8.5%), and in team sports (7.3%). The analysis by four specific actions has shown that athletes experienced most of such actions in combat sports (20%); almost half less, in team sports (10.8%) and individual sports (10.1%). The results of the study show a lack of bullying and harassment intervention and of comprehensive complaint submission procedures, while coaches particularly often ignore athletes’ negative behaviour. The article discusses managerial causes of bullying and harassment in the sports organization, presenting a holistic view of the phenomenon, including the forms of violence that have been little studied so far. This will help leaders to carry out prevention and intervention activities the specificity of which comes to prominence depending on the types of sports.

Print Media Narratives of Bullying and Harassment at the Football Association: A Case Study of Eniola Aluko

In this article we draw on critical theory to discuss how power frames the media “narratives” of Eniola Aluko, a Black, female footballer who accused an established (White) football coach of bullying, harassment, and racial comments. We critically discuss data analyzed from 80 print media articles from three British newspapers (with circulation figures ranging from 1.4 million to 135,000 a day), from August 6, 2017 to October 19, 2017. In our findings, we discuss the four dominant themes identified from our analysis to examine how race, gender, and belonging frame Aluko in ways that seek to position her as an outsider and question her legitimacy in the White male space of football. We demonstrate how frames are shaped by, as well as reinforce, existing power relations, and influence how bullying, and racial harassment are represented in media accounts. We argue this type of analysis has implications for our understanding of how the narratives bullying and harassment in sport can be reframed along dominant power lines that question the legitimacy of athletes’ accounts and experiences.

Sexual Harassment in Sports: Risk Factors Analysis from A Malaysian Perspective

Sexual Harassment in Sports: Risk Factors Analysis from A Malaysian Perspective

Prevalence of bullying and harassment in youth sport: The case of different types of sport and participant role

Purpose: Studies on participation of various social groups in sports reveal not only positive but also negative impact of this activity on the person’s health, well-being and future. A particularly serious social problem in sport is the aggressive behaviour of all participants, which can also manifest itself as bullying and cause a number of negative consequences. The aim of the research is to identify the prevalence of bullying and harassment in organized sport in the case of individual, combat, team sports and participant roles. Methodology. A supplemented version of Bullying and harassment in sport questionnaire (BHISQ) was used to conduct the survey. The survey involved 1440 participants of organized sport. Findings: Almost one third of research participants in the team sports identified themselves as victims, which is significantly more than the sum of the results of two remaining groups. Comparing the percentages of victims’ and bystanders’ confessions, it has been found that bullying in individual sports can be significantly more active; i.e., the number of athletes who have seen bullying is significantly higher than the number of athletes who have named themselves as victims. The highest manifestation of bullying unfolds in team sports, where most – almost one fifth – of respondents attributed the role of the bully against their team member(s) to themselves, while the percentages of bullies against opponents in combat and team sports are similar. In combat and team sports, unlike in the individual sports, the roles of bullies against opponents, unfolding in bullying actions, are more frequently expressed.

Challenges in Deterring Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sports from a Malaysian Perspective

This article attempts to discuss the challenges related to the occurrence of sexual harassment in sports. There were many glaring cases of sexual harassment in sports reported in the media. Unfortunately, most of these cases end up without any redress for the victim or punishment against the perpetrator. Hence, the objective of this article is to analyse the challenges faced by sports practitioners and officers in preventing as well as handling a few recent cases of sexual harassment and abuse. A qualitative method has been applied and the primary data is collected through focus group sessions comprised of thirty-five (35) experts from sports institutions, enforcement officers, civil society representatives, athletes and related government agencies. The result depicts there are fifteen challenges involved in handling cases related to sexual harassment and abuse in sports particularly lack code of practice and unclear procedures on the person in charge. Since there is no specific rules related to sexual harassment, previous cases were investigated under penal code and made it impossible for the victims to receive protection and redress.

“Omerta” in Organized Sport: Bullying and Harassment as Determinants of Threats of Social Sustainability at the Individual Level

The interpretation of the evolutionary theory prevailing in sport, based on the approach that the strongest survive, varies with the rules inherent in the criminal world, forbidding to “take out” negative information about interrelationships, in this case, outside the team or group. Such traditionally established culture puts pressure on athletes to suffer from bullying and follow the “silence law”. In the long run, this turns into a precondition for unsafe environment for athletes, which, due to negative consequences for the individual, can be identified as threats to social sustainability at the individual level. Such a situation is also indirectly approved by the heads and coaches of organizations. The latter, who lack competencies to resolve conflict situations, are left to solve arising problems on their own and do not receive any support from the management of organizations. Therefore, the aim of this research is to reveal the factors determining the specificity, emergence, and development of bullying and harassment in sport as threats to social sustainability at the individual level. The research was conducted using a semi-structured interview method with eight coaches representing team, individual, and duel sport branches. Inductive content analysis served as the basis for the data analysis. Research results disclosed factors determining the specificity of emergence of bullying and harassment in sport and hindering the entrenchment of social sustainability in sport at the individual level. The results revealed the euphemisms distinguished by coaches, which, in sport, have a positive connotation, such as “combativeness” and “sports anger” instead of the term “aggression”. It was identified that coaches named aggressors as “harder players”, “confident players”, “active persons”, “players-torpedoes”, “emotional players”, and “competitive players”. Sports competition is justified in various forms. The emergence of bullying and harassment is grounded on “mastery differences”, it is stated that abusive actions are experienced by “physically weak” players, while physical actions used by athletes are called “mischief”; verbal actions are “raillery”. In addition, inadequate preparation of Lithuanian coaches to respond to bullying and harassment in their trained teams or groups on time and appropriately was identified. It turned out that sports organizations are not particularly interested in organizing trainings for prevention of destructive interrelations and intervention. Such kind of in-service training is left to the coach’s initiative.

Knowledge Level and Incidence of Sexual Harassment in Sports: Views of Ghanaian Female University Athletes

This paper is the first part of a study that investigated the issue of sexual harassment in university sports in Ghana. Specifically this paper sought to find out female university athletes’ views on knowledge of sexual harassment and their experiences of it. Descriptive survey research design was used to conduct the study. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select One Hundred and Sixty-Seven (167) female respondents for the study. The instrument used in gathering data was a questionnaire titled “Questionnaire on Sexual Harassment Against Female University Athletes in Ghana (QSHAFUAGH)” structured and developed by the researchers. The QSHAFUAGH was validated by two jurors in the field of physical education and sport, from Ghana and Nigeria and was tested for reliability using Split-half method. A reliability correlation coefficient of .91r was obtained from the reliability testing. In all, one research question and two research hypotheses were formulated, answered and tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. Data collected were analyzed using percentages and chi-square (x2) statistical method. The findings from the study showed that; sexual harassment against female university athletes is relatively high in Ghana; female university athletes are highly knowledgeable on what constitutes sexual harassment; and the mass media is the leading source of information on sexual harassment among female athletes. Based on these findings, the study recommends that: the focus of sexual harassment education should shift from knowledge to empowerment; management of the various universities should provide the right environment, avenues or channels for female athletes to report acts of harassment perpetrated against them in the course of their participation in sports on campus without fear of victimization; and some sanctions should be instituted by management of the various universities and GUSA on perpetrators of sexual harassment against female university athletes. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n3p121

Assessing the sociology of sport: On sexual harassment research and policy

On the 50th anniversary of the ISSA and IRSS, a key foundational scholar on gender and sport, Kari Fasting, assesses sociological inquiry about sexual harassment in sport and its relation to the development of policy. The trajectory of this research on gender, sexual harassment and abuse (GSHA) in sport lies in feminist politics and advocacy. While sexual harassment and abuse in sport is widespread across sports, comparability in studies has been difficult due to issues of measurement and underreporting. Key challenges to doing research in this areas include difficulties in obtaining grant funding, access to and cooperation from athletes and perpetrators, and moral and ethical dilemmas in data gathering and reporting. Future work can build on recommendations by major organizations such as the IOC and UNICEF about organizational policies to curb sexual harassment and abuse; future research needs to advance systematic knowledge about the impact of policies and actions about sexual harassment and abuse in sport.

Narratives of sexual harassment experiences in sport

The occurrence of sexual harassment in sport was first revealed in studies in the mid-nineties, and during the last 10–15 years there has been an increasing focus on this problem both from scholars and from sport politicians. Most of the studies on sexual harassment in sport have been prevalence studies, but there is a marked variety of approaches to the subject both theoretical and methodological. Studies have shown that coaches often are the perpetrators and qualitative studies have documented risk factors as well as the athletes’ responses and coping mechanisms. However, very few studies so far have described with the athletes own words their experiences. Furthermore, there has also often been a lack of explanation for why such behaviours occur. Hence, the aim of this article was to present two Norwegian athletes’ narratives of their sexual harassment experiences from their coaches. This is followed by a discussion which incorporates different models that try to explain why sexual harassment occurs. All models seem in one way or another to focus on power as an important factor in understanding the occurrence of sexual harassment, and the two female athletes’ narratives are discussed in relation to the power relations that exist in sport both at the individual and at the organisational level. The article concludes with the importance of developing policies, including ethical guidelines and educational materials for coaches as well as for athletes to create safer sport.

The experiences of sexual harassment in sport and education among European female sports science students

The study investigates whether sport is an especially risky environment for sexual harassment to occur. It explores female students’ experiences of sexual harassment in organized sport and compares them with their experiences in formal education, by addressing the following research questions: (1) Are there any differences in female sport students’ experiences of sexual harassment in sport and education? (2) Are there any differences in female sport students’ experiences of sexual harassment from coaches and teachers? (3) Are there any differences in female sport students’ experiences from peer students and peer athletes? A total of 616 female students from three different European countries, Czech Republic, Greece and Norway, answered a questionnaire. The results revealed that the students had experienced more sexual harassment in an educational setting than in a sport setting. Further analysis showed that this was primarily due to sexual harassment from peers in school. In Greece and Norway, there was no difference between occurrences from teachers and coaches, yet in Czech Republic coaches appear to harass more than teachers. The difference between sexual harassment occurring from peers in sport and in education is discussed in relation to whether the sense of belonging/camaraderie that a sport club member may experience might function as a barrier for sexual harassment to occur—because it embarrasses or hurts a teammate. In addition, sport clubs and teams are governed by their respective sport rules and possibly by additional club/team rules, which may also establish extra inside-club/team boundaries for acceptable and nonacceptable/harassing behaviors. This article concludes that greater emphasis ought to be placed on education; not only toward shaping safer teacher/coach behaviors, but also toward the student/athlete behaviors.

Don’t Be Mistaken—This Does Concern You!

In this article, the author attempts to represent the mise abyme effect, when writing a “story within a story.” Instead of showing the two stories of sexual harassment in sport that the author wrote to trigger her students’ reactions to this issue, this article focuses on the experience of one of the students reacting to the two stories and discovering her own personal relationship to sexual harassment in sport. Instead of choosing a linear description charting the sexual harassment or abuse of this student, the author has chosen to represent her story of being an unconscious witness to the abuse a former teammate suffered in the past as a gymnast. The final purpose is to reflect on one’s “possible subtle” involvement in perpetrating sexual harassment in sport.

Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine Position Paper: Abuse, Harassment, and Bullying in Sport

Over the past 20 years, there has been an emergence of reported incidents of abuse, harassment, and bullying in Canadian sport (M. Holman, unpublished data, 1995).1-3 In 1994, an Edmonton track coach was charged and convicted of engaging in sexual relations with his female adolescent athletes. In 19

The Approach of Integrated Methodology for the Recognition, Current Status and Cause of Sexual Harassment in Sports

The Approach of Integrated Methodology for the Recognition, Current Status and Cause of Sexual Harassment in Sports