Comprehensive Overview of the Problem of Violence Against Athletes in Sport

Abstract

The problem of violence against athletes is of growing concern. However, the scientific literature in this field tends to be specific to certain forms of violence and does not always provide a clear portrayal of the problem. To better understand issues concerning violence against athletes in sport and to identify needs in this area of research, we must look at violence in a more inclusive way and see violence against athlete as a global problem. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the problem of interpersonal violence against athletes in the sport context. We discuss definitions of violence in sport through the lens of athletes’ victimization. We also look at the various manifestations of interpersonal violence against athletes, the perpetrators involved, the factors associated to the risk of victimization, and the possible consequences of this violence on the mental and physical health of athletes. Finally, future directions for research on this topic are discussed.

Encounter with Bullying in Sport and Its Consequences for Youth: Amateur Athletes’ Approach

“…That is, athletes socialize in an environment that often urges them to maintain aggressive tactics in order to win. Furthermore, factors such as respect for authority, control of one’s life, perception of hierarchy, the ability to sacrifice for the game, striving to stand out, or inability to set limits are identified as common and are valued in sport [45]. In other words, modern sport is no longer just a competition, seeking to find out who is the first.…”

Child maltreatment in sport: smashing the wall of silence: a narrative review of physical, sexual, psychological abuses and neglect

“…This awareness-raising should minimise the risk that people—including young athletes themselves—consider it normal that authority figures in sport maltreat children. Many researchers point out that normalisation of violence towards athletes constitutes an important risk factor for victimisation (see Parent and Fortier25 for discussion). By naming these manifestations of child maltreatment in sport, we also hope to break down the wall of silence around these behaviours from authority figures in sport.…”

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

“…violence in sport is often planned and performs an instrumental function. In addition to that, bullying and harassment are difficult to identify because athletes are additionally traumatized by the escalated topic of violence experienced in sport [24]. For these reasons, athletes often avoid speaking about existing bullying and harassment in sport.…”

“…However, most of the research, the main purpose of which is to explain the phenomenon of bullying and harassment both in general terms and by separately analyzing the conditions and causes of its emergence, its manifestation, consequences, or management decisions, is constructed by choosing athletes themselves as a target group [5,13,25,26]. Often, this is related to the approach that the benefit of publicity for athletes is greater than the pain they experience as a result of violence [24]. Only a small share of the research tries to explain the phenomenon based on the opinion of coaches as the most important persons in the formation of interpersonal relationships in sport [27,28].…”