Development and initial factor validation of the Violence Toward Athletes Questionnaire (VTAQ) in a sample of young athletes

Parent, Sylvie; Fortier, Kristine; Vaillancourt‐Morel, Marie‐Pier; Lessard, Geneviève; Goulet, Claude; Demers, Guylaine; Paradis, Hélène; Hartill, Michael

doi:10.1080/07053436.2019.1682262

Cited by 38 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…This study shows that VTA, particularly psychological violence and neglect, is an existing problem in youth sport. This is the first study to use a validated tool to measure all forms of VTA (Parent et al, 2019) in a large sample of young athletes. Moreover, because early sport specialization was shown to be a predictor of psychological violence and neglect, more research must be conducted to clarify links between these variables.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interpersonal violence in sport. The Violence Toward Athletes Questionnaire (VTAQ; Parent et al, 2019) was used to assess the self-reported experiences of interpersonal violence against children and adolescents in sport. The VTAQ is based on the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of violence (Krug et al, 2002), namely, "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation" (p. 5).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The WHO typology of violence was used to determine the four forms of interpersonal violence, namely, sexual, psychological, and physical violence as well as neglect (Krug et al, 2002). For precisions about the definitions used for each form and examples of items used in VTAQ, please see Parent et al (2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The high estimate of psychological violence and neglect may be explained by several factors. Even if we used a validated scale of VTA (Parent et al, 2019), our classification of items may lead to a higher rate of psychological violence and neglect. Indeed, the psychological violence and neglect subscale included some items usually classified in previous studies as physical abuse/violence (Alexander et al, 2011;Vertommen et al, 2016).…”

Section: Magnitude Of Interpersonal Vta In Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Magnitude and Risk Factors for Interpersonal Violence Experienced by Canadian Teenagers in the Sport Context

Parent

Vaillancourt‐Morel

2020

Journal of Sport and Social Issues

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Recent studies demonstrate that interpersonal violence toward athletes (VTA) is a significant problem in some countries. However, in Canada, little scientific evidence on the prevalence of this issue exists. The objective of this study was to describe the magnitude of interpersonal violence toward young Canadian athletes in the context of sport and to explore associated risk factors. A total of 1,055 athletes, aged between 14 and 17 years, anonymously completed an online survey about their experiences of various types of interpersonal violence in sport. The sample consisted of 763 girls and 292 boys, with a mean age of 15.3 ± 1.1 years. Results showed that 79.2% of athletes reported at least one experience of psychological violence followed by 39.9% reporting physical violence, 35.7% reporting neglect, and 28.2% sexual violence. Being older, being a girl, having specialized in a sport early on, and a high number of hours of weekly practice were related to higher odds of reporting psychological violence or neglect. Being older, being a boy, reporting a nonheterosexual sexual preference, greater number of hours of weekly practice, being in an interregional or provincial sport level, and practicing only team sports were related to higher odds of reporting physical violence. Reporting a nonheterosexual sexual preference and being in an interregional or international sport level were associated with higher odds of reporting sexual violence. In conclusion, this study shows that VTA, particularly psychological violence and neglect, is a serious problem in youth sport in Canada. These results may help to influence public decision makers to intervene and develop and implement strategies to prevent VTA.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Magnitude Of Interpersonal Vta In Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Magnitude and Risk Factors for Interpersonal Violence Experienced by Canadian Teenagers in the Sport Context

Parent

Vaillancourt‐Morel

2020

Journal of Sport and Social Issues

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“…In the United Kingdom, Alexander et al (2011) recorded prevalence estimates of 75% for psychological violence, 24% for physical violence, and 3% for sexual violence in recreational athletes under the age of 16. The prevalence rates observed by Parent and Vaillancourt-Morel (2020) in Canada were even higher: Among the 1,055 athletes aged between 14 and 17 years who completed The Violence Toward Athletes Questionnaire (VTAQ, Parent et al, 2019 ), 79% reported at least one experience of psychological violence followed by 39% reporting physical violence, 35% reporting neglect, and 28% sexual violence. The results of these last three studies revealed the relevance of questioning children and adolescent athletes and seemed to identify critical periods in the picture of current prevalence of sport-related IV.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Prevalence Rates of Interpersonal Violence Experienced by Young French-Speaking Swiss Athletes

2021

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Facing the important methodological limitations of the instruments used for assessing the prevalence of interpersonal violence faced by young athletes, the aim of the present study was to propose and describe the use of a research instrument adapted to young and French-speaking athletes. In addition, by collecting preliminary data with a Swiss sample, we aimed to measure the different forms of interpersonal violence young athletes have experienced at least once during their sport practice. Our questionnaire was based on three existing questionnaires and adapted for a young audience. Regarding prevalence, results showed that among the 210 respondents, 75% declared psychological violence, 53% physical violence, 28% sexual violence and 21% reported no violence. The other results showed that this instrument appears to be well-structured to measure interpersonal violence and understandable for young athletes. Based on the strengths and limits of our instrument, the methodological need of standardization of research instruments is discussed in line with a need of more studies to fully understand the phenomenon.

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Experiences of Interpersonal Violence in Sport and Perceived Coaching Style Among College Athletes

Zogg,

Runquist,

Amick

et al. 2024

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceConcern about interpersonal violence (IV) in sport is increasing, yet its implications remain poorly understood, particularly among currently competing college athletes.ObjectiveTo document the self-reported prevalence of IV in college sports; identify associated risk factors; examine potential consequences associated with athletes’ psychosocial well-being, emotional connection to their sport, and willingness to seek help; and explore the associations between IV reporting and perceived variations in coaching styles.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis survey study analyzes results of the 2021 to 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) myPlaybook survey, which was administered from July to December 2021 to 123 colleges and universities across the US. Participants were NCAA athletes aged 18 to 25 years who were current players on an NCAA-sanctioned team.ExposuresSelf-reported demographic characteristics (eg, athlete gender identity and sexual orientation) and perceived differences in supportive vs abusive coaching styles (eg, athlete autonomy, team culture, and extent of abusive supervision).Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was self-reported experiences of IV in sport during the college sports career of currently competing college athletes. Types of IV considered were physical abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, and neglect or abandonment. Outcomes potentially affected by IV were assessed with 4 questionnaires.ResultsA total of 4119 athletes (mean [SD] age, 19.3 [1.5] years; 2302 males [55.9%]) completed the survey (response rate, 21.2%). One in 10 athletes (404 of 4119 [9.8%]) reported experiencing at least 1 type of IV during their college sports career, of whom two-thirds (267 [6.5%]) experienced IV within the past 6 weeks. On multivariable analysis, female gender identity (odds ratio [OR], 2.14; 95% CI, 1.46-3.13), nonheterosexual sexual orientation (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.01-2.42), increasing age beyond 18 years (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.01-1.30), increasing year of NCAA eligibility beyond the first year (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.02-1.39), and participation in select sports (eg, volleyball: OR, 2.77 [95% CI, 1.34-5.72]; ice hockey: OR, 2.86 [95% CI, 1.17-6.95]) were independently associated with IV. When exposed to IV, college athletes reported experiencing consistently worse psychosocial outcomes, including increased burnout (mean difference on a 5-point Likert scale, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63-0.86; P &lt; .001) and an expressed desire to consider quitting their sport (mean difference, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70-0.92; P &lt; .001). They were not, however, less willing to seek help. Differences in coaching style were associated with differences in IV reporting. In risk-adjusted linear regression models, having a more supportive coach was associated with a 7.4 (95% CI, 6.4-8.4) absolute percentage point decrease in athletes’ probability of reporting experiencing IV. In contrast, having a more abusive coach was associated with up to a 15.4 (95% CI, 13.8-17.1) absolute percentage point increase in athletes’ probability of reporting experiencing IV.Conclusions and RelevanceResults of this survey study suggest that IV is associated with marked changes in the psychosocial health and emotional well-being of college athletes, particularly those who identify as female and with nonheterosexual sexual orientations. Variations in coaching style have the potential to alter these associations. Ongoing efforts are needed to leverage the unique position that coaches hold to help reduce IV and create safe places where all college athletes can thrive.

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Development and initial factor validation of the Violence Toward Athletes Questionnaire (VTAQ) in a sample of young athletes

Abstract: M. (accepted). Development and initial factor validation of the Violence Toward Athletes Questionnaire (VTAQ) in a sample of young athletes. Society and Leisure.

Cited by 38 publications

References 33 publications

Magnitude and Risk Factors for Interpersonal Violence Experienced by Canadian Teenagers in the Sport Context

Magnitude and Risk Factors for Interpersonal Violence Experienced by Canadian Teenagers in the Sport Context

Understanding the Prevalence Rates of Interpersonal Violence Experienced by Young French-Speaking Swiss Athletes

Experiences of Interpersonal Violence in Sport and Perceived Coaching Style Among College Athletes

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