Effective engagement of survivors of harassment and abuse in sport in athlete safeguarding initiatives: a review and a conceptual framework

Abstract

Sport, as a microcosm of society, is not immune to the abuse of its stakeholders. Attention to abuse in sport has recently become a priority for sport organisations following several high-profile cases of athlete abuse from different sports around the world. Resulting from this increased awareness, many sport organisations have commenced work in the field of athlete safeguarding including the development of policy, educational programmes, reporting pathways, investigation mechanisms and research initiatives. One mechanism adopted by many sport organisations to support their safeguarding efforts is the engagement of survivors of abuse in sport: typically, as guest speakers at conferences or educational events. Unfortunately, many sport organisations do not have the knowledge or trauma-informed expertise to engage survivors safely and effectively; and in doing so, may unintentionally retraumatise the survivor if erroneous methods of engagement are employed. For some survivors, this experience may compound the original harms, and thus it also represents an area of vulnerability for the organising entity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the rationale for partnering with survivors of abuse in sport in safeguarding initiatives and to propose a living conceptual framework to support effective and safe survivor engagement in safeguarding initiatives. We will explore the underpinning scientific background, as well as the ‘why’, and ‘how’ of survivor engagement to inform sport organisations, research scientists, policy-makers, conference organisers, safeguarding officers, sport medicine clinicians and survivors themselves.

Navigating in the Gray Area of Coach-Athlete Relationships in Sports: Toward an In-depth Analysis of the Dynamics of Athlete Maltreatment Experiences

“…In the case of a return to sport following an injury, anxiety symptoms might be reduced through cognitive behavioral therapy or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing interventions, with the return to competition secured through the retreatment of the emotional, cognitive and body dysfunctions (e.g., Shapiro, 2017 ). This is particularly relevant in situations of the sports-related maltreatment experience, given its traumatic aspect (Mountjoy et al, 2022 ; Tuakli-Wosornu et al, 2022 ). It is also important to consider the potential for growth (e.g., awareness of the power of decision and action in a maltreatment situation) and, when applicable, psychological interventions could be designed in this direction, such as those proposed by Peters ( 2021 ).…”

‘#BeTheChange’: the responsibility of sports medicine in protecting athletes from harassment and abuse in sport

“… 12 Sports medicine physicians should also be trained in the principles and skills of trauma-informed care to prevent re-traumatisation of athlete victims of harassment and abuse. 13 These core clinical competencies should be embedded in the sports medicine fellowship training curriculum. 14 Finally, we must understand and acknowledge that sports medicine physicians cannot bring effective change if the ecosystem in sports does not recognise the place they have in helping athletes thrive.…”

“…Sports medicine physicians should have the clinical competence to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse, to manage disclosures of athlete allegations, to be knowledgeable of reporting obligations and mechanisms, and to support the athlete in their recovery as a member of a multidisciplinary team (ie, sports medicine, sports psychiatry, specialist as required) 12. Sports medicine physicians should also be trained in the principles and skills of trauma-informed care to prevent re-traumatisation of athlete victims of harassment and abuse 13. These core clinical competencies should be embedded in the sports medicine fellowship training curriculum 14.…”

Evaluation of Publicly Accessible Child Protection in Sport Education and Reporting Initiatives

“…Educating stakeholders on how to promote and foster a positive sport environment is of the utmost importance; specifically, it has been noted that the advancement of safe sport should move beyond the prevention of harm (what not to do) and focus on the optimisation of the sport experience through the promotion of positive values as well (what to do; Gurgis and Kerr 2021;Lang and Hartill 2015). Future improvements to this basic course material might include an increased emphasis on 'upskilling' key stakeholders (e.g., coaches) by providing learning content focused on developing holistic, athlete-centred, and rights-based coaching tactics and building strategies that create a foundation for positive relationships with parents, athletes, and other sport practitioners (Jenkins 2021); educating stakeholders about soft skills and appropriate strategies (e.g., communication, motivation) for positively engaging athletes in the modern sport environment (Howman et al 2021;Bennett 2018); and, incorporating athletes' perspectives in the development and implementation of education (Mountjoy et al 2022;Willson et al 2022). Further, recognising that maltreatment in sport is not a "one-person problem", organisations' efforts to design and deliver content for a variety of stakeholders, including parents, athletes, and sport administrators, is needed to challenge the socialisation and normalisation of poor practices (Johnson et al 2020;…”

“…In the current study, it was not possible to determine whether maltreatment survivors were engaged in the development and implementation of the safe sport initiative educational components and reporting procedures. Increased advocacy and literature highlight the importance of engaging survivors and/or athletes in the advancement of sport safeguarding initiatives (Mountjoy et al 2022;Willson et al 2022); therefore, this remains an area for future research and practice.…”