Preventing sexual violence in sport: Determinants of positive coach-bystander behavior

Abstract

Given their central role and position, coaches are instrumental in creating safe sport environments, especially in preventing sexual violence, but little is known about bystander behaviors, hampering the development of effective bystander programs in the context of sport. To identify determining characteristics of bystander behavior, 1,442 Belgian youth sport coaches completed an online questionnaire on bystander-related attitudes, norms, autonomy beliefs, and self-efficacy using two hypothetical scenarios of sexual violence in the sports club. Data were analyzed using confidence interval-based estimation of relevance (CIBER). A total of 127 coaches had witnessed sexual violence over the past year, most but not all intervened. Experiential attitude expectation, instrumental attitude evaluation, perceived referent behavior and approval, and subskill presence were positively associated with coaches’ intention to intervene. Of the determinants of positive coach-bystander behavior, attitude and perceived norms proved key constituents for programs addressing sexual violence in youth sport. We conclude that interventions aiming at increasing positive affective consequences, reinforcing the sense of group membership, and strengthening the social norm of intervening in case of signs of sexual violence may be most influential to stimulate positive coach-bystander behavior.

The journey to reporting child protection violations in sport: Stakeholder perspectives

“…This is helpful to those in policy and practice who seek to strengthen this one part of their safeguarding framework. It will be possible to do strategic work around, for example, barriers to reporting for parents, coaches, and other adults ( Verhelle et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Additional insights and theories as to why adults (athletes, coaches, teammates, and other stakeholders) may not report concerns and/or may perceive barriers to reporting concerns about abuse in youth sport settings have been put forward. The perception that children are vulnerable and incompetent ( Lang, 2022 ), as well as failure to appropriately identity harmful behavior, low self-efficacy for reporting, steep coercive power imbalances, and strict social hierarchies have been identified as factors that promote inaction/non-reporting ( Vertommen et al, 2019 ; Verhelle et al, 2022 ). In a recent study out of Zambia ( Solstadt, 2019 ), lack of social support, wanting to fit in and poverty-related issues were additionally cited as barriers to action/reporting.…”

“… Parent and Vaillancourt-Morel (2020) as well as Toftegaard Nielsen (2001) identify that athletes may perceive some types of abuse as consensual, despite social power imbalances in youth sport. Parent and Vaillancourt-Morel (2020) and Verhelle et al (2022) also indicate that adults in sport may be uncertain how and where to disclose or how and if the disclosure process would proceed traumatically, or yield any constructive outcome. There is some research to suggest that not only is sexual abuse underestimated in boys/men ( Parent and Bannon, 2012 ), but, that toxic gender norms may influence boys’ abuse disclosure behaviors in sport ( Hartill et al, 2021 ).…”

Aproximación conceptual de las violencias en el fútbol (Conceptual approach to violence in football)

“…Estudios han revelado que la prevalencia de acoso sexual y abuso sexual en la población general es significativa, con tasas que varían ampliamente: el acoso sexual varía entre el 19% y el 92%, y las tasas de abuso sexual oscilan entre el 2% y el 49% (Verhelle et al, 2022).…”

Just in time

“…PΔ2 involves using the 5% trimmed maximum and minimum, which helps to reduce sensitivity to outliers (Peters et al, 2021). Additionally, a paper on determinants of positive coach-bystander behavior combines the CIBER plots and the Potential for Change Index for the data analysis (Verhelle et al, 2022). The combination of the CIBER plots and the Potential for Change Index in one place may ease and strengthen the selection procedure when dealing with loads of determinants/beliefs.…”