Secrecy Surrounding the Physical Abuse of Child Athletes in Australia

McPherson, Lynne; Long, Maureen; Nicholson, Matthew; Cameron, Nadine; Atkins, Prue; Morris, Meg E.

doi:10.1080/0312407x.2016.1142589

Cited by 25 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…All were published within the past six years. Of those, two studies employed a qualitative design,51 52 one used quantitative methods53 and five employed a mixed methods study design (eg, combination of in-person or telephone interview and a survey tool) 54–58. Four studies were conducted in the USA, while the remainder were conducted in the UK, the Netherlands and Australia.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Haegele et al 52 did describe increased perceived risk of bullying in an active, visually impaired child due to his strong academic skills, but this theme did not apply to the remaining study participants. McPherson et al 58 suggested that a younger age may place Para athletes at increased risk of non-accidental harms. Stafford et al 54 55 described a competition-level trend for all athletes studied: as recreational athletes rose through the competitive ranks, frequency of physical abuse decreased, while frequency of emotional abuse increased.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bullying behaviours by peer athletes were reported most commonly, though coaches and teachers were also described 57 58. In one study, athletes (as opposed to non-athletes) with impairment tended to internalise the pain associated with bullying through self-blame 56.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adults (eg, teachers and coaches) instigated emotional abuse and discrimination as well. McPherson’s analysis painted vivid images: one young athlete recalled being told by an instructor to give up because she was worthless, and another described the psychological damage her coach inflicted as ‘irreparable’: her once-energetic and positive outlook on life replaced by a sad shell of herself with no self-confidence 58. Another young athlete described how, despite being a healthy body weight, she was publicly described by an authority figure as having a huge tire around her waist, causing humiliation, deep shame and an eating disorder 58.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…McPherson’s analysis painted vivid images: one young athlete recalled being told by an instructor to give up because she was worthless, and another described the psychological damage her coach inflicted as ‘irreparable’: her once-energetic and positive outlook on life replaced by a sad shell of herself with no self-confidence 58. Another young athlete described how, despite being a healthy body weight, she was publicly described by an authority figure as having a huge tire around her waist, causing humiliation, deep shame and an eating disorder 58. Additionally, two young male athletes reported suicide attempts as a result of emotional harm inflicted during sport by adults, consistent with a first-person analysis from Dane-Staples’ report 56 58…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non-accidental harms (‘abuse’) in athletes with impairment (‘para athletes’): a state-of-the-art review

et al. 2019

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ObjectivePara athletes reap significant health benefits from sport but are vulnerable to non-accidental harms. Little is known about the types and impacts of non-accidental harms Para athletes face. In this literature review, we summarise current knowledge and suggest priorities for future research related to non-accidental harms in Para athletes.DesignSix electronic databases were searched between August and September 2017. 2245 articles were identified in the initial title/abstract review, and 202 records were selected for full-text review following preliminary screening. Two independent examiners evaluated each full text, and eight citations were selected based on inclusion/exclusion criteria.Data sourcesMEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus and Academic Search Premier.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesInclusion criteria: (A) human participants; (B) written in English; (C) descriptive, cohort and case series, case–control, qualitative, mixed methods studies and all clinical trials; and (D) data pertain to harassment/abuse of youth, recreational, collegiate, national-level and/or elite-level athletes with a physical and/or intellectual impairment.ResultsMost studies focused on young, visually impaired athletes and approximately half of all studies described high rates of bullying and its social implications. One study confirmed remarkably high rates of psychological, physical and sexual harms in Para athletes, compared with able-bodied peers.ConclusionsBullying in young, visually impaired athletes is described most commonly in the available literature. Due to the limited amount of data, the prevalence of non-accidental harms in Para athletes remains unclear and information on trends over time is similarly unavailable.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non-accidental harms (‘abuse’) in athletes with impairment (‘para athletes’): a state-of-the-art review

et al. 2019

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Safeguarding strategies in athletes with intellectual disabilities: A narrative review

Raum,

Chowdhary,

Glotfelty‐Scheuering

et al. 2024

PM&R

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Compared to non‐disabled peers, athletes with disabilities are at an increased risk of interpersonal violence in sport. Athletes with intellectual disabilities specifically may face compounded risk due to impaired communication and social challenges. Despite the inherent risk of interpersonal violence in athletes with intellectual disabilities, there is a paucity of literature focused on safeguarding strategies in this population, and no global consensus prevention guidelines exist. The goal of this review was to synthesize literature on interpersonal violence in athletes with intellectual disabilities and propose an evidence‐informed safeguarding framework. Future research and practice should emphasize tailored training on appropriate athlete protection strategies and ways to recognize and respond to suspicions of abuse in this population. Given the benefits of sports participation for persons with intellectual disabilities, implementation of fit‐for‐purpose safeguarding strategies would help address any elevated risk of interpersonal violence. Formal monitoring and evaluation of these initiatives can help minimize interpersonal violence.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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The Politics of Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport in England

McVeigh

Lang

2021

The Palgrave Handbook of Sport, Politics and Harm

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Secrecy Surrounding the Physical Abuse of Child Athletes in Australia

Cited by 25 publications

References 18 publications

Non-accidental harms (‘abuse’) in athletes with impairment (‘para athletes’): a state-of-the-art review

Non-accidental harms (‘abuse’) in athletes with impairment (‘para athletes’): a state-of-the-art review

Safeguarding strategies in athletes with intellectual disabilities: A narrative review

The Politics of Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport in England

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