Nicolette Schipper-van Veldhoven

Interpersonal violence against children in sport in the Netherlands and Belgium

The current article reports on the first large-scale prevalence study on interpersonal violence against children in sport in the Netherlands and Belgium. Using a dedicated online questionnaire, over 4,000 adults prescreened on having participated in organized sport before the age of 18 were surveyed with respect to their experiences with childhood psychological, physical, and sexual violence while playing sports. Being the first of its kind in the Netherlands and Belgium, our study has a sufficiently large sample taken from the general population, with a balanced gender ratio and wide variety in socio-demographic characteristics. The survey showed that 38% of all respondents reported experiences with psychological violence, 11% with physical violence, and 14% with sexual violence. Ethnic minority, lesbian/gay/bisexual (LGB) and disabled athletes, and those competing at the international level report significantly more experiences of interpersonal violence in sport. The results are consistent with rates obtained outside sport, underscoring the need for more research on interventions and systematic follow-ups, to minimize these negative experiences in youth sport.

Sexual harassment and abuse in sport: The NOC*NSF helpline

Following a high-profile case of child sexual abuse in sport in 1996, the Netherlands Olympic Committee and the Netherlands Sports Confederation (NOC*NSF) established a telephone ‘helpline’ service on sexual harassment and abuse (SHA). In order to expand their understanding of this problem, NOC*NSF maintained written records of incidents reported to the helpline. These records revealed 323 separate incidents for the period 2001 to 2010. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of this data and discusses the findings. We conclude that whilst there are major limitations to working with information gathered in this way, a sustainable telephone ‘helpline’ can provide a valuable service for the sports community. Whilst official sources of data are known to under represent the scale of sexual abuse, through collaboration with researchers, such services can also generate important information for policymakers.

Profiling perpetrators of interpersonal violence against children in sport based on a victim survey.

The current article reports on perpetrator characteristics gathered in the first large-scale prevalence study on interpersonal violence against children in sport in the Netherlands and Belgium. Using retrospective web survey design, 4043 adults answered questions on their experiences in youth sport. The study looks at the number of perpetrators as well as individual descriptive characteristics (sex, age, and role in the sport organization) of perpetrators of psychological, physical and sexual violence as reported retrospectively by victim-respondents. This information was then clustered to provide an overview of the most common perpetrator profiles. Results show that in all types of interpersonal violence in sport, perpetrators are predominantly male peer athletes who frequently operate together in (impromptu) groups. Several differences between the three types of interpersonal violence are highlighted. While incidents of physical violence perpetrated by coaches tend to be less severe compared to those by other perpetrators, acts of sexual violence committed by a coach are significantly more severe. The presented findings shed new light on perpetrators of interpersonal violence in sport, nuancing the predominant belief that the male coach is the main perpetrator while providing nuanced information that can be utilized to improve prevention and child protection measures and other safeguarding initiatives in sport.

LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN SPORT

Background A recent prevalence study in the Netherlands and Belgium showed that 38% of children in sport experienced psychological violence, 11% physical violence, and 14% sexual violence. Ethnic minority, lesbian/gay/bisexual (LGB) and disabled athletes, and those competing at the international level reported significantly more experiences with interpersonal violence in sport. Objective While general literature has repeatedly shown that exposure to interpersonal violence in childhood is associated with adverse psychological outcomes in adulthood, this relationship has not yet been demonstrated in athletes. This study aims to explore the long-term consequences of these experiences on adult psychopathology and quality of life. Design A cross-sectional, retrospective design, using an online survey, provides a prevalence estimate of interpersonal violence in sport in a representative sample of adults, prescreened on having participated in organized sport before the age of 18 (N=4043). In this sample, psychopathology (depression, anxiety and somatic problems) was assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory. Quality of life was measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL BREF). Using Poisson and ordinal logistic regression, the impact on psychopathology and quality of life was investigated, while controlling for demographics, as well as disability, sexual orientation and adverse childhood experiences outside sport. Results Moderate and severe experiences with interpersonal violence in sport (psychological, physical and sexual) proved to have a significant negative impact on psychopathology and quality of life in adulthood. Conclusions This study shows that interpersonal violence against children in sport is related to mental health problems and lower quality of life in adulthood. With its Consensus Statement on non-accidental violence in sport, the IOC gives a strong impetus to prioritize athlete welfare and implement prevention policies. Sport medicine practitioners can actively contribute to a safer sports climate by being attentive to signs of violence against athletes and effectively respond to disclosures.