Sexual harassment and abuse in coach–athlete relationships in Sweden

Abstract

Sexual harassment and abuse (SHA) can have a profound negative impact, but research on SHA in sport is scarce and studies of SHA in Swedish sport are absent. This study explores (a) self-reported prevalence of SHA perpetrated by coaches among male and female Swedish athletes, and (b) descriptive statistics for coach–athlete relationship factors and the association between these relationship factors and reported SHA. Current and former Swedish club sport athletes (n = 477) aged 25 participated in the survey. Athletes reported 5.5% prevalence of coach SHA, of which inappropriate, unpleasant, or offensive physical contact were most common. No significant differences of SHA frequency were displayed across gender, sport performance levels, or individual/team sports. A majority of athletes (55–95%) reported trust, closeness, substantial coach influence over sport performance, and instructional physical contact as main coach–athlete relationship factors. A minority (13–39%) reported dependency, substantial coach influence over personal-life, non-instructional physical contact, sexualized comments and jokes, and flirting. Prevalence of coach–athlete friendships, athlete attraction to coaches, and coaches’ instructional physical contact differed significantly between male and female athletes. Closeness and athlete attraction to coaches were negatively related, and coaches’ non-instructional physical contact and flirting were positively related to reported SHA. Multi-causality and ambiguity of coach–athlete relationship factors are discussed.

Keywords:

• Sexual harassment and abuse
• coach–athlete relationship
• sport
• prevalence

Notes

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributors

Susanne Johansson holds a MA in sociology and is currently a PhD student in sport sciences at The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences. Her doctoral research is on coach–athlete sexual relationships and SHA in sports.

Carolina Lundqvist holds a PhD in psychology and is an Associate professor at the Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, Karlstad University. Her research focuses primarily on wellbeing in elite sport and the application of cognitive behavioral therapy in sport psychology.

Notes

1 The article uses the abbreviations SA (sexual abuse), SH (sexual harassment), and SHA (sexual harassment and abuse).

2 All translations from Swedish to English are the author’s. 

3 Coaches gender distribution among male and female athletes: Exclusively or mostly male coaches: M = 95%, F = 46%; as many male as female coaches: M = 4%, F = 30%, exclusively or mostly female coaches: M = 1%, F = 24%.

4 For example, 41% and 11% (Auweele et al., 2008); 23% coach sample (Hassall et al., 2002); 22% (Kirby et al., 2000); 18% (Leahy et al., 2002); 44% (Tomlinson & Yorganci, 1997); 31% and 76%, (Volkwein et al., 1997).