Defining appropriateness in coach-athlete sexual relationships: The voice of coaches

Bringer, Joy D.; Brackenridge, Celia; Johnston, Lucy

doi:10.1080/13552600208413341

Cited by 46 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Coaches' perceptions of borderline acceptable/unacceptable or ambiguous behaviours were also the focus for Bringer's doctoral research (Bringer, Brackenridge, & Johnston, 2002). Using data from interviews with Dutch athletes, Cense and Brackenridge (2001) traced the temporal and developmental sequences of sexual abuse in sport, describing the stages of abuse, the components of each stage, and the indicators of each component.…”

Section: Inside Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

The characteristics of sexual abuse in sport: A multidimensional scaling analysis of events described in media reports

Brackenridge¹,

Bishopp

Moussalli

et al. 2008

International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

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Section: Inside Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

The characteristics of sexual abuse in sport: A multidimensional scaling analysis of events described in media reports

Brackenridge¹,

Bishopp

Moussalli

et al. 2008

International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

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“…What is much more difficult to do, however, is to predict whether or how apparently innocuous behaviours can lead to more serious or sinister ones and whether they might be predictors of sexual abuse. In her study of ambiguous behaviours between swimming coaches and their athletes, Bringer et al (2002) describe how the perceived acceptability of certain behaviours (a touch on the arm or a hug, for example)…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Grooming Process in Sport: Narratives of Sexual Harassment and Abuse

Fasting¹,

Brackenridge²

2005

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Drawing on interviews with two elite female athletes from different sports, one from a study in Norway and the other from a study in England, this article explores the process of 'grooming' in the context of sport. Both athletes experienced grooming for sex by their male coaches yet were able to stop the process at a particular point. Grooming has been used to demarcate 'sexual harassment' and 'sexual abuse' as separate points on a continuum of sexually exploitative behaviours. Grooming involves slowly gaining trust before systematically breaking down interpersonal barriers. Elite athletes can become trapped into compliance because they trust and like, or even love, their abusers. The motivation behind sexual harassment and abuse is often power whereby the harasser seeks to take control over another individual. The abusers use threats (such as being cut from the team) and rewards or privileges to secure cooperation and manipulate the victims to maintain secrecy. Our primary purpose here is to use these adapted realist tales to provide a richer and more personal illustration of these events (within-case) than is presented through extrapolated checklists of 'risk factors' (cross-case). The stories also illustrate vividly elements from the different stages in the grooming process in sport, as described in previous literature. Finally, they reinforce the need to identify protective factors as part of anti-harassment and abuse prevention programmes with both coaches and athletes.

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“…In light of emerging recognition of the problem of sexual abuse and harassment of young athletes by their coach, and the associated inappropriate and harmful touching behaviours that can occur in the context of sport (Brackenridge, 2001), there has been a recent trend to limit or to avoid touch in the coach-athlete relationship (Bringer, Brackenridge, & Johnston, 2002;. A provocative contradiction exists however, regarding the relationship between the use of touch in sport and the welfare of athletes.…”

Section: Touch Aversion In the Coach-athlete Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of Touch in Sport: Athletes’ and Coaches’ Reflections

Kerr

Stirling²,

Heron³

et al. 2015

International Journal of Social Science Studies

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This study examined athletes" and coaches" experiences of positive touch within the coach-athlete relationship, including examples of positive touch, reasons for the use of touch, and factors affecting athletes" acceptance of touch. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 coaches and 10 athletes from various sports. Data were coded using inductive and deductive coding techniques. All participants shared examples of positive touch in sport including: hugs, high fives, physical manipulation of the body, pats on the back, hand shaking, and spotting. Positive touch was reportedly used for affective, behavioural, safety, and cultural reasons. Touch was viewed by these athletes and coaches as being important and even necessary in the sport environment and within the coach-athlete relationship provided that it was individualized and contextualized. The findings are interpreted to suggest that the recent trend to avoid touch in child-populated domains ignores the many benefits of touch for health, instruction, and development.

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Defining appropriateness in coach-athlete sexual relationships: The voice of coaches

Cited by 46 publications

References 19 publications

The characteristics of sexual abuse in sport: A multidimensional scaling analysis of events described in media reports

The characteristics of sexual abuse in sport: A multidimensional scaling analysis of events described in media reports

The Grooming Process in Sport: Narratives of Sexual Harassment and Abuse

The Importance of Touch in Sport: Athletes’ and Coaches’ Reflections

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