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Contrasts the respective approaches of a contributor, Michael Burke to two moral issues in sport. Information on coach-athlete sex exploitation; The incongruity in an article on boxing.

The current study assessed the perceptions of acceptable sexual behaviour of coaches and the occurrence of sexual harassment among female student in India. A sample of 180 Indian female student-athletes at intercollegiate and inter-university levels with male coaches participated in this study. A questionnaire on sport-specific Touch and Behaviour versus Unwanted Intimacy from coaches (Vanden Auweele et al., 2008), consisting of 41 items on a 5-point rating scale was used. The participants were asked to indicate the acceptability of specific coaching behaviour as well as the occurrence of the behaviour represented in each item. The acceptability of the behaviour was determined by means and standard deviations, while the occurrence was determined by frequencies. Factor analysis was performed to determine the structure of the coaches' behaviour and athletes' acceptability thereof, which yielded four factors. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the extracted items on each factor. Two factors, namely, unwanted sexual behaviour and inappropriate verbal and physical sexual behaviour, were regarded by athletes as very serious and unacceptable coach behaviour, while a third factor represented context-dependent suspicious behaviour (a grey area in which athletes differ in their opinion) and was perceived to be serious and unacceptable. A fourth factor represented acceptable behaviour. The occurrence of very serious and unacceptable behaviour was reported by 31% of the female athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we question the rationality of ‘no-touch policies’ and offer an alternative approach to the matter of physical contact between teachers and students in the context of physical education (PE) in schools. Earlier research has drawn attention to how a discourse of child protection is starting to affect how physical contact is viewed in PE practice. The avoidance of intergenerational touch is increasingly justified by referring to the children's rights agenda. Here, arguments for ‘no-touching’ are linked to children's right to be protected from harm. In the paper we explore a children's rights-based viewpoint thatsupportsthe use of and need for physical contact in PE teaching by developing theoretical and practice-based arguments. An alternative children's rights perspective, based on rights theorising, is used to formulate the theoretical argument. Interviews with 16 PE teachers about their experiences of physical contact in their pedagogical work form the practice-based arguments. The two arguments provide a way of looking at intergenerational touch in education from the vantage point of children's human right to develop to their full potential, which can support a need for physical touch in pedagogical situations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In response to a series of high-profile cases of sexual abuse of athletes in the 1990s, sport organizations across several nations engaged in policy development intended to introduce preventive measures and processes to address athlete maltreatment. In 1996, Sport Canada – the funding body for national sport organizations (NSOs) – stipulated that such funding was to be contingent upon each NSO having a harassment policy and trained, arm’s-length harassment officers who would address complaints. Some 17 years have passed since these requirements were mandated, and it is timely to address the current status of these policies. The purpose of this study therefore was to examine the extent to which the policies of sport organizations meet the requirements stipulated by Sport Canada. A review of a sample of sport organizations revealed that 86% of national and 71% of provincial (Ontario) sport organizations had accessible harassment policies. In many, however, critical information, such as a detailed complaint process, or articulation of the rights of the complainant and respondent was missing. Although all of the national and provincial organizations’ policies included references to a harassment officer, only 10% and 14%, respectively, actually had harassment officers; furthermore, none of these were at arm’s length to the organization. The results clearly indicate that Canada is falling far short of the requirements initially stipulated by Sport Canada for athlete protection. Recommendations are made for having a centralized pool of trained harassment officers and an approach to policies and practices that reflect a broader ‘ethic of care’ approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study investigates whether sport is an especially risky environment for sexual harassment to occur. It explores female students’ experiences of sexual harassment in organized sport and compares them with their experiences in formal education, by addressing the following research questions: (1) Are there any differences in female sport students’ experiences of sexual harassment in sport and education? (2) Are there any differences in female sport students’ experiences of sexual harassment from coaches and teachers? (3) Are there any differences in female sport students’ experiences from peer students and peer athletes? A total of 616 female students from three different European countries, Czech Republic, Greece and Norway, answered a questionnaire. The results revealed that the students had experienced more sexual harassment in an educational setting than in a sport setting. Further analysis showed that this was primarily due to sexual harassment from peers in school. In Greece and Norway, there was no difference between occurrences from teachers and coaches, yet in Czech Republic coaches appear to harass more than teachers. The difference between sexual harassment occurring from peers in sport and in education is discussed in relation to whether the sense of belonging/camaraderie that a sport club member may experience might function as a barrier for sexual harassment to occur—because it embarrasses or hurts a teammate. In addition, sport clubs and teams are governed by their respective sport rules and possibly by additional club/team rules, which may also establish extra inside-club/team boundaries for acceptable and nonacceptable/harassing behaviors. This article concludes that greater emphasis ought to be placed on education; not only toward shaping safer teacher/coach behaviors, but also toward the student/athlete behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The examination of sexual harassment in sport has become an active research field within the past two decades. It is especially important for sport psychology consultants to understand this issue because they have professional opportunities to influence both individual and organizational responses to it. This article uses interview data from an investigation of sexual harassment in sport to examine the personal responses of 25 elite female athletes to their experiences of sexual harassment. The athletes reacted with disgust, fear, irritation, and anger when the sexually harassing incidents occurred. They also demonstrated individual, internally focused responses to the harassment rather than collective, externally focused ones. This suggests that sport organizations have much work to do on both education and organizational change if sexual harassment is to be challenged and eradicated. The findings also indicate that sport psychology consultants have a role to play in equipping athletes with the necessary skills to avert or confront sexual harassment in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse among 660 Norwegian elite female athletes and an agematched control sample of nonathletes. It also explores differences in the prevalence of harassment and abuse in sport and work or school settings and compares harassment and abuse perpetrated by male authority figures and peers in these different contexts. No differences were found between the athletes and controls in overall prevalence of sexual harassment or abuse. However, the athletes experienced significantly more harassment from male authority figures than did the controls. Based on these results, the article considers whether or not sport offers women any particular immunity from sexual harassment and abuse. The implications of the findings for structural and cultural change in sport are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the significance of sports in human development. The author reveals that sport involvement and the formal recognition of sport as a fundamental human right results to the achievement of a peak performance state. Moreover, sports administrators facilitate the personal growth and development of the athletes. However, he emphasized the occurrence of sexual harassment and sexual abuse, not only in women but in sportsmen as well. He reveals that sportsmen experience the abuse of hazing and initiation rituals rooted in sexual identity challenges. Moreover, sportsmen also report sexual victimization. He recommends mechanisms to preserve the safety of sport participants from sexual harassment including creation of public policy in sports and training of sport administrators.

The article presents a review of essays including "Spoilsports: Understanding and preventing sexual exploitation in sport," "The Dome of Silence: Sexual harassment and abuse in sport," and "Sexual Harassment in Sports: Issues, impact, and challenges." The author declares that the three essays provide empirical evidences of sexual abuse in sport especially in women. It reveals that sexual exploitation involves discrimination, harassment and abuse. The essays question the role attribution that cultures confer on coaches. They emphasize the necessity of effective implementation of policies concerning sexual abuse in sport.

Sexual harassment at institutions of higher learning is not a new phenomenon but discussions of this problem in the sporting arena are still scarce. Many studies have focused on student-teacher relationships, few investigations have researched athlete-coach relationships, and hardly any have conducted comparative analyses. This study compares the perceptions and the experiences of sexual harassment of athletes and students. It is not a surprise that most harassing behaviors are ext ended from men towards women. Thus, this investigation analyses and compares female student/male teacher interactions with female athlete/male coach relations. The findings indicate that sexual harassment is slightly more prevalent in academia than in athletics. However, in order to guarantee a safe learning environment for all participants in both domains, it is necessary to formulate clear guidelines, to set up educational workshops and to implement intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual harassment research was first undertaken in the workplace and educational settings. Research on sexual harassment in sport is scarce but has grown steadily since the mid-1980s. Even so, very little is known about the causes and/or characteristics and/or consequences of sexual harassment in sport settings. This article reports on the findings from interviews with 25 elite female athletes in Norway who indicated in a prior survey (n = 572) that they had experienced sexual harassment from someone in sport. The consequences of the incidents of sexual harassment that were reported were mostly negative, but some also reported that their experiences of sexual harassment had had no consequences for them. Thinking about the incidents', a 'destroyed relationship with the coach', and 'a more negative view of men in general' were the most often negative consequences mentioned. In addition, a surprising number had chosen to move to a different sport or to drop out of elite sport altogether because of the harassment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses sexual abuse in sport. After overviewing the history and origin of sports, its relation to morality is also discussed. It also enumerates a characteristic set of beliefs about sport that inhibited organizational responses to the issue of sexual exploitation in sport at all levels. It also enumerates several research studies that have been conducted to map the extent and nature of sexual harassment and abuse. Research methodologies such as the use of quantitative surveys, tests and scales, qualitative interviews, documentary content analysis, biography and narrative analysis and discourse analysis are recommended.