Humiliations, physical, verbal attacks… According to a European study, three quarters of children who have practiced sport have already been victims of psychological or physical violence.
Last Saturday 27 November, a study, carried out on more than 10,000 people from 6 European countries, revealed that three quarters of children who played sport were victims of psychological or physical abuse. In the majority of cases, the form of abuse noted is psychological and can sometimes range from lack of appreciation on the part of one or more coaches to outright humiliation.
A total of 10,302 people were surveyed in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Romania, Spain and Great Britain with the help of the Ipsos MORI polling institute. And according to the results of the survey, nearly two-thirds of those questioned declared having suffered psychological violence. At the same time, 44% say they have been victims of physical violence.
“Our findings are obviously very worrying. We have seen a number of high profile cases of child abuse in sport lately, but this study helps us understand more clearly the extent of the problem ”said Mike Hartill, lead author of the report and professor of sports sociology at Edge Hill University in England.
Read also: What to do when you suspect child abuse?
Boys more affected
According to the results obtained through an online questionnaire, Belgium is the country where cases of abuse are the most numerous with almost 80%, unlike Austria which has the lowest rate of abuse (70% ). In all countries except Austria, boys were significantly more likely to experience violence. Scientists behind the report said the study also showed that many sports organizations had failed to extend their protection policies beyond safeguards against sexual violence.
According to Mike Hartill, “Unfortunately, these results indicate a sector that has done too little to tackle the deeply rooted issues in sport”, he says before continuing: “The problem is ultimately rooted in the nature of the relationship between adults and children in sport.” If France is not one of the countries concerned by the study, several cases have recently been revealed in the country, in skating, gymnastics or even judo.