See also: Athlete Abuse, Athlete Maltreatment
Coach abuse refers to any behavior by a coach towards an athlete that is harmful, manipulative, or exploitative. It can take many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, and psychological abuse (Wilinsky & McCabe, 2020). This includes any behavior that violates the trust or power dynamic between coach and athlete, such as inappropriate comments or gestures, unwanted physical contact, or coercion into sexual activity (Gaedicke et al., 2021). Coach abuse can have serious negative consequences for the athlete, including mental health problems, decreased athletic performance, and long-term trauma (Kerr & Stirling, 2019). It is a serious issue that requires greater attention and action to prevent and address in sports (Willson et al., 2022).
References
Gaedicke, S., Schäfer, A., Hoffmann, B., Ohlert, J., Allroggen, M., Hartmann-Tews, I., & Rulofs, B. (2021). Sexual Violence and the coach–athlete relationship—a scoping review from sport sociological and sport psychological perspectives. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.643707
Kerr, G., & Stirling, A. (2019). Where is safeguarding in sport psychology research and Practice? Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 31(4), 367–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2018.1559255
Wilinsky, C. L., & McCabe, A. (2020). A review of emotional and sexual abuse of elite child athletes by their coaches. Sports Coaching Review, 10(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2020.1775378
Willson, E., Kerr, G., Stirling, A., & Buono, S. (2022). Prevalence of maltreatment among canadian national team athletes. Journal of interpersonal violence, 37(21-22), NP19857–NP19879. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211045096
