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Description
This paper examines group sexual assaults, which involve multiple perpetrators in a single sexually violent act, in the context of junior men’s hockey in Canada. Research outside of the context of sport suggests that group sexual assaults are relatively rare. However, the prevalence of group sexual assaults reported against male junior hockey players in Canada is significantly disproportionate to reported perpetration rates by men who do not participate in competitive sports. While group and individual forms of sexual assault share obvious similarities, there are also important distinctions between them that are explored in this paper. The data analyzed include media files and written legal decisions involving group sexual assault allegations against 65 Canadian junior men’s hockey players, of which 64 have been found not guilty or had charges dismissed, and one pleaded guilty. The aims of the paper are to examine how sport organizations and the Canadian legal system have responded in these cases, why group sexual assaults continue to be common in junior men’s hockey in Canada, and how group sexual assaults perpetrated by competitive male athletes can be more effectively prevented.
