Speakers
Description
Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore links between child maltreatment (CM) and experiences of interpersonal violence (IV) in sport among adolescents’ sport participants.
Methods: The sample consists of 983 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old practicing organized sport. They completed a self-report survey in class in six Canadian schools assessing CM and IV in sport. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between CM and IV in sport.
Results: Physical abuse, emotional abuse, and exposure to domestic violence were significantly associated with psychological violence in sport. Exposure to domestic violence was the only form of CM that was significantly associated with physical violence in sport. Sexual abuse and neglect were significantly associated with sexual violence in sport. Emotional abuse and exposure to domestic violence were significantly associated with peer violence in sport. Physical abuse was the only form of CM that was significantly associated with violence from coaches. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence were positively associated with violence from parents in sport.
Conclusions: Considering the associations between CM and IV in sport, further investigations are necessary to clarify this relation, particularly the direction of the association and other possible related factors. It also highlights the importance of athlete-centered and trauma-informed practices in sport.
