Organisational factors and non-accidental violence in sport: A systematic review

Victoria Roberts, Victor Sojo and Felix Grant

Sport Management Review, 2020, vol. 23, issue 1, 8-27

Abstract: •Organisational tolerance for abuse enabled psychological, physical and sexual abuse of athletes.•Conformity to dominant values within sport motivated psychological, physical and sexual abuse of athletes.•Power imbalance enabled psychological and sexual abuse and isolation enabled sexual abuse of athletes.•Perceived instrumental effects motivated psychological and physical abuse. Winner-take-all rewards motivated physical abuse.•We recommend a whole-of-system approach to the prevention and management of non-accidental violence in sport.The objective of the current systematic review was to investigate the organisational factors that enable and motivate non-accidental violence towards athletes in the sport context. The authors identified and reviewed 43 qualitative studies investigating psychological, physical, and sexual abuse of athletes, and developed a framework of organisational factors (i.e., structural, social, and stress factors) related to non-accidental violence. Athletes were the key informants, yet some studies included athletes’ entourages. The authors independently coded the findings sections of the primary research, using the developed framework. Organisational tolerance for abuse and conformity to dominant values within sports were related to all three types of non-accidental violence. Power imbalance appeared as a relevant factor in both psychological and sexual abuse, while isolation was also relevant in sexual abuse. Believing that non-accidental violence had instrumental effects appeared related to both psychological and physical abuse, whereas a winner-take-all reward system was related to physical abuse. Based on this systematic review, the authors proposed an integrated perspective of the organisational factors driving non-accidental violence in sport and conclude by proposing a whole-of-system approach to the prevention and management of non-accidental violence.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1016/j.smr.2019.03.001

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