An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport?

Jeannine Ohlert, Helena Schmitz, Alina Schäfer-Pels and Marc Allroggen
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Jeannine Ohlert: The German Research Center for Elite Sport Cologne—Momentum, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany
Helena Schmitz: Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany
Alina Schäfer-Pels: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany
Marc Allroggen: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075 Ulm, Germany

Social Sciences, 2022, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Background: From qualitative studies with survivors of sexual violence, it is known that two important risk factors for sexual violence are unequal power relations and strong hierarchies; the concept of an empowering climate works against these risk factors and might thus serve as a factor in preventing experiences of sexual violence among athletes. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between an empowering climate within a sport group and experiences of sexual violence. Methods: In total, 644 athletes took part in an online survey measuring their perceptions of the empowering climate within their training group and their observations and experiences of sexual violence within the same group. MANOVAs were used to examine differences in perception of the empowering climate between those athletes who had observed or experienced sexual violence and those who had not. Results: The results reveal that athletes who had experienced or observed sexual violence rated the empowering climate subfactors within their training group as lower and the disempowering climate subfactors as higher. Conclusions: This study supports findings from prior qualitative studies and hints that a climate high in empowerment and low in disempowerment might be a protective factor against sexual violence in sport groups.

Keywords: sexual violence; interpersonal violence; empowering climate; disempowering climate; motivational climate; power relations; hierarchy; elite sport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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