Child Maltreatment and Links with Experiences of Interpersonal Violence in Sport in a Sample of Canadian Adolescents

Sylvie Parent (), Camille Clermont, Stephanie Radziszewski, Tine Vertommen and Jacinthe Dion
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Sylvie Parent: Department of Physical Education, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Camille Clermont: School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Stephanie Radziszewski: Department of Physical Education, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Tine Vertommen: Prevention and Empowerment Research Unit, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
Jacinthe Dion: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 2B1, Canada

Social Sciences, 2023, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: Purpose: This study aimed to explore links between child maltreatment (CM) and experiences of interpersonal violence (IV) in sport among adolescent sport participants. To our knowledge, no studies have yet considered this association. This is surprising given that the literature outside of sport clearly shows that CM is related to revictimization in adolescence and adulthood. Methods: The sample consists of 983 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old participating in an organized sport. They completed a self-report survey in class at six Canadian schools assessing CM and IV in sport. Logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between CM and IV in sport. Results: Child physical abuse, emotional abuse, and exposure to domestic violence were significantly associated with psychological violence and neglect in sport. Exposure to domestic violence was the only form of CM significantly associated with physical violence in sport. Child sexual abuse and neglect were significantly associated with sexual violence in sport, while child emotional abuse and exposure to domestic violence were significantly associated with peer violence in sport. Physical abuse was the only form of CM significantly associated with coach violence. Child 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 on how to prevent revictimization. It also highlights the importance of athlete-centered and trauma-informed practices in sport. Implications and Contribution: This study was the first, to our knowledge, to show the relationship between CM and the experience of IV in organized sport, as reported by 983 Canadian adolescents. Our findings reveal different associations depending on the type of IV (physical, sexual, psychological, or neglect) and the perpetrators (peers, coaches, or parents).

Keywords: child maltreatment; adolescents; violence; abuse; sport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:12:y:2023:i:6:p:336-:d:1165046

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