According to a study conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University nearly 40% of adult Americans report experiencing some form of sport-related mistreatment in their lives. This mistreatment spans a range of negative experiences, from psychological and emotional abuse to physical and sexual misconduct.
The study, led by Mariah Warner, a doctoral student in sociology at Ohio State, was published online in the International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure. Utilizing survey data from 3,849 adults across all 50 states, the research drew participants from the National Sports and Society Survey (NSASS), sponsored by Ohio State's Sports and Society Initiative. Participants responded to the survey online between the fall of 2018 and spring of 2019, volunteering through the American Population Panel run by Ohio State's Center for Human Resource Research.
Overall, 38% of respondents answered yes to the question, "Have you ever been mistreated in your sports interactions?" Intriguingly, one-third of those who never played organized sports also reported experiencing sport-related mistreatment.
"Many people talk about how they hated middle school or high school because of recess or gym class and the abuse or shame they felt playing sports in that environment," said Chris Knoester, co-author of the study and professor of sociology at Ohio State University. "It just speaks to the pervasiveness of sport-related mistreatment in our society that we document in this research."
The most common type of mistreatment reported was psychological or emotional, cited by 64% of those who experienced mistreatment. Hate speech and discrimination were also prevalent. About one-quarter of respondents indicated that the mistreatment was physical in nature, while 10% reported experiencing sexual mistreatment.
"The amount of mistreatment people report is remarkable," Knoester remarked. "It really stands in contrast to the myth that sports are all good and wholesome and positive for those who play."
Weight emerged as the most frequent reason for mistreatment, cited by 52% of those affected. "Physical education classes and recess put your bodies on display in ways that don't happen too commonly otherwise," Knoester noted. "And obviously weight is something that people observe, and classmates or people in public may be quick to mistreat or ridicule others if their weight doesn't conform to cultural expectations."
Following weight, other common reasons for mistreatment included gender (34%), sexual identity (20%), race or ethnicity (19%), disability status (12%), and religion (11%). The study also found that individuals who were successful students but less athletic reported higher instances of mistreatment. Additionally, elite sports and more competitive environments appeared to be more prone to such negative experiences.
Strikingly, the research revealed that men and white individuals were most likely to face sport-related mistreatment. Knoester explained that other studies show Black individuals often perceive sports as relatively more positive environments for social interactions and feedback, which might contribute to them reporting less mistreatment. For men, the culture surrounding masculinity in sports may lead to more frequent occurrences of ridicule, fighting, hazing, and other forms of mistreatment.
Knoester acknowledged that the study might still underestimate the true extent of the issue. "These were adults remembering events from their childhood, so there may be a problem with recall," he said. "And Americans are generally positive about sports, so they may not be inclined to report bad things that happened to them in that context."
He expressed hope that shedding light on these findings would prompt a deeper examination of the culture within sports. "Sports-related interactions aren't always positive," Knoester stated. "I think it is important to better understand how frequently negative interactions occur and what we can do as a society to improve the culture of sports. Otherwise, there is not a means in place for betterment."
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.