Part 3 GLOBAL ISSUES: HARASSMENT AND ABUSE RESEARCH

Despite important differences in perceptions of what is considered as
unacceptable, there were no significant differences at item level in the reported
prevalence of coach behaviours between the two samples. Major differences in
reported prevalence only appeared after the behaviours were grouped according to
the respective perceptions of KULeuven or VUBrussels students. The explanation
for the significant differences in perceptions may lie in the different philosophical
orientations of the two universities (differences in the type of student that selects to
go to KULeuven or VUBrussels, and different curricula).
The figures based on the most tolerant perception revealed that reported
serious and unacceptable behaviour from the coach is still around an alarming
prevalence level of 20%. Moreover, if we consider the athlete’s perspective as an
indicator of inflicted harm we must not take the most tolerant perception as a
reference. Prevalence figures of unacceptable and serious coach behaviour in
Flanders/Belgium vary between 20% and 50%. Although we are aware of difficulties
related to international comparisons we dare to conclude that the Flanders/Belgium
figures are comparable to those found in the USA, the UK, Australia and the
Scandinavian countries and undoubtedly suggest an evidential trend that sport
governing bodies of sport cannot deny.
Notes
1. Flanders is the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium and includes 60% of the population.
2. We would like to thank the following people for their collaboration: Jos Feys, Karlien Van Kelst
and Christophe Indigne.
3. Although apparently innocent coach behaviour may not be so innocent at all: see the grooming
process, described in chapter 3.5.
4. Brackenridge, C. H., ''He owned me basically...” Women's experience of sexual
abuse in sport, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 1997, 32, pp. 115-30.
5. Fasting, K., ‘Research on sexual harassment and abuse in sport’, 2005, available at
http://www.idrottsforum.org/researchers/faskar.html.
6. Fejgin, N., and Hanegby, R., ‘Gender and cultural bias in perceptions of sexual harassment in
sport’, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 2001, 36, pp. 459-78.
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