Part 3 GLOBAL ISSUES: HARASSMENT AND ABUSE RESEARCH

The research that supported and underpinned this work has primarily
originated from the child maltreatment literature. The majority of literature on
emotional abuse has come from the disciplines of child psychiatry, psychology,
paediatrics, social work and law. The most influential work that began the
dialogue into emotional abuse was undertaken by Garbarino in the late 1970s
and 1980s. The seminal work in which he termed emotional abuse as the ‘elusive
crime’ opened up an area that had previously been ignored. 2 Garbarino
highlighted adult behaviour towards children which was emotionally abusive.
Such behaviour included: humiliating, belittling, shouting, threatening and
rejecting. Thus, he presented a framework from which the majority of work on
emotional abuse has developed.
Emotional abuse is not always observable and the damage it causes may
only manifest itself much later in life (perhaps long after athletes have retired
from competing). Apparently mild acts repeated over a long period of time can
have a severe damaging outcome. Thus, it is the ‘drip, drip effect’ of children
constantly experiencing the abusive behaviour or action that can result in
psychological and emotional damage. 3 Emotional abuse constitutes the series of
interactions, or patterns of behaviour within a relationship. This can be the case
between coach and child athlete, rather than an isolated event as is often the
case with sexual or physical abuse. Furthermore, research has shown that
children who suffer emotional abuse can exhibit a range of emotional problem
symptoms which can include depression, diminished feelings of self worth,
anxiety, emotional instability and eating disorders. 4
The recognition of emotional abuse is further complicated by the culture or
context within which it occurs. When it is so common, and therefore accepted by
those within the culture, there is no acknowledgement that there could be an
emotionally damaging outcome. 5 Thus, the prevailing culture can mask
emotionally abusive behaviour because it becomes normalised. This describes
the situation within elite sport, where intensive coaching methods are an integral
part of the sport culture and, as such, are rarely challenged because they
produce winning results. Furthermore, because the damaging effects of the
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