This book is about sexual abuse in sport and specifically about one girlâs experience of long-term chronic abuse in sport. A ânon-conventionalâ approach is employed to explore the experiences of one female athlete named Bella who was groomed, sexually abused by her male coach and then subjected to years of athlete domestic violence (ADV). Through a collaborative autoethnography process these experiences are reported through vignettes and selected poems, seeking to involve the reader in the grooming process of a young female athlete so that they might react from the different social positions they currently occupy. The focus and strength of this book is the voice of Bella as a detailed case study that will be weaved throughout the book to connect readers who can then identify with the stories and personal experiences that Bella shares.
At this early juncture, Iâd like to warn readers about the risks involved in reading these stories; others whom I have asked to read this book have recognised the risks and if you have experienced something similar, then please make sure you find the right time and put safeguarding measures in place before proceeding. For example, donât read this at work or if you are experiencing stress at work. I suggest you read it in small chunks to let yourself process it at your own time. Additionally, have your support networks around you or available so that you can talk about anything that might arise for you.
Taboos in Sport
Sport is often seen as a functional and positive arena for children, and the âdarker side of sportâ is often avoided. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC 2016) has identified 50,000 children as needing protection from abuse in the United Kingdom. In the United States, more than 3 million reports of child abuse (20.7 % as sexual abuse) are made every year (Childhelp 2014). Despite this prevalence, sexual abuse is a taboo topic in sport, although 2012 seemed to be a breakthrough for victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) with an increased number (71 %) of reported cases of CSA (Laville 2015). Whilst there are large-scale abuse inquiries investigating well-known people in positions of power (Whitehead 2015), little is known about other cases in sport that get pursued which fall out of range from the radar of the media because they are not âwell-knownâ sportspeople.
At the same time, stories in the news can create moral panic, which leads to a culture of fear around coaches as âdangerous individualsâ. Related worries and moral panic potentially hamper an open discussion about dealing with such desires and taboos in sport (Johansson et al. 2016). Whilst this argument might not sit comfortably with the large-scale pattern of abuse, beliefs that perpetrators of CSA are monsters can make the job of identifying abusers more difficult (Owton and Lazard 2015).
Nonetheless, a large body of research (Brackenridge 2001; Bringer, Brackenridge and Johnston 2002; Burke 2001; Fasting and Brackenridge 2009; Hartill 2013; Parent 2011) suggests that competitive sporting environments provide a unique sociocultural context that offers possibilities for sexual abuse and exploitation to take place. In sport, the specific danger is the amount of power invested in the coach (Leahy 2010). The focus of this book is on this abuse of power and provides a more complex picture of the dynamics of abuse between the athlete (the victim) and the perpetrator (coach). Please visit the following link to a video literature review (Owton 2013, http://âwww.âyoutube.âcom/âwatch?âv=âWsgnABvsIT4).
Overview of the Book
The book takes you through different stages of the abuse, which involved the grooming process from the age of 14 years to prepare her to be sexually abused by her male coach and at times raped, which then carried on until she was 18 years old. After this point, she experienced ADV until she was in her mid-20s. Eventually, she found the courage and strength to leave and the book tells her story of the impact the abuse had on her and how she recovered from the abuse.
Chapter 2 focuses on introducing Bella, the âcase studyâ and the methodological approach to the research. Given the existing relationship between myself and Bella, a collaborative autoethnographic approach was employed via âfriendship as methodâ. This is followed by a detailed discussion on feminist ethics of care and the inclusion of âcritical friendsâ who were consulted with at different stages of the research. Discussions highlight the innovative employment of alternative ways of representing research in ways that work viscerally and deeply so that readers may identify with the stories of one female athlete named Bella who was groomed and sexually abused by her male coach. This chapter ends by introducing Bella and explaining how she was involved in discussion on the focus of various chapters and the selection of stories and poems that best described each process.
The next chapter focuses on the grooming process in action and the subtle ways the triangulated relationship between Bella, her coach and the power structures embedded in sporting institutions advances in order for a coach to act on their intent to abuse his duty of care of an athlete. Various theoretical models are introduced and discussed before presenting Bellaâs memories of abuse via vignettes and poems. Bellaâs story of grooming in sport aims to draw the reader in to her experiences of abuse so they may be able to empathise, resonate and understand the abuse at a deeper and more complex level. The chapter ends with considerations of links to three main types of coaches in the sport typology: (1) the Flirting-Charming Coach; (2) the Seductive Coach; and (3) the Authoritarian Coach.
Chapter 4 focuses on sexual assault and rape in sport and considers the norms for gender and sexuality in sport subcultures (e.g. team-based contact sports) that may involve more violence-supportive attitudes, which means characteristics embedded in a masculinist culture can normalise the sexist part of sport and trivialise sexual harassment, rape and abuse. Sexual assault and rape in sport is motivated by âpower overâ and âpower as propertyâ. The vignettes and poems that are presented in this chapter focus on the rape Bella experienced at 17 years of age. The discussion that follows considers the possibility of destabilising readersâ preconceived assumptions about gender and power in sport, challenging some of the commonly held beliefs about rape where the rapist is usually a stranger.
As Bellaâs story moves on, the sexual abuse continues, which then becomes more complex and develops into ADV. Chapter 5 explores the underexplored area of ADV. Much literature in this field has focused on the relationship between sports events and an increase in domestic violence reports. Arguments around consenting age, duty of care and professional standards are considered together with the question over appropriateness of developing a romantic relationship with an athlete. The Duluth model (the power and control wheel) and Karpmanâs drama triangle are discussed as ways to understand tactics employed by the abuser. Bellaâs story, the perspective of the abused, continues.
I would like to end on a positive here as this book could be a very helpful resource for those who might have experienced sexual abuse in sport. Chapter 6 focuses on how Bella finally left the abusive relationship and the impact that sexual abuse in sport had on Bella. This chapter focuses on the ways victims of sexual abuse may be able to recover from sexual abuse in sport and the lengthy time this can take for any individual. A trauma framework (post-traumatic stress disorder) is employed to understand Bellaâs reactions to abuse in sport. Considerations are made about how writing personal stories can also be therapeutic for participants and readers and reflections from the researcher are offered.
Throughout the book, the researcherâs voice is present and discussed in terms of the ethics involved in conducting research into this topic. Whilst I found many of the aspects of learning about Bellaâs story challenging, because of the awareness of the flexibility needed between striving for âinclusionâ and needing to âback offâ (Smith et al. 2009), I am in agreement with Douglas and Carless (2012, p. 50) in that âdespite the challenges they can create, the kinds of relationships âinsiderâ status offers lead to valuable and even unique insightsâ. Indeed, some of the kinds of embodied, emotional and performed interactions (Ezzy 2010) I experienced with Bella would not have been accessible had I taken a more âdistancedâ approach. Friendship as method, I argue, demands that as the researcher I needed to engage in acute and sustained reflexivity and self-scrutiny, contextually shif...