User:CharlieFarrell74/Misogyny in sports

Sexual harassment in the sports workplace
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), "working women face higher risks than men from job-related stress, and one of the most noxious stressors sexual harassment." The International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement defines sexual harassment as "any unwanted and unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal or physical." This form of harassment is a common fear among female athletes. Sexual harassment takes place within all different sport groups and may be perpetrated by a number of different people within the sports world. "The perpetrators of sexual harassment include trainers/coaches, spectators, teammates, sports managers, masseurs, and male peer athletes." (The forbidden acts) A study conducted by Sandra L. Kirby and Lorraine Greaves on 1200 female, Canadian national team athletes concluded that the majority of reported acts of sexual harassment involved coaches. However, other figures including "medical doctors or personnel, physiotherapists, strangers, national team committee members, or site managers" were also involved in reported accounts of sexual harassment, just on a lower scale. The same study also concluded that "while some athletes related personal accounts of harassment and abuse, many reported the ongoing nature of these activities. They happened in a number of places (on team trips, during training or in private locations like the home or vehicle of a coach or older athlete) rather than restricted to a single and predictable site." The ongoing occurrences of sexual harassment may happen over a short or long period of time and almost always happen in private. In 1972, Title IX was passed and required female athletes equal opportunities in college. This turned many previously volunteer women's sports coaching jobs into paid coaching positions which made them more attractive. The number of men in coaching positions in women’s college sports increased from less than 10 percent to more than 50 percent after 1972. This added to the unequal power dynamic between coaches and female players that could lead to sexual harassment.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the existence of sexual harassment of female athletes. Two of the most prominent factors are the lack of awareness of sexual harassment in the sports industry and the lack of knowledge on how to both seek and provide help. A study done in 2011 in Quebec called "Disclosure of Sexual Abuse in Sport Organizations: A Case Study" points to the many problems in sports organizations. Most instances point to women rarely, if ever, reporting assault or harassment in the sports business. Most coaches, athletes, and administrators were not even aware of existing protocols of sexual harassment. When questioned about this concerning issue, the administrators resorted back to their lawyers; assuming that the issue was far too complicated to tackle. "Harms caused by harassment and abuse still represent a blind spot for many sport organizations, either through fear of reputational damage or through ignorance, silence and collusion." Female athletes and sports industry employees need more education on what acts of sexual harassment look like, how to seek help, and who they can trust to speak out to. "All forms of harassment and abuse breach human rights and may constitute a criminal offence. Therefore, there is a legal and moral duty of care incumbent on those who organize sport, to ensure that risks of non-accidental violence are identified and mitigated."

Male-Dominated Power Dynamics: A Catalyst for Sexual Harassment in Sports
Another factor that contributes to the existence of sexual harassment of female athletes is the male-dominated power dynamic between men and women in the world of sports. "Sexual harassment and abuse in sport stem from abuses of power relations facilitated by an organizational culture that ignores, denies, fails to prevent or even tacitly accepts such problems." In an article titled "Sexual Violence and the Coach-Athlete Relationship- A Scoping Review From Sport Sociological and Sport Psychological Perspectives," author Sonja Gaedicke notes that "The gendered social structure of sport organizations and the legitimate authority of coaches give them a position of power that is often unquestioned and uncontrolled." Because of this power dynamic between player and coach, especially between male coaches and female players, there is far more opportunity for male coaches to exert their power over the female players in a predatory or sexual manner. The system in which players and coaches exist is one that is overwhelmingly male-dominated, which can also lead to athletes struggling to speak out for fear of not being heard or taken seriously by their other male leaders or coaches.

Women in powerful positions, such as successful athletes, are often viewed as too aggressive or assertive, thus receiving harassment for challenging the preconceived notion of a hierarchy. Targets of sexual harassment are more likely to be female because they may have masculine tendencies, and men feel the need to reassure their "masculine dominance". In addition, the male-dominated power dynamic also affects non athlete women of the sports world. One occupation that frequently experiences sexual harassment in the sport industry are female sport media print professionals. Female sport media print professionals are typically sports editors, sportswriters, sports columnists, and sports reporters. As reported by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida in 2012, 90% of sports editors and 88% of sports reporters are men. The disproportion between men and women in this position may discourage female sport media print professionals from reporting such incidents of sexual harassment according to an article published by Christina Coleburn.

Consequences of Sexual Harassment: Physical, Emotional, and Career Toll
In reference to the toll that sexual harassment takes on women, Boland states that "victims suffer physical, mental, emotional, and financial losses that can be devastating". It is for this reason that many female athletes choose to stay silent about their sexual harassment. Discussed in the article "Sports Journalism Has A Major Sexual Harassment Problem", women working in the sport industry infrequently report incidents where they have experienced sexual harassment and inappropriate comments throughout their careers due to fear or losing their job. "The impact of sexual harassment is often measured such as somatic, physical and psychological/emotional health, wellbeing, work variables and career development. Psychological and somatic outcomes include negative effects on self-esteem and life satisfaction, low sense of self-confidence, negative effects on women's relationships with other men, anger, fear, anxiety, depression, feelings of humiliation and alienation, a sense of helpless and vulnerability, headache, sleep disturbance, weight loss or gain, gastrointestinal disturbances and nausea."

In addition, ongoing occurrences of sexual harassment affect victims by manipulating them to believe nothing is wrong and driving them to silence, which may ultimately prolong the sexual harassment. In a report published by CQ Press in 2017, author Susan Ladika highlights the fact that "while athletes have gone to prison for their sex crimes, studies show that relatively few accusations lead to arrest or conviction." This displays the "protection" that male athletes/athletic staff have. Ladika cites research that explains the distinctive privilege that the athletes receive, stating "schools, leagues and Olympic organizations frequently have failed to investigate credible allegations and that sports programs have ignored or covered up sex crimes by star athletes, who often receive preferential treatment from schools, teams and police."

Larry Nassar's and Conal Groom's Abuse of Trust and Power
The USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal that occurred over the course of several years, but came to light in the latter months of 2017 and early 2018 involved former doctor Larry Nassar. More than 250 young women accused Nassar of sexual harassment and abuse. Many of these women were seen and treated by Nassar as a gymnast. Because of his role as the USA gymnastics team doctor, Nassar was able to be alone with hundreds of young women and girls over the course of nearly two decades. Aly Raisman, a USA Gymnast, explained how the abuse from Nassar had occurred from such a young age, that despite strange thoughts about his treatment methods, she was taught to trust him which is why it took so long to figure out what was happening to her and many other gymnasts and come forward about it. The formerly discussed study, conducted by Sandra L. Kirby and Lorraine Greaves, states that some women admit becoming "desensitized" to verbal sexual harassment from coaches. It was not until the coaches were legally charged that the female victims realized the reality of what had happened to them.

Conal Groom, a former Olympic rower and U.S. National team coach, allegedly verbally abused and employed drill sergeant-like coaching tactics. He was accused of sexual assault and harassment multiple times at different rowing organizations across the country. A board member of Seattle’s Pocock Rowing Center explained that “He was an Olympian and so there was a lot of latitude." He also had success with his "long record of seeing his athletes recruited by universities such as Harvard, Stanford and Princeton and tapped for prestigious national teams." Many parents were unaware of the extremity of Groom’s behavior and some parents "stuck by him." One rower was unaware that his behavior was abusive until after watching a required video on identifying abusive coaches. Another rower experienced an incident of alleged sexual assault and confided in another coach who reported the assault to the child abuse hotline, a police report shows, and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation. Seven months after the survivor made the allegation, USRowing stepped in and temporarily suspended Groom from unsupervised coaching. SafeSports says Groom’s case remains under investigation with no timeline for its completion.

Title IX Retaliation Clause
For many, the Title IX law is the first resource they turn to for help. While many Title IX aspects are beneficial, the law's retaliation clause can stand to be a preventative measure for victim's of this coach-player dynamic. The retaliation clause prohibits those who have committed an unlawful act against another person, or those who have been complained about in such a regard. In many cases, this has resulted in people who have been harmed by someone else being forbidden from taking action against said person. In the case of many harmful coach-player dynamics, the retaliation clause prevents athlete victims from taking action against their coaches. It stands to be true that these dynamics are frequently occurring in today's world of sports. When players want to take action, the retaliation clause not only legally prevents them from doing so, but it prevents them emotionally as well. Aware of the retaliation clause, players and students often feel afraid, and as though their voice will be disregarded. Many feel as though they will be seen in a more negative light, should they speak up about their assault.