Addressing Harassment and Abuse in Sport – Part I: What is Harassment and Abuse?
Introduction: Athletes should be provided with a safe and healthy environment to train and perform. This includes an environment which is free from harassment, discrimination, and mental and/or physical abuse. Although Government organizations have implemented a number of mechanisms to address harassment in sport, this can often be a difficult issue for Athletes to navigate. This is part one (1) of a five (5) post series. The purpose of these posts is to educate Athletes on recognizing harassment and abuse in sport, as well as to outline their rights and remedies available. Warning: This post contains information about psychological, physical, and sexual harassment and abuse which may be triggering for some readers. What is Harassment and Abuse? The International Olympic Committee has created five (5) main definitions of harassment and abuse: psychological, physical, neglect, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse. 1. Psychological hara