An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport?
Background: From qualitative studies with survivors of sexual violence, it is known that two important risk factors for sexual violence are unequal power relations and strong hierarchies; the concept of an empowering climate works against these risk factors and might thus serve as a factor in preven...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/8/330 |
| _version_ | 1797441937475633152 |
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| author | Jeannine Ohlert Helena Schmitz Alina Schäfer-Pels Marc Allroggen |
| author_facet | Jeannine Ohlert Helena Schmitz Alina Schäfer-Pels Marc Allroggen |
| author_sort | Jeannine Ohlert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: From qualitative studies with survivors of sexual violence, it is known that two important risk factors for sexual violence are unequal power relations and strong hierarchies; the concept of an empowering climate works against these risk factors and might thus serve as a factor in preventing experiences of sexual violence among athletes. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between an empowering climate within a sport group and experiences of sexual violence. Methods: In total, 644 athletes took part in an online survey measuring their perceptions of the empowering climate within their training group and their observations and experiences of sexual violence within the same group. MANOVAs were used to examine differences in perception of the empowering climate between those athletes who had observed or experienced sexual violence and those who had not. Results: The results reveal that athletes who had experienced or observed sexual violence rated the empowering climate subfactors within their training group as lower and the disempowering climate subfactors as higher. Conclusions: This study supports findings from prior qualitative studies and hints that a climate high in empowerment and low in disempowerment might be a protective factor against sexual violence in sport groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:34:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01586fc931d74f24a95bd75b888766b7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:34:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-01586fc931d74f24a95bd75b888766b72023-11-30T22:25:14ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602022-07-0111833010.3390/socsci11080330An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport?Jeannine Ohlert0Helena Schmitz1Alina Schäfer-Pels2Marc Allroggen3The German Research Center for Elite Sport Cologne—Momentum, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, GermanyInstitute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075 Ulm, GermanyDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075 Ulm, GermanyBackground: From qualitative studies with survivors of sexual violence, it is known that two important risk factors for sexual violence are unequal power relations and strong hierarchies; the concept of an empowering climate works against these risk factors and might thus serve as a factor in preventing experiences of sexual violence among athletes. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between an empowering climate within a sport group and experiences of sexual violence. Methods: In total, 644 athletes took part in an online survey measuring their perceptions of the empowering climate within their training group and their observations and experiences of sexual violence within the same group. MANOVAs were used to examine differences in perception of the empowering climate between those athletes who had observed or experienced sexual violence and those who had not. Results: The results reveal that athletes who had experienced or observed sexual violence rated the empowering climate subfactors within their training group as lower and the disempowering climate subfactors as higher. Conclusions: This study supports findings from prior qualitative studies and hints that a climate high in empowerment and low in disempowerment might be a protective factor against sexual violence in sport groups.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/8/330sexual violenceinterpersonal violenceempowering climatedisempowering climatemotivational climatepower relations |
| spellingShingle | Jeannine Ohlert Helena Schmitz Alina Schäfer-Pels Marc Allroggen An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport? Social Sciences sexual violence interpersonal violence empowering climate disempowering climate motivational climate power relations |
| title | An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport? |
| title_full | An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport? |
| title_fullStr | An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport? |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport? |
| title_short | An Empowering Climate as a Protective Factor against Sexual Violence in Sport? |
| title_sort | empowering climate as a protective factor against sexual violence in sport |
| topic | sexual violence interpersonal violence empowering climate disempowering climate motivational climate power relations |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/11/8/330 |
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