Violence, Secrecy, and Culprit: The Power of a Coach


Leah Oldham, West Virginia University

Coaches may be potential perpetrators as research demonstrates coaches are abusers of athletes, but also provide observers of violence as coaches have the capacity to intervene directly or indirectly, but fail to do so (Adams et al., 2010; Young et al., 2017; St-Pierre et al., 2022; Volkwein et al., 1997; Kirby et al., 2002; Moore and Shah, 2021). Many sports enthusiasts believe that coaching is an art that should be exhibited through flexibility and creativity as opposed to rigid adherence to predefined criteria. However, the absence of theoretical foundation and practical skills, preventing coaches from handling the complexities of coaching, creates an environment where women are abused and physically abused. Because our society has not yet defined coaching as a legitimate profession with clear expectations and regulations, coaches are able to continue their misconduct and violence without fostering accountability, ethical standards, and continuous professional development due to a lack of deterrent.

This paper will be presented at the following session: