RECOGNIZING
Emotional and Physical Abuse
On this page, we outline five core categories of abuse and misconduct:
Emotional Misconduct, Physical Misconduct, Bullying, Harassment, and Hazing.
In each category, we define and introduce each type of abuse and misconduct and how it can appear in a sport setting.
We compare each behavior with another, more healthy response. And we present real-world examples to show how these positive responses can be applied in common situations—with the goal of preventing abuse and misconduct from happening in the first place.
Misconduct often overlaps or represents multiple categories:
A coach repeatedly and excessively mocking an athlete who cannot compete because of an injury may be engaging in Emotional Misconduct; that same coach may be engaging in Physical Misconduct by forcing the athlete back into competition before they are medically cleared.
Interactions may first meet the criteria of one form of misconduct (such as Physical Misconduct) and evolve to also meet the criteria of others (such as Bullying).
Emotional Misconduct includes:
- Verbal acts: repeated and excessive verbal attacks for no productive reason, such as name-calling, body-shaming, or ridiculing someone for reasons not related to performance
- Physical acts: being repeatedly or severely physically aggressive, such as throwing equipment at someone or punching walls near them
- Acts that deny attention or support: such as ignoring or isolating someone for long time periods, or routinely excluding them from activities or coaching guidance for no productive reason
- Stalking: intentional and repeated behaviors (in person or using technology) that would reasonably make someone feel scared (for themselves or others) or very upset, such as following, monitoring, observing, threatening, or excessively messaging them
- Criminal conduct: any behavior described as emotional abuse or misconduct under federal or state law, such as child abuse or child neglect
Someone’s conduct may be considered Emotional Misconduct even if they did not cause (or mean to cause) harm.
Emotional Misconduct does not include coaching techniques and behaviors that are professionally accepted. For example, a coach may talk with a wrestler about strategies for making weight but must not ridicule or fat-shame them.
What are examples of Emotional Misconduct?
- A coach punches a hole in the wall in front of the team after a tough loss
- An athlete, after a breakup, sends multiple threatening texts to their ex-partner and repeatedly shows up to their practices after being asked to stop
- A coach arbitrarily isolates one athlete from the rest of the team during multiple practices
Motivation and Support: A healthier way to respond
- Behaviors involving Emotional Misconduct are often used to control, intimidate, demean, or harm another person. This can damage their self-esteem.[3]
- Behaviors based on motivation and support can increase athlete self-esteem, build trust and camaraderie, and encourage them to reach their fullest potential.[5]
- Motivation and support help athletes improve their performance and enjoy sport without fear of harm.[5] Emotional Misconduct can make athletes want to leave their sport.[6]
Scenarios
C.J. is a middle-distance runner who has recently broken multiple records. An article and photo about C.J.’s athletic success is posted to a track and field social media platform.
- Emotional Misconduct: The coach repeatedly mocks C.J.’s expression in the photo in front of the team.
- Motivation and Support: The coach congratulates C.J. during a team meeting and sends the article to the athletic director.
Physical Misconduct is any behavior done on purpose that causes (or could reasonably cause) physical harm to another person.
Physical Misconduct includes:
- Contact acts: punching, beating, slapping, or strangling someone; knowingly letting someone return to play without medical clearance after a serious injury
- Non-contact acts: not letting someone have water or food, illegally giving them alcohol or drugs (including prescription medications not prescribed to them), forcing someone to assume a painful stance or position for no athletic purpose
- Criminal conduct: any behavior described as physical abuse or misconduct under federal or state law, such as assault or child abuse
Physical Misconduct does not include coaching techniques and behaviors that are professionally accepted. For example, athletes may kick and hit each other during a karate tournament, but not during a swim meet.
What are examples of Physical Misconduct?
- A coach kicks an athlete in their prosthetic leg and causes them to fall after the athlete had a poor practice
- A coach gives an 11-year-old athlete someone else’s prescription pain medication when the team is on a road trip
- An athlete loses their temper and punches an opposing player in the face after the game
Accountability and Safety: A healthier way to respond
- Coaching that involves Physical Misconduct could physically harm or injure someone, even if that was not the intent.
- Coaching practices based on accountability focus on respect and discipline, not punishment. This helps athletes associate behaviors with reasonable consequences so they can learn from their mistakes.[7]
- Safe coaching practices have recognizable positive effects on athlete performance. Coaches know how much and how far to push athletes to maximize results while maintaining safety. They do not let a seriously injured athlete return to play without medical clearance, even if the athlete wants to play through the pain.
Scenarios
Caleb falls after colliding with Rohan when they both go for the ball during their soccer game.
- Physical Misconduct: After the whistle, Rohan intentionally kicks Caleb in the stomach and walks away.
- Accountability and Safety: After the whistle, Rohan helps Caleb up and walks away.
Bullying Behaviors are repeated or severe aggressive behaviors directed at someone under age 18. The behaviors are intended or likely to hurt, control, or diminish that person emotionally, physically, or sexually.
Bullying involves repeated or severe behaviors such as:
- Physical: hitting, beating up, spitting at, or throwing objects at someone
- Verbal: ridiculing, name-calling, taunting, or threatening to harm someone
- Social (including cyberbullying): spreading rumors or lies to harm someone’s reputation, socially excluding them and asking others to do the same, or using technology to harass, frighten, intimidate, or humiliate them
- Sexual: ridiculing or taunting someone about their gender identity, gender expression, looks, or sexual orientation or behavior
- Criminal conduct: any conduct described as bullying under federal or state law
When done to adults, these behaviors could qualify as other violations of the SafeSport Code, such as Hazing or Harassment.
Bullying does not include:
- Rude or mean behaviors that may be hurtful (by accident or on purpose) but are not part of an ongoing pattern
- A conflict in which people disagree
- Coaching techniques and behaviors that are professionally accepted
- Coaches who observe rude, mean, or conflict-based behaviors should monitor them to see if they are dealt with in a healthy manner, and not reflective of a deeper pattern of Bullying and exclusion. By holding individuals accountable for any harm they may cause, coaches can foster positive team environments and prevent behaviors from escalating into Bullying.
What are examples of Bullying?
- A competitor posts hurtful and inaccurate rumors about a 14-year-old athlete on multiple social media platforms.
- Athletes aggressively ridicule a heavy 12-year-old teammate before and after most practices
Inclusion: A healthier way to respond
- When someone engages in Bullying Behaviors, they often use physical or social power to exclude and make someone feel less than others. This also makes it harder for targets to stop the behavior.[4]
- When someone exhibits inclusive behaviors, they use social power to include and build up others, bringing them into a group and making them feel welcome.[4]
- Bullying and inclusion are behaviors based on a specific context: someone can engage in Bullying in one context yet be a target of Bullying in another.[4]
Scenarios
Devon is new to his youth travel team and earns a starting position over a returning player.
- Bullying: Some of Devon’s teammates call him a freak and shove him around the locker room after most practices, threatening to make his life miserable if he doesn’t quit the team.
- Inclusion: Team captains make sure Devon is included in all team activities and help him get to know his new teammates.
A Note About Bullying of a Sexual Nature
Bullying Behaviors that are sexual in nature or related to gender or sexual orientation is characterized according to the Safesport Code as Sexual Misconduct. An example of Bullying that is sexual in nature would be an athlete consistently ridiculing and making fun of a nonbinary 15-year-old teammate’s pronouns, haircut, and clothing. Adult Participants in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement must immediately report Bullying of a sexual nature to the U.S. Center for SafeSport. They must also immediately report known or suspected Child Abuse, including Sexual Misconduct that could be considered child sexual abuse, to law enforcement.
Harassment is repeated or severe conduct that does at least one of the following:
- Causes fear, humiliation, or annoyance: such as threatening to harm someone or repeatedly ridiculing them
- Offends or degrades: such as repeatedly using slurs or making offensive jokes to or about someone
- Creates a hostile environment: such as repeated or severe actions that affect someone in a way that limits their ability to participate in programs or activities
- Attempts to establish dominance, superiority, or power because of discriminatory bias against a person or group’s age, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, national origin, or disability: such as saying someone will fail because of one of these characteristics
- Is described as harassment under federal or state law
Note: Harassment based on a person’s gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation is classified as a type of Sexual Misconduct in the SafeSport Code.
Harassment does not include:
- Rude or mean behaviors that may be hurtful (by accident or on purpose) but are not part of an ongoing pattern
- A conflict in which people disagree
- Coaching techniques and behaviors that are professionally accepted
Coaches should still address any inappropriate behaviors, even if they are not considered Harassment, to promote a positive team environment and prevent problem behaviors from escalating.
What are examples of Harassment?
- An athlete routinely humiliates and threatens a teammate until the teammate stops coming to practice
- A coach sends messages to the team group chat that single out an athlete as fat, as well as pictures of them with certain body parts circled and criticized
Respect: A healthier way to respond
- Being harassed can make people feel bad about themselves and cause them to leave their sport.[3]
- Sometimes people choose to harass others because of differences in age, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, national origin, or disability.[3]
- Being treated with respect can help people feel supported.
- Respecting and valuing people’s differences can make sport safer and more inclusive.
Scenarios
Noor, who is new to the team, wears a hijab.
- Harassment: The coach repeatedly mocks Noor’s hijab, calling it “stupid,” and tries to pull it off every time she makes a bad play, causing Noor to no longer want to participate in team activities.
- Respect: The coach organizes a team dinner to welcome Noor and her family.
Hazing involves conduct–either physical, mental, emotional, or psychological–that may abuse, degrade, intimidate, or put a person in danger in order to join or be socially accepted by a group.
Hazing may include:
- Contact acts: such as beating someone with fists or objects, or physically restraining them
- Non-contact acts: such as making someone play drinking games, do humiliating acts, or depriving them of sleep, food, or water
- Sexualized acts: such as requiring someone to share nude photos or perform sexual behaviors
- Criminal conduct: any conduct described as hazing under federal or state law
Hazing does not include:
- Rude or mean behaviors that may be hurtful (by accident or on purpose) but are not part of an ongoing pattern
- A conflict in which people disagree
- Coaching techniques and behaviors that are professionally accepted in sport
What are examples of Hazing?
- At a party, returning athletes tell new teammates to get drunk or else they won’t be added to the team chat
- The starters make rookies wear humiliating outfits in order to be invited to social events
Team Bonding: A healthier way to respond
- Hazing can reduce athletes’ self-confidence, misuse power dynamics between athletes, and erode trust and respect among teammates. While many coaches and parents may recall childhood Hazing rituals of their own, Hazing behaviors are not harmless traditions.[8]
- Team bonding activities build trust and cohesion among teammates.[8]
- Hazing is inappropriate inclusion; team bonding is appropriate inclusion.[8]
- Even if behavior seems harmless or if athletes willingly participate, it is still Hazing according to the SafeSport Code if it subjects another person, physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically to anything that may endanger, abuse, humiliate, degrade or intimidate the person as a condition of joining or being socially accepted by a group, team, or organization.
Scenarios
Justin is captain of the baseball team.
- Hazing: Justin tells new teammates they need to post videos of themselves doing dangerous social media challenges or the more senior players won’t hang out with them.
- Team Bonding: Justin posts a video of the entire team doing a choreographed dance in their uniforms.
A Note About Hazing of a Sexual Nature
Hazing behaviors that are sexual in nature or related to gender or sexual orientation are also considered Sexual Misconduct. An example of Hazing that is sexual in nature would be if team leaders made first-year athletes imitate sex acts each time they wanted to enter the locker room. Adult Participants in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement must immediately report Hazing of a sexual nature to the U.S. Center for SafeSport. They must also immediately report known or suspected Child Abuse, including Sexual Misconduct that could be considered child sexual abuse, to law enforcement.
See the full Toolkit for additional scenarios in all abuse and misconduct categories.
Learn more
Visit the below pages for resources and links to help you recognize, prevent, and respond to abuse and misconduct in your organization.
TOOLKIT RESOURCES
Use these Toolkit handouts and activities to help your team or colleagues discuss principles together and put them in action in your sport setting.
HELPFUL LINKS
A broad range of organizations and community resources are just a click away to help coaches, parents, and other athlete allies support individuals in need.
