Key Points:
- Marginalized communities, such as those who identify as LGBTQ+, are uniquely vulnerable to abuse and specific risk factors.
- When abuse occurs, additional barriers often arise for LGBTQ+ individuals looking to report misconduct and/or seek supportive resources.
- Protecting LGBTQ+ athletes and all athletes from abuse starts with cultivating environments of acceptance and inclusivity.
#WeRideTogether strives to educate, support, and guide athletic communities in the pursuit of eliminating abuse and misconduct in sport. Abuse does not discriminate – anyone can be a victim of abuse, and a victim’s experience is not defined by their identity. Marginalized communities, such as those who identify as LGBTQ+, are uniquely vulnerable to abuse and specific risk factors.
We stand with the LGBTQ+ community in their search for equality on and off the field. Equality in sports requires safety for all and an end to the sexual violence and abuse experienced by LGBTQ+ athletes. This month we recognize their survivor stories, vulnerability to abuse and sexual violence, and the imminent need for safeguarding practices and education to protect this community.
Research shows that LGBTQ+ people experience abuse more frequently than their heterosexual/cisgender counterparts. A 2019 study of more than 60,000 individuals, done by the Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry, showed that of the 3,000 LGBTQ+ people surveyed, more than half reported three or more instances of sexual and emotional abuse in childhood. Surveys conducted by The Trevor Project of over 20,000 13-18 year old LGBTQ+ people, revealed that 46% of the 18-24 year olds experienced forced sexual contact, while 53% of them experienced forced sexual intercourse. Of the sample aged 13-17, 33% reported forced sexual contact and 37% experienced forced sexual intercourse.
Proactive protection of LGBTQ+ athletes requires a closer look at specific risk factors and gaps in our current safeguarding practices. However, there is a broader culture under which these issues lie. Stigmas and discrimination play a role in the cycle of abuse. Prejudice can allow abuse to go unchecked, discrimination can dissuade conversations about abuse, and harassment can diminish victim disclosure. Breaking these patterns can prevent abuse, protect athletes from trauma, and support victims moving forward. Every athlete has the right to learn, play, and compete without fear of abuse. From sexual orientation to gender identity, religion, language, or race, each athlete’s experience may vary, but their access to resources and safe experiences should not.
Risk Factors
LGBTQ+ individuals encounter a web of intersectionality and compounding risk factors, and these challenges can contribute to an increased vulnerability of experiencing abuse and misconduct, including but not limited to discrimination, harassment, stigma, bullying, emotional/psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Though each victim’s experience with abuse is unique, social isolation, adverse mental health challenges, and an overall struggle to feel accepted or supported by their community are frequently reported by LGBTQ+ victims (The Trevor Project). The persistence of such abusive experiences, especially in adolescence, can have long-term repercussions in adulthood, increasing the risk of revictimization in the future. If abusive behavior becomes expected or even normalized, future sexually or physically abusive relationships may be less perceptible to the victim (Journal of Psychiatric Research). Consequently, LGBTQ+ individuals may be ill-equipped to maintain and identify healthy relationships.
When abuse occurs, additional barriers often arise for LGBTQ+ individuals looking to report misconduct and/or seek supportive resources. On one hand, abusers can take advantage of societal blind spots to same-sex abuse and prevailing prejudice around LGBTQ+ relationships to conceal their actions and even justify their behaviors. For victims, this same broader cultural stigma can create hesitations when disclosing sexual abuse or seeking help. In fact, a study done in the UK found that some LGBTQ+ youth viewed engaging in situations of sexual exploitation as their only option for sexual contact. Unable to openly pursue overt sexual relationships due to homophobic attitudes, created opportunities for abuse to go unnoticed by bystanders and unreported by victims. Another study found that LGBTQ+ victims often refrained from sharing or reporting victimization, anticipating negative responses from police. These victims cited fear of stigma related to homosexuality, backlash, victim blaming, and the belief that the police would not do anything to help as factors when considering reporting. Cultural stigma, victim blaming, and forced secrecy surrounding intimacy can make it difficult for bystanders to intervene and increase the likelihood that victimization will go unreported. At large, LGBTQ+ victims of abuse have lower help-seeking rates and thus in tandem lower reporting rates.
These risk factors are consistent in cases of grooming, the process whereby a person engages in a series or pattern of behaviors with the goal of engaging in sexual misconduct. Groomers begin by targeting the athlete. While each experience of grooming is different, athletes who may seem isolated or distant from their teammates, and/or have trouble in school or with other interpersonal relationships are often targeted. Grooming is designed to be elusive and nonthreatening at first. Once targeted, the groomer attempts to build a relationship with the victim, simultaneously grooming the individuals who maintain a close relationship with the athlete. As the groomer slowly gains trust with the victim and social capital within their respective community, the groomer may exhibit smaller gestures of favoritism, including extra help at practices, excessive compliments, and special attention. Their position of power in the community and over the athlete allows groomers to leverage the identity, personality, or situation of the targeted athlete to create a dynamic of trust and dependence. These feelings of adoration towards the groomer as well as the groomer’s tactically positive reputation can make misconduct imperceptible to both victim and bystander. As a result, when the groomer begins to sexualize the relationship, an athlete may be confused, trapped, and even unable to identify the abusive nature of their relationship. In the final stages of grooming, the groomer moves to maintain control over the relationship and the victim. This control can look different for each victim — groomers may leverage their place of power, a victim’s personal information or opportunities in sport, and even guilt the athlete into maintaining sexual engagement. These tactics of manipulation strive to maintain the sexual relationship as well as the discretion of abuse.
Perpetrators are known to use tactics of manipulation to keep their abusive behaviors secret. If a victim’s intimate relationships are typically concealed from their friends and family, secrecy in these abusive relationships may feel normal, further distorting the individual’s perception of healthy and unhealthy behaviors. In some instances of abuse, the perpetrator may leverage the victim’s sexual orientation against them. An abuser may threaten to “out” the victim if they report misconduct, do not comply with sexual favors, or move to end the relationship. In some cases, an abuser will use guilt and shame surrounding sexual/gender identity to discourage their victim from reporting abuse.
LGBTQ+ athletes may seek to hide their sexual relationships to avoid discrimination or familial rejection due to their sexual orientation. While this secrecy can often be a form of self-preservation from further harassment, it can be an additional risk factor in abusive relationships. Grooming is often accompanied by the secrecy and concealment of intimacy and sexual behavior. If secrecy is normalized in a victim's intimate relationships, this grooming behavior may be difficult to distinguish as malicious and can even fuel the “non-threatening” front that grooming presents. In any relationship, feeling forced to keep intimacy a secret from friends and family can be a contributing risk factor to abuse and a barrier when reporting or seeking help.
While the marginalization of LGBTQ+ individuals can make them more vulnerable to abuse, their sexual or gender orientation does not define their experience, its validity, their trauma, or the severity of abuse. Each individual's experience is different, but knowing the signs of grooming and recognizing who might be at risk can help prevent grooming in the future and support victims of grooming as they heal and move forward after abuse. We must remember, sexual abuse is not about sex or sexual orientation, but about power and control.
Protecting LGBTQ+ athletes and all athletes from abuse starts with cultivating environments of acceptance and inclusivity. Though we should constantly work towards a future of equality, it is vital to acknowledge our current reality about the additional injustices LGBTQ+ athletes face. Learning from LGBTQ+ survivors can help us to pinpoint ways to better serve this community, safeguard against certain risk factors, and protect LGBTQ+ athletes in the future. From the grassroots to the organizational level, sports should be a place where all athletes feel safe, all victims feel comfortable coming forward, and all individuals feel adequately supported in their identities. With these steps, we can proactively work to prevent abuse and continually create space for survivors to share their stories.
1. Create an inclusive environment at home, at practice, and within your team.
- A culture of inclusivity means that all individuals feel accepted within their team/organization/family, regardless of their identity. When we develop and exist in cultures that foster a sense of belonging and celebrate uniqueness, we decrease individuals' vulnerabilities to abuse. Cultures of inclusivity help to decrease social isolation and increase access to supportive and safe peers and adults. Furthermore, preventing discrimination, bullying, and harassment can reduce adverse mental health experiences and future experiences of abuse. When athletes feel safe in their respective communities, they play better, feel better, and are more likely to seek resources when in need.
2. Be a safe, active bystander.
- Preventing misconduct in sports requires education and awareness. We all play a role in stopping abuse. If you tolerate misconduct, you condone it. There are resources available to educate ourselves and our communities on how to step in during or after uncomfortable situations. Our S.A.B.I. handouts illustrate realistic examples of active bystander intervention, and the S.A.B.I. infographic provides a quick, simplified outline of direct and indirect intervention options. Together we can prevent misconduct in sports.
3. Confront misconceptions about abuse and practice safeguarding.
- Remember that sexual violence can occur between any combination of gender identities and prevention against abuse must consider them all. We must address misconceptions that stem from toxic masculinity and gender bias. While anyone can be a victim of abuse, specifically in sports, Dr. Bermon’s global study found that sexual abuse, including touching or penetrative abuse, occurred more frequently in male athletes (12%) compared to female athletes (7%). Do not discount the importance of safeguarding practices just because the environment or team is predominantly male or female. Gender does not change the validity of someone’s experience if they come forward about abuse.
4. Create a safe space where victims/survivors feel comfortable to share their story.
- Sexual abuse is never the victim's fault. When listening to disclosures about sexual misconduct, avoid introducing the topic of sexual orientation. The sexual orientation of either the victim or perpetrator does not insinuate consent, define their sexual orientations, or alter the validity of a victim’s experience. Abuse is never permitted on account of sexual orientation, sexual abuse is not reflective of sexual orientation, and sexual orientation should never be the focus of survivorship.
- Allow all members of the LGBTQ+ community to publicly identify in their own time. If a victim confides in you about their identity and/or their experience with abuse, provide support and guide them to relevant resources. Just as survivors deserve to share their stories on their own time, victims of abuse deserve to publicly identify on their own time. The trauma of abuse can cause internal conflict regarding sexual/gender identity; some victims may not even know their identity, much less want to publicly identify, even when their case is publicized or reported. This does not change the validity of their experience or their right to accessible resources and support.
- If an athlete comes forward about their sexual/gender orientation, it is important to listen and follow their lead. Sexual orientation and gender identity can fluctuate for many individuals, and internal conflict about one's sexual orientation and identity can be confusing and consuming. Especially for victims of sexual abuse, shame and confusion surrounding these questions may be a result of trauma. If you are unsure of how to approach conversations about sexual orientation or are interested in how to be an ally, check out The Trevor Project. This is a safe space for users to ask questions, access resources, and educate themselves.
5. Educate athletes, coaches, and parents about crisis resources.
- Ensure that everyone in your athletic community can recognize signs of abuse, understands the resources available to them, and can support victims/survivors if they disclose abuse. Proper education, awareness, and resources ensure that athletes get the support they need to prevent abuse before it occurs, and victims can access tools and safe adults as they cope with abuse and move forward in their survivorship journey.
If you or someone you know is in immediate need, visit our crisis resources page.
Marcella Bee & Katie Kehring
Interns at #WeRideTogether
