Author, Dr. Yetsa A Tuakli-Wosornu from the Sports Equity Lab has partnered with #WeRideTogether to collaborate and create this athlete-centered IOC Consensus Dissemination Project, which unpacks and elaborates on critical points from the IOC Consensus. The Dissemination Project will provide a 10-part series that highlights key takeaways from the IOC Consensus with visuals, activities, and social content that can be tangibly applied and integrated into sporting communities. This series aligns with the values and mission of both the Sports Equity Lab and #WeRideTogether to promote awareness on the topic of abuse in sports, eliminate inequities in sport, and provide everyone with accessible information on positive values and best practices to keep sports safe and healthy.

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As described in the 2024 IOC Consensus Statement, “Sport settings that emphasise mutual care, are athlete centred, promote healthy relationships, embed trauma- and violence-informed care principles, integrate diverse perspectives and measure IV prevention and response effectiveness will exemplify safe sport” (Tuakli-Wosornu Y. A. et al., 2024, 1322).

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Building on the discussion of the impacts of abuse and interpersonal violence in sport in Unit 8, it is essential to emphasize reporting and interpersonal and institutional response strategies to violence, abuse, and misconduct in fostering safe and healthy sporting environments for athletes and survivors. 

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Interpersonal responses to abuse refer to how individuals react and communicate one-on-one with a survivor, whereas institutional responses to abuse refer to how systems, structures, and organizations act, acknowledge, care, or reform regarding incidents of abuse. 

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Reporting abuse in sport takes bravery and courage. Whether an athlete-survivor is met with support, blame and shame, or dismissal depends on how others, including organizations in the sporting environment, respond. Further harm to the athlete-survivor can occur if organizations and their constituents fail to respond appropriately. Therefore, preventing abuse is twofold: it's not just proactive prevention and encouraging people to speak up, but also responsibly addressing incidents after they arise, following best practices for response and reporting that prioritize and enable justice and healing. Thus, interpersonal violence in sport is not just individual but reflects the institutional culture, power imbalances at play in sporting environments, and the level of effective oversight in organizations (Tuakli-Wosornu Y. A. et al., 2024, 1323). 

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The 2024 IOC Consensus Statement exemplifies how interpersonal violence in sport is “challenging to define, prevent, and remedy due to its subjectivity and complexity” (Tuakli-Wosornu Y. A. et al., 2024, 1322). Thus, we must ensure that sporting institutions have adaptive, trauma-informed, evidence-based, and accessible reporting and response mechanisms.

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Unfortunately, this may not always be the case in sporting environments, with athlete survivors and others left unprotected. Poor reporting and response strategies can happen because of institutional inefficiencies, lack of resources, and differing priorities, which often leave athlete survivors underserved and give abusers passive or active permission to carry on. 

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First, institutions must create environments in which reporting is safe. When individuals in the sports space display harm, victim blaming, shame, and doubt, athlete-survivors are already harmed in the disclosure process before they may even officially report. This video “Stop Asking” displays examples of the interpersonal harm that many athlete survivors face in the process of disclosing experiencing violence, abuse, and misconduct.

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To learn best practices regarding interpersonal responses, practice with this role play, review what to say, and build empathy for all survivors. 

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In tandem with the interpersonal pitfalls just described, systemic failures often plague sporting institutions, negatively impacting athlete-survivors. Rather than response and justice pathways being clear, timely, supportive, and practical, survivors usually experience delays, repeated retelling of the trauma, gatekeeping of information, outcomes that protect the institution's reputation over athlete safety, and/or a lack of outcome at all. This video, “W.T.F. - Wait, That’s Fair?”, illustrates, through a metaphor, the institutional response that athlete survivors often face.  

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The 2024 IOC Consensus Statement provides essential recommendations to improve interpersonal and institutional reporting and response strategies (Tuakli-Wosornu Y. A. et al., 2024, 1336).

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Ways to improve institutional response:

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• Provide all athletic stakeholders with trauma-informed response training
• Provide all athletes with access to mental health resources
• Educate and provide all athletes, staff, and entourage members with information on mandated reporting and confidential reporting options
• Ensure organizational policies, response timelines, and consequences are transparent and accountable 
• Ensure the organization is engaging in proactive safeguarding rather than incident-driven responses
• Ensure the organization is acting with courage to uphold the trust and safety of all athletes and stakeholders
• ‍Engage athletes and survivors in policy and procedural creation

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As the consensus states, safeguarding requires “shared responsibility between all within the sports ecosystem” (Tuakli-Wosornu Y. A. et al., 2024, 1322). Institutions and individuals all have a role to play in preventing and responding to abuse in ways that support athletes' holistic wellbeing. 

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‍Activity:

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Watch these videos and/or listen to these podcasts to enhance your education and awareness regarding responding to survivors in sport from an interpersonal and institutional perspective.

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Find the podcast episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

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If you or someone you know needs support, please visit our Crisis Resources or Resources for assistance.

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Kathryn McClain, MSW, MBA

Program and Partnerships Director at #WeRideTogether

kmcclain@weridetogether.today

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References

Tuakli-Wosornu Y.A., Burrows K., Fasting K., et al. (2024). IOC consensus statement: interpersonal violence and safeguarding in sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 58:1322-1344. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108766