thesis
Sexual exploitation: swimming coaches' perceptions and the development of role conflict and role ambiguity
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Abstract
Public awareness about sexual abuse and sexual harassment in sport has greatly
increased over the last 10 years. In England, the sport of swimming has been especially
affected, first because of several high profile cases of swimming coaches being
convicted of sexual abuse, and secondly because the Amateur Swimming Association
(ASA) has taken a proactive stance to protect children in swimming. Much of the
previous research examining sexual exploitation in sport has been from the perspective
of the athlete. This qualitative study was designed to examine swimming coaches'
constructions of appropriateness about coach/swimmer sexual relationships. Nineteen
coaches participated in either an elite, national, or county level focus group. Coaches
discussed the appropriateness of coach/athlete relationships as presented in 7 vignettes.
Analysis was conducted in accordance with the constructivist revision of Grounded
Theory (Charmaz, 1990; Strauss & Corbin, 1998) and organised with the assistance of
the software programme, QSR NVIVO. The coaches report that sex with an athlete
below the legal age of consent is inappropriate. Coaches' perceptions regarding "legal"
relationships vary according to whether the coach is talking about himself versus other
coaches. The emergent themes influencing perceptions of appropriateness are: reducing
opportunities for false allegations, the influence of public scrutiny, evaluating
consequences of relationships, maintaining professional boundaries, and reluctance to
judge fellow coaches. After completing the initial analysis, the emergent themes were
further explored in individual unstructured interviews with three purposively selected
coaches. One coach was in a long-term relationship with a swimmer, another served a
prison term for child sexual abuse of a swimmer he coached, and the third had
allegations against him dropped. The secondary analysis reveals that the themes about
appropriateness relate to the broader issue of coaches' attempts to resolve perceived
role conflict and role ambiguity that has arisen from increased awareness of child
protection. This is examined with reference to how awareness of sexual abuse in sport
has provoked coaches to question their roles and coaching boundaries. Results are
discussed in relation to organisational psychology theories of role conflict and role
ambiguity and directions for future research are suggested