A controlling coaching style is evident in the conditional use of rewards, and the presence of intimidation, excessive personal control, and negative conditional regard. The detrimental effects of a controlling style on athletes’ anxiety, perfectionism and self-esteem have already been widely demonstrated. Similarly, literature on psychological athlete harassment and abuse from coaches is growing rapidly and shows detrimental results. Psychological athlete harassment and abuse refers to a pattern of deliberate, prolonged, and repeated non-contact deteriorated interactions within a power-differentiated relationship. Even though, the constructs of controlling coaching and psychological athlete harassment and abuse show great conceptual overlap (e.g., coaches trying to control athletes’ spare time), both fields of research exist separately from each other. This study looked at the relation between controlling coaching and psychological athlete harassment and abuse, and how controlling coaching and psychological athlete harassment and abuse relate to athletes’ outcomes (anxiety, perfectionism, and self-esteem). In total, 565 Belgian (former) gymnasts (91.2% female; 33.7% active; age = 21.70 ± 4.26) reported perceived coach's controlling style, coach's psychological athlete harassment and abuse, feelings of anxiety, perfectionism, and self-esteem. Controlling coaching positively correlated with psychological athlete harassment and abuse, and the highest correlations were found with intimidation. Results also showed that more controlling coaching and psychological athlete harassment and abuse related to more anxiety and perfectionism in athletes. No relations with self-esteem were found. As psychological harassment and abuse may from a gateway to other forms of abuse (i.e., physical; sexual), adopting a controlling coaching style may do the same. Equipping coaches through evidence-based safeguarding education with suitable alternative coaching styles may help protect athletes from psychological harassment and abuse
