While most news is about bullying in sports focuses on sexual abuse, which is less discussed, but bullying remains to be a standard and harmful aspect.
Bullying is there one in every of the principal reasons for quitting sports. Bullying can have profound and long-lasting effects on individualsresulting in depression, health problems, behavioral problems, low self-esteem and burnout, amongst others.
Since participation in sports has existed associated with many advantagesincluding lower levels of drug use, depression and anxiety, it’s critical to create an environment that permits individuals to have interaction in a life free from abuse.
The prevalence of bullying in sports poses a threat to practicing sports and requires a proactive approach to the issue. But what should sports communities do to handle bullying?
Dare to care in sports
In an effort to create an anti-bullying team culture, The University of Calgary Swim Club implemented a pilot program in September 2017 who adjusted “Dare to care” program. give attention to sports.
The program required all club members – administration, athletes, parents, guardians and coaches – to attend bullying prevention workshops.
Over the course of seven months, greater than 1,000 club members attended 1.5- to two-hour workshops designed and led by a national bullying prevention expert and former Team Canada swimmer. For convenience, the workshops were held on multiple dates and locations.
The goals for implementing the Dare to Care workshops included educating and training team members on how one can reply to and stop bullying, reducing bullying behaviors, equipping the organization with the talents to deal with any bullying issues, and ensuring that 90 percent members accomplished the training.
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The content of every workshop was interactive, age-appropriate, and designed to equip participants with the tools and confidence to handle bullying behaviors.
At the tip of the seven months, members were invited to participate in my ongoing study to look at the impact of the Dare to Care program. I presented the outcomes of this research at Global Anti-Bullying Forum Ireland 2019.
Since conducting this research, I actually have began training and dealing for Dare to Care, running anti-bullying workshops for sports organizations and clubs.
Participants were asked to finish a survey about violence in the club and to offer their opinions on the Dare to care in sport program. Some were also invited to attend an interview to learn more about bullying and the impact of the Dare to Care program.
Program feedback
In surveys and interviews, club members expressed their belief that bullying occurs in sports, even in the event that they haven’t seen it personally.
Participants believed that there have been several the explanation why bullying occurred in sports. The first reason given was jealousy. One parent interviewed said:
“Someone is good and someone wants to be better, and instead of working to be better, bullying can be a shortcut; it’s just plain jealousy. Even if it doesn’t get you there, putting the other person down can make you feel better because they make you feel worse, right?”
The second reason identified was competition. Another parent interviewed said:
Part of it has to do with winning in any respect costs or a “whatever it takes” mentality. The pressure could be enormous and a few people take every advantage they will, including bullying and harassment.”
The third and final reason suggested was parental involvement. One parent interviewed said:
“I see that parental pressure affects an athlete, and the way they treat people affects their success in sports.”
Club members also felt that anti-bullying teaching programs were very useful. The “Dare to Care About Sports” program was praised for being a compulsory and inclusive program for all members. One caller said, “It was very clear that the swimmers were on the same page and the coaches were on the same page.”
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Key findings from this system included a standard definition of bullying and the identification of acceptable behaviors, the results of bullying, anti-bullying tools and methods for bullying, and appropriate and protected mechanisms for reporting bullying incidents and behaviors.
Making sports safer
The advantages of practicing sports at any level are enormous. It is essential that every one members of sporting organizations know the proper definition of bullying and have the tools to deal with it.
Many harmful behaviors in sports have been normalized over time as “just part of the game” or “character building.” Programs like Dare to Care in Sport challenge this behavior and make sport a safer, inclusive and respectful environment for participants.
Encouraging sport should go hand in hand with a commitment to foster a culture of respect, inclusion and justice. An additional resource that leaders can use to realize that is podcastwhich focuses on a lot of these facets.
This is essential proceed education and ensure protected sports activities is made for everybody. Providing comprehensive bullying prevention education is one step toward improving the culture of sports.
