Onderzoek leert dat 17% van de jonge Vlaamse sporters te maken krijgt met seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag in de sport. Dat gaat van vervelende seksuele opmerkingen en grapjes van een trainer of medesporter, over ongewenste aanrakingen tot aanranding of verkrachting.
Misschien herken je daar iets van. Misschien heb je het nooit eerder verteld, omdat je niet weet aan wie je je verhaal kan toevertrouwen. Of misschien vraag je je af of wat je overkomen is wel erg genoeg is, of dat men je wel zal begrijpen, als je het zelf niet helemaal begrijpt.
Seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag in je sportomgeving is altijd verkeerd. Je mag je op geen enkele manier onveilig of onprettig voelen tijdens het sporten. Het is aan de sportclub om ervoor te zorgen dat dit niet kan gebeuren. Er moeten meer maatregelen genomen worden om – ook in de sport – seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag te voorkomen.
Wij verzamelen verhalen van getroffenen en garanderen hun anonimiteit en respect voor hun privacy. Met de verzamelde informatie gaan we aan de slag om preventiemateriaal te ontwikkelen. Samen kunnen jij en wij een verschil maken op het sportveld en ervoor zorgen dat er in de toekomst meer aandacht is voor dit probleem.
Wil jij graag je verhaal kwijt over jouw ervaringen met seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag in de sport? Dan kan je geheel vrijblijvend contact opnemen met onderzoekster Tine Vertommen (per mail, per telefoon of per SMS). Ken je iemand met zo’n verhaal, dan help je het onderzoek verder door deze boodschap te delen. Deze nieuwe informatie dient als basis voor de uitwisseling van kennis en het ontwikkelen van educatief materiaal. Dit project heeft als doel de sportwereld beter te wapenen in de strijd tegen seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag in de sport en de integriteit van de sport te versterken.
Dit zullen interviews zijn over levensverhalen, met de nadruk op ervaringen met seksueel geweld, intimidatie en misbruik binnen de sportcontext (in een sportorganisatie of op school).
De lengte van het interview hangt volledig van jou af, hoewel we minstens één interview van ongeveer 2 uur verwachten. Jij beslist over het tijdstip en de locatie van het interview. Een rustige/discrete plek lijkt hiervoor het beste. Als dit onmogelijk is, kunnen wij jouw reiskosten vergoeden, indien je dat wenst. Gelieve er rekening mee te houden dat we geen andere vergoedingen voor het interview kunnen geven.
Het interview zal opgenomen worden met een audio-recorder waarna het letterlijk getranscribeerd wordt. Tijdens deze transcriptie zullen alle belangrijke identificatiegegevens verwijderd worden. Enkel het finale, geanonimiseerde transcript wordt gedeeld met het onderzoeksteam van dit project.
Interview gids
Onderstaande lijst illustreert de topics waarover het gesprek kan gaan. Dit is echter geen volledige lijst. Tijdens het gesprek kunnen er ook andere zaken aan bod komen:
familiale achtergrond en kindertijd;
aan welke sport(en) je deed;
de dader(s) en de relatie met jou;
hoe de seksuele activiteiten/intimidatie/misbruik begon en wat het inhield;
hoe je ermee omging;
hoe het jou en anderen rondom jou beïnvloedde;
of je het aan iemand kon vertellen;
professionele hulp;
preventie in en door de sport;
lange-termijn impact;
hoe je er nu over denkt
Hoe zal je verhaal worden gebruikt?
Jouw interview transcript zal gebruikt worden als onderdeel van een Europees onderzoeksrapport.
Het transcript van jouw interview kan, gedeeltelijk of in zijn geheel, gebruikt worden in onderzoekspublicaties zoals tijdschriftartikels, verslagen of boeken die toegankelijk zijn via internet.
Alle transcripten worden geanonimiseerd opdat jouw identiteit vertrouwelijk blijft.
Erkenningsfora
Dit project houdt ook het ontwikkelen van nationale erkenningfora in. Deze werden ontworpen om de verhalen van diegenen die getroffen werden door seksueel geweld tot bij de mensen die werken binnen de sportwereld en de organisaties die verantwoordelijk zijn voor het sportbeleid te brengen.
Alle onderzoeksdeelnemers zullen een uitnodiging krijgen om deel te nemen aan dit nationaal forum. Wij geven je graag meer details terwijl we dit met jou bespreken.
De verhalen die verzameld werden met behulp van de interviews zullen ook gebruikt worden om preventie instrumenten te ontwikkelen. Deze instrumenten hebben als doel de Europese sportgemeenschap iets bij te brengen over het probleem van seksueel geweld.
Natuurlijk is het jouw eigen beslissing om deel te nemen aan verdere stappen in het project.
Initiatieven op het vlak van preventie hebben pas zin als ze worden gewaardeerd door zij die getroffen zijn door seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag. Hun verhalen centraal stellen in dit project zorgt ervoor dat de resultaten betekenisvol en authentiek zijn. Twee voorgaande Europese projecten over seksueel geweld in de sport – ‘Prevention of sexualised violence in European sport’ (German Sport Youth) en ‘Sport Respects Your Rights’ (SPORTUNION Austria) – toonden dit duidelijk aan.
Op deze manier zorgen we ervoor dat het preventiemateriaal dat ontwikkeld wordt tijdens het VOICE project authentiek is en gewaardeerd zal worden door de sportwereld. Het educatief materiaal zal kernboodschappen over de integriteit van sporters en de preventie van seksueel geweld bevatten. Deze zullen gratis en digitaal ter beschikking worden gesteld om een brede verspreiding mogelijk te maken. Het project biedt ook nadrukkelijk de mogelijkheid om een netwerk uit te bouwen, zowel op Vlaams als op Europees vlak. In het bijzonder wil het VOICE project sportorganisaties de mogelijkheid bieden om kennis te maken met getuigenissen van seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag in de sport. Op die manier kan de aanpak van seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag verbeteren.
Indien jouw organisatie interesse heeft om deel te nemen, kan je vrijblijvend contact met ons opnemen.
Intimidatie gaat over ongewenste aandacht of ongewenst gedrag, de schending van je waardigheid of integriteit, of het creëren van een bedreigende, vijandige, intimiderende, denigrerende, vernederende of agressieve omgeving.
Misbruik
Misbruik impliceert dat iemand z’n rechten geschonden worden, gebaseerd op misbruik van macht of vertrouwen.
Seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag
Seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag verwijst naar elke vorm van seksueel gedrag of seksuele toenadering, in verbale, non-verbale of fysieke zin, waarbij niet wordt voldaan aan één of meerdere van de zes criteria (wederzijdse toestemming, vrijwilligheid, gelijkwaardigheid, passend bij de context, passend bij de leeftijd of ontwikkeling en zelfrespect) (www.sportmetgrenzen.be). Voorbeelden van verbaal SGG zijn: ongewenste en denigrerende intieme vragen over je kleren, je lichaam of je privéleven, seksuele grapjes, voorstellen/vragen naar seksuele handelingen of seksuele relaties. Het kan ook gaan over ongewenste telefoontjes, brieven, tekstberichten of chatberichten met een seksuele inhoud. Non-verbale gedragingen zijn bijvoorbeeld nastaren, gebaren, of het tonen van beelden of objecten met een seksuele connotatie. Voorbeelden van fysiek seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag zijn ongewenst, onnodig of gedwongen fysiek contact met een seksuele connotatie, zoals knijpen, het lichaam tegen iemands lichaam aandrukken, iemand proberen te kussen of te knuffelen, aanranding en verkrachting.
(Chroni et al. 2012: Prevention of sexual and gender harassment and abuse in sport – Initiatives in Europe and beyond.
Seksueel misbruik
Seksueel misbruik is elke vorm van seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag, in verbale, non-verbale of fysieke zin, opzettelijk of onopzettelijk, waar geen wederzijdse toestemming voor bestaat, en/of die op een of andere manier is afgedwongen, en/of waar het slachtoffer veel jonger is of in een afhankelijke relatie staat (www.sportmetgrenzen.be).
Seksuele uitbuiting van kinderen
Seksuele uitbuiting van kinderen is gedefinieerd als seksueel misbruik in ruil voor enige vorm van compensatie, zijnde geld of goederen, voor het kind of een derde persoon of personen. Het kind wordt behandeld als een seksueel en commercieel object (http://ecpat.be/nl/seksule-uitbuiting/wat-is-commerciele-seksuele-uitbuiting-van-kinderen/).
(UK Government, 2015: Working Together to Safeguard Children).
Voice consortium
Please click on a consortium partner for more information:
Coordinator
+ German Sport University Cologne – Dr Bettina Rulofs & Gitta Axmann
The Institute of Sociology & Gender Studies at the German Sport University specialises in gender issues and social inequality in sport. Research and policy development on gender discrimination as well as sexual violence in sport are a special field of expertise. Dr Bettina Rulofs is currently leading a project on child protection and the prevention of sexual violence in organised sport that is funded by the German Ministry of Science & Education. The German Sport Youth (Germany’s umbrella organisation for youth sport) is the official cooperation partner in this project.
Partners
+ Edge Hill University – Dr. Mike Hartill
Edge Hill University (EHU) is situated in Ormskirk, in north-west England providing undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes. In 2014 it was named ‘University of the Year’ in the Times Higher awards. The Department for Sport & Physical Activity is the largest department in the institution with over 40 academic staff teaching and researching across a range of sport-related disciplines. Over the past fifteen years the department has developed research in child maltreatment in sport contributing to the department’s Sport & Physical Activity research being ranked in the top 25 in the UK for its research impact in the national Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.
+ University of Ljubljana – Prof. Dr. Mojca Doupona Topic
The main mission of the Faculty of Sport at the University of Ljubiljana is to educate, train and qualify sports experts for various profiles of work in sport such as Physical Education, Health and Fitness, and Sport Management. The specific objective is to prepare educators, researchers and professionals at university level who will be involved in activities aimed at the achievement and maintenance of the best possible conditions of psycho-physical wellbeing in our society, in schools, in communities, in work environments and in sport activities, both competitive and recreational.
+ University of Southern Denmark – Dr. Jan Toftegaard
The Active Living (AL) research group at The Institute of Sport & Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark has significant experience in measuring population impacts of prevention and health promotion interventions. AL is highly engaged and qualified in evaluating “real-world” interventions to determine program impacts and final outcomes under typical conditions – with the aim of producing balanced assessment of both internal and external validity of specific interventions. AL has wide experience with conducting setting-based intervention trials – typically at school, sport organisations, community and/or municipal level.
+ University of Vienna – Ass.-Prof. Dr. Rosa Diketmuller
The Institute of Sport Science is part of the University of Vienna. The University of Vienna is the largest teaching and research institution in Austria and one of the largest in Central Europe. Five professorships and about 30 academic positions exist at the Institute of Sport Science. In total around 1,500 students are enrolled at the Institute of Sport Science studying either Sport Science or Physical Education.
+ University of Antwerp & Thomas More University College – Tine Vertommen
The Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI) is the scientific research center of psychiatry and mental health at the University of Antwerp, and is led by Prof. Bernard Sabbe, MD, PhD. Two of the current research domains are ‘psychotherapy’ and ‘forensic psychiatry’. CAPRI has expertise in the treatment of both victims and offenders of sexual violence, and has extensive experience in conducting qualitative research on sensitive issues. One of the ongoing projects in CAPRI is the PhD trajectory of Tine Vertommen, MSc in Criminology and MSc in Ethics, on interpersonal violence in sport.
+ University of Vic – University Central of Catalunya – Dr. Montserrat Martin
The University of Vic has been offering the degree of Sport and Physical Sciences for over a decade. The department of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, has three active research groups. The research group of Dr Montserrat Martin (GREAF) integrates social and health issues related to sport comprising two main research areas: (i) the promotion of the physical activity amongst sedentary sectors of population; (ii) preventing sexual abuse and harassment (sexual violence) in sport. In October 2012 Dr Martin hosted the first ever seminar in Spain on sexual abuse and harassment in sport and in June 2013 the High Council of Sport in Spain invited Dr Martin to organize and lead a seminar in sexual abuse and harassment in sport.
+ European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation / Michael Leyendecker
ENGSO-Youth – the youth-organisation of ENGSO – advocates for children and youth sport in European countries and is responsible for the education of children and young people organised in sport. ENGSO Youth is working to develop the sporting culture in which children and young people are encouraged to participate in decision-making processes at all levels. ENGSO Youth is specialized for promoting topics such as sport, health, inclusion, participation, intercultural dialogue, volunteering of young people in European sports, equal opportunities and international cooperation.
+ European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation / Annette Wachter
The EGLSF represents more than 100 LGBTIQ Sport organisations, which represent more than 20,000 LGBTI athletes in over 20 European countries. The EGLSF is also well linked with numerous sport organisations, such as National Olympic Committees, grassroots sport organisations and federations. In conjunction with the Annual General Assembly of the EGLSF members and also combined with the EuroGames, EGLSF is organizing conferences with special focus on LGBTI related issues in Sport. The EGLSF has gathered significant experience and expertise in EU project management through its own project “Pride in Sport” (funded by the European Commission) and by its involvement in other, non EU funded projects of similar kind.
+ European Paralympic Committee / Saskia Kanfer
The EPC is a European non-profit-making organisation supported by the European Union and the Austrian Government. The EPC seeks to promote and develop Paralympic sport at an equal level to the mainstream sport movement. It is run by European National Paralympic Committees and the European branches of the International Organisations of Sports for the Disabled. The purpose of the EPC is to promote and defend the collective interest of European athletes with disabilities without discrimination on the grounds of religion, economics, disability, gender, language or ethnic origin. In this regard, EPC focuses especially on an ethical sports environment that advocates the rights of athletes and safeguards them from discrimination and violence.
+ European University Sports Association / Andrej Pisl
EUSA is the governing body for university and college sport in Europe, having 45 national university sports member associations. It links national university sport federations, universities, teams, individual competitors, volunteers and other partners throughout Europe.
EUSA’s mission is to maintain and develop regular communication between the national federations; to co-ordinate competitions, conferences, mass-sport-events and other activities; to represent university sport in general and the member federations in particular in relation to various European bodies; to disseminate throughout Europe the ideals of university sport in close collaboration with the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and other European organisations and institutions.
+ NWG-Network / Sheila Taylor
The NWG Network is a charitable organisation consisting of over 500 organisations with 8000 practitioners working to tackle the issues of Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking within the UK. NWG provides strategic and operational support to services offering support to young people and influences change at government, national, regional and local levels. The Aims of NWG Network are to provide a forum for projects or organisations concerned with the exploitation of young people, to provide links into current research, policy and project developments within the field and offer the opportunity for examples of good, bad and developing practice to be shared and discussed.
Steering group
The project team will be guided and supported by a Steering Committee. The individuals on the steering committee have been selected for their expertise and standing within areas particularly relevant to this project.
Dr. Bettina Rulofs is senior lecturer at the German Sport University, Institute of Sociology & Gender Studies. Her main areas of research are gender studies, social inequality, child protection, prevention of violence and diversity-management in sport. Since 2010, she is member of the National Working Group on Child Protection in Sport and as a member of that group the German Sport Youth entrusted her with the compilation of a guideline for child protection in sport. She is currently leading the research project Safe Sport in Germany, which is funded by the German Ministry of Science & Education, and focuses on child protection and the prevention of sexual violence in organised sport. She was also involved in previous EU-funded projects, for example Sport respects your rights.
Dr Mike Hartill
Dr Hartill lectures at Edge Hill University and has previously conducted research with victims/survivors of sexual abuse in sport as well as having conducted research into child protection/safeguarding systems in sport. Mike has been heavily engaged in previous EU-funded projects on sexualised violence in sport (e.g. Sport Respects Your Rights). He initiated the world’s first higher education module on ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection in Sport’ in 2002 and continues to educate undergraduate students in this field. Dr Hartill collaborates with many local, regional and national sport organisations, such as the Rugby Football League, UK Athletics, Street Games UK and the Child Protection in Sport Unit, as well as victim-support organisations such as Survivors Manchester. In 2016 Routledge published his book ‘Sexual abuse in youth sport: a sociocultural analysis‘.
Gloria Viseras
Gloria is a survivor of child sexual abuse in the context of elite gymnastics in Spain. Four years ago, she was able to break the silence and her case was leaked to the media. Since then, many survivors and victims have spontaneously contacted her asking for help. She has worked with many of them to get the help they need from the institutions and from professionals. Today she campaigns in favour of a sport free of violence against athletes, helps organizations at grassroots level to put good governance and athlete protection procedures in place, and is an advocate for the suspension of the statute of limitations in her country.
Sheila Taylor MBE
Sheila Taylor MBE has led many initiatives and programmes related to sexual violence against children and currently leads the UK National Working Group Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation (NWG Network). NWG Network is a Charitable organisation formed as a UK network of over 8300 practitioners working on the issue of child sexual exploitation and trafficking within the UK. NWG offers support and advice and also influences the development of national and local policy informed by practice. NWG has links across Europe, South East Asia, Africa and USA exchanging knowledge and understanding and is dedicated to seeking ways to finding alternative solutions.
Gitta Axmann
Gitta has various experiences in managing and coordinating international projects in the field of sport. During her employment at the German Olympic Sports Confederation she developed a profound understanding of the structures in organised sport – at national as well as European level. She is specialised in the topic of gender equality and intercultural learning and she was also part of the EU-funded project “Sport respects your rights”, in which she took over the education and monitoring part.
Dr. Hartill is co-lead for VOICE. He has previously conducted research with victims/survivors of sexual abuse in sport as well as having conducted research into child protection/safeguarding systems in sport.
Dr Bettina Rulofs is senior lecturer at the German Sport University, Institute of Sociology & Gender Studies. Her main areas of research are gender studies, social inequality, child protection, prevention of violence and diversity-management in sport.
Tine Vertommen has an MA in Ethics and an MSc in Criminology and is currently completing a PhD into the prevalence and consequences of interpersonal violence against children in sport at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. She is also a researcher in the department of forensic psychology at the Thomas More University College in Antwerp. In her research, she focusses on (the prevention of) sexual violence.
I am a researcher and lecturer at the sport institute at University of Southern Denmark, where I have specialized in at-risk-youth programs that deal with social change through sport. My primary interest is tied to the general wellbeing and learning through sport participation and specifically securing the rights and interests of athletes in sport.
Head of Department for sociology and history of sport and Vice-Dean for science and research
Professor Mojca Doupona Topič has authored and co-authored around 50 scientific articles in journals and contributed more than 40 conference papers and 30 chapters in scientific monographs addressing several aspects of the sport in contemporary society. Her research work comprises the field of the sociology of sport, but she also dedicates herself above all to her research of the sociological aspects of female sport, i.e. to the gender differences in sport.
Dr Szilvia Perényi has a wide range of experiences on different levels of sports ranging from governmental, non-governmental and private stakeholders; emphasizing years of experience in sports policy through her involvement with the national ministry of sport; she also serves frequently on Local Organising Committees of world, continental sporting events and the paralymic games.
Ass. Prof Dr Rosa Diketmueller
The Institute of Sport Science is part of the University of Vienna. The University of Vienna is the largest teaching and research institution in Austria and one of the largest in Central Europe. As an Assistant Professor at the department of sport pedagogy, Rosa Diketmueller is involved in teaching and research in the fields of pedagogy, health promotion and gender studies. Currently she is chairing the working group “Fight against sexual violence in sport” elaborating the Austrian National Action Plan on “Gender Equality in Sport 2014-2020”.
Dr Montserrat Martin Horcajo
Dr Montserrat Martin is a lecturer in sociology of sport and qualitative research methods at University of Vic (UVic-UCC). She has been investigating sexual violence in sport from a sociological perspective since 2011.
Besides delving into the narratives of those affected by sexual violence in sport, she is also working on developing workshops for sports coaches for assessing and raising awareness and prevention of sexual violence in their sport practices in Spain.
