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Sexual Violence in Athletic Organizations

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Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan

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Abstract

This chapter outlines how and why membership in athletic organizations is associated with risk factors for perpetration of sexual violence. Research findings in this area vary, but some studies have linked high school athletes to increased rates of general violence, suggesting higher incidences of sexual violence perpetration against women. Further, studies on intercollegiate athletes and sexually aggressive attitudes and behaviors have demonstrated mixed findings over time, yet more recent and methodologically rigorous work suggests ample cause for concern. A small body of literature on professional athletes is reviewed while noting how its size contrasts with recent media-generated reports and interest in the topic. Theoretical foundations for why sexual violence perpetration continues in sport include issues of hypermasculinity and rape culture (McCray KL, Handbook of sexual assault and sexual assault prevention. Springer, New York, 2019), athletes’ culture of silence (Messner M, Taking the field: men, women, and sports. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 2002), and elements of rape-prone environments (Crosset TW, The crisis of campus sexual violence: critical perspectives on prevention and response. Routledge, New York, 2016). The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research and sexual violence prevention efforts in athletic organizations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Sport Sciences, Otterbein University, Westerville, OH, USA

    Kristy L. McCray

  2. Department of Sport and Recreation Management, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Elizabeth A. Taylor

Authors
  1. Kristy L. McCray
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  2. Elizabeth A. Taylor
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristy L. McCray .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma, San Diego, CA, USA

    Robert Geffner

  2. Department of Psychology College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Jacquelyn W. White

  3. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    L. Kevin Hamberger

  4. Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA

    Alan Rosenbaum

  5. Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Viola Vaughan-Eden

  6. Education and Research, Zero Abuse Project, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Victor I. Vieth

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Sarah Cook

  2. Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA

    Tracy N. Hipp Ph.D.

  3. Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Encino, CA, USA

    Thema Bryant-Davis

  4. Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Rebecca Wilson

  5. Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Marie Skov

  6. Department of Psychology and Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Kevin Swartout

  7. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Jacquelyn W. White Ph.D

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McCray, K.L., Taylor, E.A. (2022). Sexual Violence in Athletic Organizations. In: Geffner, R., White, J.W., Hamberger, L.K., Rosenbaum, A., Vaughan-Eden, V., Vieth, V.I. (eds) Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89999-2_227

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