Factors facilitating child abuse in sports in Turkey: The case of elite athletes

Abstract

This study analyzed child abuse practices and the factors facilitating abuse in sports organizations in Turkey. It used qualitative research methods through individual interviews in order to understand the case experientially and in-depth from various perspectives. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 39 individuals older than 18 years of age who had either previously done or were currently involved in an individual sport. The interviews retrospectively focused on the abuse practices experienced by the participants during their childhood and the factors facilitating these practices. Furthermore, this piece of research utilized content analysis of the interview data and explored the factors leading to abuse practices in sports under four main themes. Thus it was concluded that the most important factors leading to child abuse in sports include types of relationships built in sports fields; sociological factors outside the sport field; sports-specific locations and problems experienced in child protection in Turkey.