Student athletes’ experiences of bullying in intercollegiate sport

Abstract

ABSTRACT Given the limited research on bullying among post-secondary students and within settings outside of school, this exploratory study investigated the bullying and cyber bullying experiences of post-secondary student athletes in intercollegiate athletic contexts. An online exploratory survey assessed experiences of victimization, perpetration, and witnessing in the context of sport. Respondents included 122 student athletes (64% female, 35% male) across 24 sports. The sample self-reported 48% victimization, 31% perpetration, and 62% witnessing for bullying. For cyber bullying, the sample self-reported 7% victimization, 9% perpetration, and 15% witnessing. Other findings included: types, timing, and locations of bullying; reasons for bullying; and responses to these experiences. Findings are interpreted in light of existing sport literature and directions for future research are proposed.