Abuse in sport: Athletes Germany helps victims
BBefore the contact point for victims of violence in top-class sport started its work on Monday, around twenty victims had already contacted it. This seems paradoxical, but makes the need clear. In a scientific survey of 1,800 of them five years ago, almost one in three said they had experienced physical violence in sport.
Thirty-seven percent reported having been subjected to sexualized violence, and more than four in five, 86 percent, reported being the subject of psychological violence. Since the hearing of the Independent Commission for the Study of Sexual child abuse On the subject of sport in October 2020, one or two affected people contacted Athletes Germany every month.
Bund wants to follow suit
Since this week, the association has been offering anonymous legal and therapeutic advice and support from trained staff to the approximately four thousand squad athletes in Germany who have experienced attacks. The offer is also aimed at former competitive athletes.
Those who do not belong to a selection will not be rejected, assure saber fencer Léa Krüger from the presidium of Athletes Germany and psychologist and former water polo player Tobias Preuss, vice president of the organization. Before the end of this year, the federal government intends to set up a national contact point for victims of violence in all sports. In addition, he promises to create an independent center for Safe Sport.
This is music of the future. The contact point of athletes in Germany, financed by two foundations, works independently of sport and the state and thus makes athletes an offer that they accept more willingly than others.
Because Athletes Germany also placed great value on competence. For months, the athletes’ representatives worked out the basis for support together with the NINA association, which runs the Germany-wide help line for sexual abuse.
High number of unreported cases
It is necessary to provide help in a special biotope. The closeness between athletes and coaches, the willingness that is often demanded by authoritarian authorities to do literally everything for success can lead to dependence and abuse in sport more than anywhere else. If there is a misunderstood loyalty and fear of negative consequences, those affected are more likely to surrender than to seek help.
A surprisingly small number of people affected by sport have contacted the independent commissioner for the processing of sexual abuse, it was only 115 out of three thousand. One must suspect a high number of unreported cases. This also suggests that the offer from athletes Germany will meet with great demand and was long overdue.
The contact point can be reached by phone on 0800 90 90 444 or by email [email protected]
