Lynn Hunt Long, Ed.D. School of Health and Applied Human Sciences UNC Wilmington

1. Student Athletes’ Perceptions of Sexual Harassment Lynn Hunt Long, Ed.D.   
School of Health and Applied Human Sciences UNC Wilmington 
 Email: longhl@uncw.edu Regina Rahimi, Ed. D. Department of Adolescent and Adult Learning Armstrong Atlantic State University Savannah, Ga. Regina.rahimi@armstrong.edu Delores D. Liston, Ph.D. Department of Curriculum, Reading and Leadership Georgia Southern University

2. Sexual Harassment in Sport Sexual harassment and abuse occur in all sports and at all levels. The physical and psychological consequences of sexual harassment and abuse are significant for the athlete, their team, and for the health and integrity of the sport in general. (Marks, Mountjoy, & Marcus, 2011)

3. What is Sexual Harassment? • Sexual gestures? • Participating in the spreading of rumors about or rating others regarding sexual activity or performance? • Sexual advances? • Touching of a sexual nature? • Posting or distributing sexually suggestive/explicit drawings, pictures, or text? • Pressure for sexual favors? • Telling “dirty” jokes or stories? • Self-touch in front of others? • Sexually suggestive remarks?

4. Defining Sexual Harassment • Sexual Harassment • Lin Farley (Cornell University), 1975 • EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) • “Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment” • Catherine MacKinnon in her work, Sexual Harassment of Working Women (1979) -Quid Pro Quo or Hostile Environment

5. Defining Gendered Harassment Gendered Harassment defined as “any behavior, verbal, physical or psychological, that polices the boundaries of traditional heterosexual gender norms and includes (hetero) sexual harassment, homophobic harassment, and harassment for gender non-conformity.” Meyer(2008)

6. Sexual Harassment in Schools • Office of Civil Rights responsible for enforcing Title IX in schools defines sexual harassment in school as: 1) Sexual in Nature 2) Unwelcome 3) Denies or limits students’ ability to participate in or benefit from schools’ education program • Following Davis v. Monroe (1998) schools began to develop sexual harassment policies * • 1990s seem to be the zenith regarding policy establishment in schools

7. Harassment on Campus • “Campus Conflicts: College Students’ Perceptions of Heterosexism and Homophobia in Colleges and Universities” in J. Devitis, Contemporary Colleges and Universities: A Reader. Students reported • Homophobia in classes • Discrimination of transgendered students • Fear on campus (parking lots, hallways, library, etc) • Dating violence on campus (and off) • Stalking • STEM courses • Teacher-Student harassment - women of color most susceptible (Paludi, Denmark,& DeFour, 2008)

8. Prevalence Despite decades of feminist reform, there still remains perpetuation of sexual, misogynistic, and homophobic harassment. • National Association of School Psychologists • ~80% of Secondary Students • AAUW (American Association of University Women) Study • Nearly 2/3 (62%) of students , male and female, reported being sexually harassed, including nearly 1/3 of first-year students; 51% of male college students admit to sexually harassing someone in college, with 22% admitting to harassing someone often or occasionally; 31% of female college students admit to harassing someone in college. • While exact prevalence in sport has not been systematically determined, estimates range widely from 2% to 48% - however research demonstrates that various forms of sexual harassment occur in all sports and at all levels.

9. Literature: Sexual Harassment and Athletics • Literature informing the study: • Complex relationships* • Harassment by peer university athletes is greater than by authority figure (Brackenridge, Miller, & Sabo, 2008) • Within teams, high tolerance for sexual harassment, abuse, hazings, initiations and bullying (Kirby & Demers, 2013) • Disproportionate numbers of male-student athletes involved in reported sexual harassment and assaults (Hogan, 2006)* • Disproportionate numbers of homophobic bullying and harassment takes place in the context of sport (Rivers, 2011) * • Contact sports in relation to sexual harassment and assault cases* • Characteristics of campuses where harassment is most likely to occur • Poor communications in reporting • Poor education on harassment for students, faculty, and staff • Encouragement of sexist themed parties (Druahn, Elkins, & Roy, 2002) • Attempts to thwart women’s voices on campus in effort to protect male faculty and male players (Eyre, 2000)

10. Our Study Methodology • 27 former high school athletes (current university athletes) • 17 females/10 males, representing variety of sports* • Demographic breakdown: white-non Hispanic, multiracial, African American, Hispanic, Asian • Southeastern US • Semi Structured Interviews • How do university female/male athletes define sexual harassment? • What behaviors do students believe constitute sexual harassment? • How do athletes define homophobic bullying/harassment? • In what ways do schools (or personnel) help mediate any experiences with sexual harassment or homophobic bullying? • Where do student athletes report instances of harassment? How do they perceive those reports have been or would be received? • To what extent have student athletes been harassed or witnessed harassment either in university or k-12 settings?

11. Findings • Complex dynamics between athletes and coaches as well as peer athletes. • “…athletes are at a higher risk to be sexually harassed playing other fellow student athletes, just because you come in contact with them more and usually know them better.” • “…both coaches and players need to understand the separation of it. I think sometimes it is not really clear. I mean sometimes we socialize outside of the court. That’s where it can be difficult.” • “Our coaches are the authority for us, they are the ones we go to when we need help and since they are in that authority, they can do basically whatever they want.”

12. Findings, cont’d • Sexism exists within campus athletics • “…boys’ teams get more clothes and the preferable practice times.” • “There are a lot more male trainers than female trainers. Many male athletes don’t want to be trained by a woman, but we are used to working with male coaches.” • “We (girls’ teammates) have to share hotel beds when we travel, boys do not.”

13. Findings, cont’d • Homophobic bullying exists in campus athletics • “… a lot of issues with gay players being bullied due to sexual orientation…many don’t see it as harassment.” • “…some girls started having not good relationships with each other on the team…and started forming cliques... a lot of girls felt like you had to be gay in order to feel like you were a part of the team…” • “People are scared to talk about it. Especially at college, so maybe we don’t even know they have a different sexual view or whatever, so they don’t talk about it that way they are not harassed.”

14. Findings, cont’d • Reporting harassment is complicated: • “I think people are scared because of authority. Scared that the university or school might take the employee’s side over the student’s side.” • “If I was sexually harassed, I wouldn’t know where to go.” • Girls felt pressure to NOT report instances involving an assistant coach. Male team pressured them because they feared they “wouldn’t go to the championship game.”

15. Findings, cont’d • Information on sexual harassment and homophobic bullying remains to be scarce: • “I guess they mentioned it, but it wasn’t like we had a huge discussion or something.” • “In high school I had one course that mentioned harassment, but since I have been here at college, I don’t think any classes have addressed it at all.” • “There might have been something I signed or initialed a piece of paper was given to me that said something about it, but I can’t remember it, so obviously it didn’t make an impact and serve a purpose.” • “Haven’t heard much about it here.”

16. Consequences of Harassment “Because of the harassment, my friend left the sport… she was an excellent athlete.” • Consequences can be severe *Dropping out *Abusive relationships *Drug use *Depression *Poor choices *Sexual ‘confusion’ *Compromised potential (Rahimi & Liston, 2013)

17. Recommendations *Critical pedagogy: Social Justice Focus *Players, trainers, coaches, faculty, staff - involved *Can’t be relegated to Student Affairs- involve everyone *Reconceptualize sexuality ‘education’ *Safe spaces within schools *Situate bullying discourse within context of sexism *Open, extensive dialogue

18. Recommendations • Reconstruct a positive discourse of emergent female sexuality for all students • Revisit the conversation concerning sexual harassment and make certain that educators, coaches, and administration have an understanding of gendered harassment • Work to establish educational precedent and policies to decrease the likelihood of occurrence and acceptance • Provide resources for dealing with discrimination and hostility on university campuses • Acknowledge and actively seek to eliminate sexual harassment by intervening in instances of harassment*