Parents the most likely source of abuse on Australia’s sporting fields, new study finds

Facing abuse, bullying, racism and even inappropriate sexual advances, the plight of Australia’s coaches has shocked even the researchers behind the first major national survey into positive sporting behaviours. More than one in six coaches have directly experienced verbal abuse in the past 12 months, and two in five have witnessed it, according to the first annual results from the Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) Positive Behaviours in Sport Study, and parents were responsible almost half the time (47%). Related: Hancock Prospecting spikes volleyball funding before home world championships Of the survey of 325 mostly grassroots coaches, more than one in 10 experienced bullying, and almost as many reported separate instances of either racism, discrimination, physical abuse or inappropriate sexual behaviour. Alexis Cooper, acting head of sport engagement at SIA, said the results surprised her, particularly given the importance of coaches within the sport ecosystem and that they are largely volunteers. “When you look at that abuse of coaches, it has a range of flow-on consequences for everyone else,” she said. “Children, for example, are more likely to drop out of sport because it’s not fun anymore, it leads to increased anxiety and stress for children, it can lead to poor sportsmanship on the field, it can lead to strained relationships between coaches and parents who are ultimately there for the kids.” Interactive The impact of poor parental behaviour was studied by the University of South Australia in a 2024 paper. It found that when parents were encouraging and enjoyed the game their child was more likely to project positive behaviour. However, if a parent criticised the referee or umpire, or yelled abuse, this was related to greater antisocial behaviours in the child. Despite the areas of improvement, the SIA report found broadly those involved in Australian sport enjoyed themselves, and around nine in 10 respondents – a group of 1,204 coaches and athletes combined – believed their sport was safe and fair for everyone. When there were behavioural issues, however, the study identified that they were not always dealt with adequately. Athletes were more likely to not report poor behaviour, or report informally, than to make a formal complaint. Reasons for not making formal reports included athletes not thinking it would be taken seriously, not knowing how to report it, a fear of persecution after reporting and a belief that any issue was someone else’s problem. Cooper said SIA, together with 32 integrity managers they have funded, are working on education to address these challenges. “Sport is a part of society, it’s not separate to society, and verbal abuse wouldn’t happen in other parts, but people sometimes accept that as being part of sport,” she said. “So there’s a cultural shift in there that has to happen that says, you know, this isn’t OK in sport.” Cooper said the five-year study will help address these long-term cultural challenges, but there are also immediate solutions available. “It’s education for parents, for example making sure they focus on fun instead of winning, it’s clubs being able to share values and educational resources with parents, some sports have marshals on the ground, there are green wristbands for under-18 officials, there’s a lot to do.”