Alaikäisten urheilijoiden väkivaltakokemukset ja niihin puuttuminen
Keywords:
urheiluväkivalta, lapsen oikeudet, oikeusturva, urheiluoikeusAbstract
Children’s experiences of violence in sports activities
Every child has the right to participate in sports in a healthy and safe environment, as articulated in Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Nevertheless, research suggests that minor athletes (under 18 years of age) encounter various forms of violence within sports activities. Such violence can be particularly detrimental to children with effects that may be significant and enduring. Additionally, children may struggle to recognise and respond to violent behaviour. Our study aimed to examine the prevalence, types and perpetrators of violence among minor athletes in Finnish sports, alongside examining
the role of sports regulations and legal remedies in safeguarding child athletes.
To address these objectives, we conducted an online survey involving child athletes (N=3,030). Statistical analysis of the survey data was performed using the SPSS program, employing techniques of frequency distributions, cross-tabulation and the Chi-square test. Furthermore, Finnish sports law and regulation was subjected to legal dogmatic analysis.
The findings revealed that: a) various forms of violence are present in Finnish sports, with emotional violence being the most prevalent; b) children can be both victims and perpetrators of violence in sports; and c) many children choose not to speak about violence and, even when they do, the matter may not be adequately addressed, leading to continued violence. These findings underscore the importance of initiatives aimed at fostering openness, equality, ethics and safety within sports environments.
