Sexual harassment among Zimbabwe elite sportswomen: A study at the Zimbabwe Tertiary Institutions Sports Union (ZITISU) Games 2012.

Author(s)

John Mapfumo , Patricia Muchena ,

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Volume 2 - July 2013 (07)

Abstract

Researchers in this country and elsewhere have done considerable work on the nature and prevalence of sexual harassment in colleges and universities as well as in schools. Most studies have focused on the student –lecturer relationship and very little on harassment in sport. This study aimed to establish the extent and nature of sexual harassment of elite collegiate sportswomen from different sporting disciplines. The study also aimed to establish the perpetrator profiles. A ten- item questionnaire was completed by one hundred and fifty- five elite sportswomen from the Zimbabwe Tertiary Institutions Sports Union (ZITISU) who voluntarily took part in this study. The results of the study revealed extensive sexual harassment of the elite sportswomen by trainers and other officials as well as spectators. Victim sportswomen were subjected to unwanted touching, pinching and grabbing of body parts, repeated asking out, and sexual comments about their clothing, anatomy or looks. Most frequent time of harassment was after games or training at the sports centres. Conclusions were that sexual harassment of Zimbabwe elite sportswomen was likely to remain a problem for the foreseeable future. It was also concluded that sexual harassment in Zimbabwean collegiate sportswomen took the same forms as that found all over the world. The study recommended that policies, guidelines and other materials be prepared to increase awareness of collegiate sportswomen to sexual harassment and to enhance the security of the elite sportswomen. The study also recommended that harassers be appropriately punished as deterrent against sexual harassment of elite collegiate sportswomen

Keywords

Female elite athlete, sexual harassment, sport

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