Bullying and Team Sports: An Exploratory Case Study on Adults’ Recollections

Abstract

For children and adolescents, there are many physical, social, emotional, and psychological benefits in organized team sports participation. However, what happens when those team environments turn negative as a result of teammate bullying? By using a qualitative case study approach, the goal of this inquiry was to gain a better understanding of the impact this type of bullying has on teammates. Through purposeful sampling, the lived experience of two participants was investigated through multiple in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Together with the participants, the researcher recreated and co-constructed the participants’ experiences, views, and meanings of the teammate bullying they encountered while participating on organized sports teams. The objective of this research was to generate significant, positive conversations on teammate bullying, which in turn would ideally promote healthier attitudes and behaviour changes within organized team sport environments. Educators, parents, and coaches may benefit from a better understanding of the impact teammate bullying has on individuals who experience such behaviours within their organized sport teams. The findings indicated that teammate bullying is flourishing within organized sports teams due to a lack of adult supervision and an adult reluctance to intervene. While such behaviour diminishes the victim’s “love for the game,” those who witness the bullying tend to normalize it in order to maintain their “love for the game.” While victims value the support of their peers during these bullying episodes, non-supportive bystanders feel remorse over their inactions during adulthood.