Athlete Survivors
Community
Athletes come in all shapes and sizes, and exist in all communities. However; athlete survivors of sexual violence often exist in isolation or under the pressure of competition paired with a love of sport. Sports should be fun, happy, healthy spaces, but the intensity and closeness of those in a sport allows for perpetrators to get to know, earn trust, and manipulate a survivor.
Perpetrators such as coaches, trainers, or other athletic staff may use the guise of spending extra time to help improve skills as a reason to have alone time with an athlete. They will make the athlete feel special and provide favoritism, which leads to trust, secrecy, and an imbalance of power. Teammates may also see the favoritism as an attack and this may further isolate a survivor.
Survivors.org Community
By creating a safe space for athletes, we are fostering community and allowing for peer engagement in ways it hasn’t been seen in the past.
Related
-
An Interview with Jon Vaughn
Hear from Jon Vaughn, a former football player for the University of Michigan and the National Football League (NFL). In this episode, Jon and…
There Are Resources Available
The Army of Survivors
The Army of Survivors provides advocacy, resources, and support for survivors of sexual assault, particularly in the sports world. They aim to create safer environments and bring awareness to the ongoing issue of sexual violence. Their work includes working with policy makers, offering support for healing, and amplifying the voices of survivors.
Courage First Athlete Helpline
Courage First Athlete Helpline is a no-cost call, text, and chat service for athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone in sports communities who has questions or concerns about abuse or mental well-being in athletics.
Chat: Start a chat here
Phone & Text: 888-279-1026
U.S. Center for SafeSport
The U.S. Center for SafeSport is an independent nonprofit 501 (c)( 3) committed to building a sport community where participants can work and learn together free of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and misconduct.
Survivor Support, Directly to Your Inbox.
Stay in the loop on new survivor support resources and programs with our monthly Survivor Support Newsletter.
Community Forum
- This forum is empty.
- Oh, bother! No topics were found here.
- You must be logged in to create new topics.