Survey finds widespread sexual misconduct against women in UK elite sport

A survey of members of the Women’s Sport Collective has found a significant sexual safety problem for women working in elite sport in the UK, with 88% of respondents saying they had been the target of at least one form of sexual misconduct in the past five years and five people (2%) saying they had been raped in work-related contexts outside the main workplace in that period.

The report, published on Wednesday and titled Women’s Experiences of Sexual Misconduct Working in UK Elite Sport, invited members of the collective to take part anonymously and 260 people responded. Participants included administrators, coaches, current and former athletes, TV producers, lawyers and physios.

The findings said 87% had been the target of at least one form of sexual harassment and 40% had been the target of at least one form of sexual assault. For the study, sexual misconduct was categorised into harassment, assault and rape. The report found three of the six reported rapes (one person reported being raped twice) involved people who identified as having a disability.

The sample size limited intersectional analysis, but those who identified as having a disability (19) showed a much higher abuse rate than any other minority group. “The responses from people living with a disability really jumped out and I felt it needed to be noted and it’s something that needs to be explored further,” said Lindsey Simpson, who carried out the survey.

Key Topics

Sports, Women's Sport Collective, Lindsey Simpson, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault