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What is not perceived as abuse in youth sports may be part of sexual violence

Phys · · 752 words · By University
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What to know about What is not perceived as abuse in youth sports may be part of sexual violence

The article discusses a study by the GIKAFIT research group at EHU regarding sexual violence against minors in sports. It highlights a 'gray zone' of behaviors that athletes may not initially perceive as abusive but which survivors later identify as part of a grooming process.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 6
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

What is not perceived as abuse in youth sports may be part of sexual violence Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Chief Editor Sexual violence against minors in sports is a reality that goes largely unnoticed, despite data suggesting it is not an…

Why it matters

According to a report by the GIKAFIT research group at EHU in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, 20% of participants had experienced behavior of a sexual nature from their coaches, including kissing on the lips, expressions of sexual interest and…

Common ground

"Despite these high rates, people are surprised when I tell them I am researching this topic because they think the abuse of minors does not happen in sports.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

The article discusses a study by the GIKAFIT research group at EHU regarding sexual violence against minors in sports. It highlights a 'gray zone' of behaviors that athletes may not initially perceive as abusive but which survivors later identify as part of a grooming process.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-abuse-youth-sports-sexual-violence.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 3
verified Verified 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “Her latest study, published in the European Journal for Sport and Society, examines athletes' perceptions and experiences.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Andrea Sáenz-Olmedo, along with Aitor Iturricastillo and Oidui Usabiaga, authored a study titled 'Crossing the line: blurred boundaries and sexual violence in coach-athlete relationships' published in the European Journal for Sport and Society.
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web search NEUTRAL — Andrea Sáenz-Olmedo, Aitor Iturricastillo & Oidui Usabiaga. Crossing the line: blurred boundaries and sexual violence in coach-athlete relationships. European Journal for Sport and Society.
https://www.ehu.eus/en/web/campusa-magazine/-/what-is-not-pe…
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web search NEUTRAL — Keywords: sexual violence; experiences; perceptions; coach-athlete relationship; sport.This study assessed the reliability of the Sexual Violence in Sport Questionnaire, showing a solid internal consi…
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202407.2590/v1/download
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web search NEUTRAL — Sexual violence and abuse by coaches in youth sport, the results indicate, could be more widespread than is generally assumed. The subject often stays in the shadows, the researchers observed, because…
https://media-digital-hub.com/media-insights/athletes-miss-c…
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Claim 2: “Andrea Sáenz-Olmedo et al, Crossing the line: blurred boundaries and sexual violence in coach-athlete relationships, European Journal for Sport and Society (2026). DOI: 10.1080/16138171.2026.2694224”
CORROBORATED
The title, authors, and journal are confirmed by multiple web search results. One source explicitly cites 'Sáenz-Olmedo, A., et al. (2026). Crossing the line: blurred boundaries and sexual violence in coach-athlete relationships'.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team phys…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_medicine
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology is a peer-reviewed medical journal that covers research on the cardiovascular system. The journal's editor-in-chief is Prof Victor Aboyans (University of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Journal_of_Preventive…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nutrients is a peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal publishing reviews, regular research papers, and short communications on all aspects of nutrition. It was established in 2009 and is publish…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrients_(journal)
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 3: “behaviors such as hugging, asking about leisure time, offering individual attention or creating opportunities for one-on-one contact were rarely classified as sexual violence.”
VERIFIED
A web search result explicitly states that 'behaviours such as hugging, asking about leisure time, offering individual attention, or creating opportunities for one-to-one contact were rarely classified as sexual violence' in the context of the study.
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web search NEUTRAL — On the other hand, behaviours such as hugging, asking about leisure time, offering individual attention, or creating opportunities for one-to-one contact were rarely classified as sexual violence.Exer…
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260924/Athletes-struggle…
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web search NEUTRAL — But when it comes to hugging a married woman, the dynamic shifts a bit. It’s not just about the gesture—it’s about intention, boundaries, and respect. In many cultures and social circles, a hug is tot…
https://lifeispositive.com/hugging-married-women/
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web search NEUTRAL — An aesthetic Pomodoro timer to keep you focused and motivated. Customize your study timer and choose from a variety of aesthetic themes.
https://studywithme.io/
verified
Claim 4: “More than 80% identified the more explicitly sexualized behaviors as sexual violence, such as proposing sexual relations in exchange for privileges, kissing on the lips or staring at an athlete's breasts or buttocks.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the study itself is verified, the specific statistic 'More than 80%' regarding the identification of explicitly sexualized behaviors is not present in the provided evidence. The evidence provided for this claim discusses sex trafficking and general grooming, but not the specific findings of the Sáenz-Olmedo study regarding the 80% threshold.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Over may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Over and Over may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_and_Over
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An over–under or over/under (O/U) bet is a wager in which a sportsbook will predict a number for a statistic in a given game and bettors wager that the actual number in the game will be either higher…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over–under
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “We combined quantitative surveys of 292 athletes and six qualitative interviews with people who had experienced sexual violence in sports when they were school-age children”
CORROBORATED
Three separate web search results explicitly confirm the methodology of the study: quantitative surveys of 292 athletes and 6 qualitative interviews with survivors of sexual violence in sport at school age.
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web search NEUTRAL — The study, based on questionnaires conducted with 292 athletes and interviews with 6 athletes who experienced sexual violence at school age, shows that some behaviours that are normalised and not perc…
https://www.ehu.eus/web/campusa-magazine/-/what-is-not-perce…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 24, 2026 · "We combined quantitative surveys of 292 athletes and 6 qualitative interviews with people who had experienced sexual violence in sport at school age and found a grey zone. That...
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260924/Athletes-struggle…
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web search NEUTRAL — Sep 24, 2026 · “We combined quantitative surveys of 292 athletes and 6 qualitative interviews with people who had experienced sexual violence in sport at school age and found a grey zone. That...
https://www.newswise.com/articles/what-is-not-perceived-as-a…
verified
Claim 6: “According to a report by the GIKAFIT research group at EHU in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, 20% of participants had experienced behavior of a sexual nature from their coaches, including kissing on the lips, expressions of sexual interest and direct proposals for sexual relations.”
VERIFIED
The claim is directly supported by a web search result from EHU stating that a report by the GIKAFIT research group found 20% of participants experienced behaviors of a sexual nature from coaches, including kissing on the lips and sexual interest.
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web search NEUTRAL — According to a report by the GIKAFIT research group of the EHU in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, 20% of the participants had experienced behaviours of a sexual nature from their coach…
https://www.ehu.eus/en/web/campusa-magazine/-/what-is-not-pe…
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web search NEUTRAL — * Correspondence: aitor.iturricastillo@ehu.eus. Abstract: The prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse in school sport, specifically from coaches to their athletes remains a concerning and pervasive …
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202407.2590/v1/download
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web search NEUTRAL — The prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse in school sport, specifically by coaches against their athletes, remains a concerning and pervasive issue.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11431319/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.