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Association Athletes Germany: New contact point for violence and abuse

2022-05-17T08:32:16.170Z


»Have great need«: Top-class sport has a problem with violence and abuse. The system does not change by itself. There is now a contact point for this. She works anonymously, independently and, yes, partisanally.


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Chalk footprints on the gymnastics mat: Recently, grievances and assaults in German gymnastics had caused a stir

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Julian Finney/Getty Images

"Start against violence" - under this appropriately active title, the Athleten Deutschland association launched an independent contact point for those affected by psychological, physical and sexualized violence in top-class sport on Monday.

It is the first offer of this kind outside of the association structures in German top-class sport.

And apparently it was urgently needed.

Abuses, acts of violence and cases of abuse in top-class sport have repeatedly come to light in recent years.

Among other things, SPIEGEL reported on those affected in German gymnastics, boxing and swimming.

There have also been cases internationally, such as the many sexual offenses committed by Larry Nasser, the long-time doctor of the US gymnasts around superstar Simon Biles.

"We saw a high demand," said association vice president Tobias Preuss at the presentation of the contact point.

Since the plans became known, more and more people have been contacting athletes in Germany, about one to two a month.

"That showed us how important the topic is and that we have to act quickly," said the former water polo player Preuss.

In fact, it only took about 15 months from the idea to the start.

Of course, athletes in Germany have known for a long time how relevant the issue of violence and abuse is in sport.

The "Safe Sport" study showed in 2017 that of the 1,800 senior athletes surveyed, 30 percent experienced physical, 37 percent sexualized and over 86 percent psychological violence.

The topic is therefore much more part of the founding approach with which the representation of the German squad athletes started in 2017: to offer athletes fair, clean and safe framework conditions in which they can develop their potential.

What Preuss is primarily referring to with the "high demand" is due to the independence of the new contact point.

Because: Until now, athletes could either turn to the internal advice centers of their club, base or association, or use offers outside of sport.

Both, as athletes Germany quickly showed in discussions with those affected, are often insufficient.

For example, the thought of turning to one's own association is often associated with fears that one will not be believed there or that there will not be enough action taken in the interest of those affected.

In the past, many cases had not even been investigated.

»For me as an athlete, it is super important to know that I have people here who have my full support, who are committed to me, and that I can get the help I need - and all of that regardless of the federation, representing me," said Executive Committee member Léa Krüger.

In addition, and this is also important to athletes in Germany: While many offers of help are aimed at those affected by sexualised violence, the athletes' representatives are concerned with any form of violence, whether physical, psychological or sexualised.

"Anything that the athletes perceive as offensive is reason enough to report it," said Krüger.

Standard instead of jungle

Preuss also pointed out structural deficits in the association's internal offers, which were addressed with this contact point: "The positions are filled very differently from region to region and are not of the same quality and quantity available across the board," says Preuss.

Those affected reported, for example, a veritable jungle and a lot of opaque back and forth from one person to the next.

"We have now created a standardized process that consistently ensures that everyone gets the help and support they imagine and, above all, want," said Preuss.

What does this process look like?

Affected persons can contact the counseling center by telephone or e-mail.

If necessary, a psychotherapeutic initial consultation is then arranged by a trauma therapist and/or legal advice by lawyers.

On request, those affected can also be accompanied on a long-term basis.

All of this is anonymous, confidential, and, yes, partisan ("We are on the side of the athletes").

And: "Nothing happens without the consent of those affected," emphasized Krüger.

In addition, those affected should be able to exchange information in a network.

This also goes back to the wishes of those affected, who on the one hand like to network, but on the other hand would like to share their experiences and knowledge.

Anyone who calls the hotline ends up with specialists from the NINA association, which runs the nationwide »Sexual Abuse Help Line«.

For this purpose, the employees were made aware of the special features of top-class sport compared to other ecosystems in which violence can occur.

For a world, in other words, in which the line between a positive relationship of trust and a dangerous relationship of dependency is thin.

"These boundaries, between what you might perceive as excessive in everyday life, often blur a little more in sport," said Krüger.

Proximity to caregivers, misunderstood loyalties - these are conditions that can promote violence and are "super present" in the sports world, as Preuss said.

All of this is often not easy to understand from the outside.

In addition, there is the high level of emotionality that is so characteristic of the sports world, the willingness to give everything for your dreams, which in turn meets the very traditional attitude that you just have to pull yourself together, that a little pain is part of being successful price has.

"In this culture, it is simply impossible for things to change from within," said Preuss, referring to those who still say today: There are already contact points within the associations, why is all this necessary?

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2022-05-17

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