(Scientific Session) Prevalence, Correlates, and Consequences of Interpersonal Violence in Currently Competing NCAA Athletes

Background and/or Objectives: Interpersonal violence (IV) among athletes is of growing concern yet its implications remain poorly understood, particularly when it comes to elite collegiate athletes. Our objective was to document the prevalence of collegiate athletes’ self-reported experiences with IV, identify associated factors, examine potential consequences related to athletes’ mental health, and explore associations with perceived variations in supportive-vs-abusive coaching styles.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional survey

Setting: 2021-2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) annual myPlaybook survey

Participants: NCAA collegiate athletes (≥18 years)

Interventions: not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported experiences with IV, including reports of physical, financial, sexual, and/or psychological/emotional abuse; and/or neglect.

Results: A total of 4,119 NCAA athletes completed the survey, of whom 9.8% reported having experienced some form of IV during their collegiate career. The most prevalent types were psychological/emotional abuse (6.2%), neglect (5.8%), and financial abuse (2.8%). On risk-adjusted analysis, female gender (OR[95%CI]:2.14[1.46-3.13]); non-heterosexual sexual orientation (OR[95%CI]:1.56[1.01-2.42]); and increasing year of NCAA eligibility were independent predictors of IV. When exposed to IV, collegiate athletes were less likely to perceive that they performed well and more likely to consider quitting their sporting careers. Differences in coaching styles strongly influenced reported experiences with IV. Supportive coaches perceived to react thoughtfully to students had a risk-adjusted 7.4 percent decline in the probability of their students reporting IV (95%CI:6.4-8.4). In contrast, abusive coaches perceived as rude to students had a risk-adjusted 15.4 percent increase in the probability of their students reporting IV (95%CI:13.8-17.1).

Conclusions: Experiences with IV can have devastating effects on the mental health and well-being of elite collegiate athletes, particularly those who identify as minorities in terms of gender and sexual orientation. Differences in coaching styles have the potential to dramatically alter these associations. Ongoing efforts are needed to leverage the unique position that coaches hold to help reduce IV and create safe places where all collegiate athletes can thrive.