International Research Network on Violence and Integrity in Sport

Violence against children and adults in sport can be regarded as a wicked problem, as it involves many actors with different interests and responsibilities as well as a diversity of emotions ranging from anger to fear and anxiety (Stevens, 2019). The complexity of this problem, which appears to be prevalent in up to 44% of children participating in sport, necessitates a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach in order to fully understand how violence is perpetuated and dealt with in sport, both within individual countries and on the international level. To date, the knowledge base on the issue is limited, as the scientific community addressing these issues is relatively small, and the research field is in its infancy. The few researchers addressing this topic have predominantly been working in silos, and, consequently, initial studies have examined this issue with a singular discipline approach. Violence in sport is a multifaceted issue that has physical, psychological, social and organizational consequences. The fragmentation of the research efforts in this space thus far has limited the possibility of formulating a clear, collaborative and international agenda for future research. By bringing together the most active researchers from multiple disciplines in this field of study, the first International Research Network on Violence and Integrity in Sport (IRNOVIS) was established. IRNOVIS aims to maximize the scientific impact of research in order to better inform policy development and implementation as well as ethical governance. Specifically, this research network aims to develop an international research agenda to study violence and integrity in sport. By producing Position Statements, disseminating research findings and actively engaging in the international public debate about sport integrity and athlete protection, IRNOVIS aims to bring the field forward. IRNOVIS future activities, coordinated by the University of Antwerp, include yearly network meetings, guest lectures, an international conference, a Delphi study on expert opinion and joint research project applications.

Keywords:VIOLENCE, EPIDEMIOLOGY, SPORTS POLICY

Disciplines:Epidemiology, Health psychology, Sociology of sports, Causes and prevention of crime

Project type:Collaboration project