Author(s): SZEKERES, D., DÓCZI-V, G., GÁL, A., NOVÁK, J., WHYTE, I., HURST, P., SOÓS, I., Institution: HUNGARIAN UNIVERSITY OF SPORTS SCIENCE, Country: HUNGARY, Abstract-ID: 2413

Introduction
Violent coaching behaviors in sports and athletes becoming victims are phenomena that are often handled uncertainly or inaccurately both in public perception and in professional sports discourse. For this reason, it is important to learn about and understand the attitudes of different sports participants on the subject to get closer to understanding what may distort the perception of these phenomena and thus hinder preventive efforts. The aim of our research is to examine university students' experiences in sports and the patterns of their interpretation in order to provide a clearly delineated experiential framework for understanding abuse in sports.
Method
Our study was based on a complex questionnaire developed in the GYISZVÉD (Protecting child, youth and sports professionals) project, built on the terminology framework of the CASES project. In this study, we present students' personal experiences with abuse in sports, as well as how they interpret various aggressive and violent coaching behaviors along the dimensions of performance – motivation – discipline – protection. The questionnaire included both qualitative and quantitative elements: Likert-scale attitude items, case vignettes describing specific coaching situations, and open-ended questions. It covered the following forms of abuse: physical, sexual, psychological-verbal, and neglect. The aim was to explore whether students had personally experienced certain coaching behaviors and whether they were aware of others having experienced them.
Results and Discussion
The preliminary results indicate that a significant portion of students experience uncertainty in interpreting coaching behaviors. The norm of performance-oriented characteristics in the sports world (“no pain, no gain”), patterns learned during early socialization, and the authoritative role of coaches often legitimize harmful behaviors. In many cases, students perceive aggressive behavior as prosocial, even though it is actually antisocial, humiliating, or psychologically abusive. At the same time, it is clear that students recognize the importance of intention and motive: aggression used for safety and goal-directed purposes is considered more acceptable than humiliating or emotionally charged outbursts.
Conclusions
Student responses indicate that recognizing harmful coaching behaviors in sports is only possible within clear, scientifically grounded conceptual frameworks. The socializing power of sport, previous coaching models, and the internalization of norms strongly influence young adults' attitudes, which is why coach education and sports pedagogy as well as legal programs must place a strong emphasis on developing conscious, responsible, and ethical coaching behavior. Students' experiences contribute to sports organizations and training programs that are able to act more effectively to prevent abuse and promote the development of a safer, more supportive sports culture.
Project financed from the NRDI Fund.