1.2. Violence against young people in sports in North Macedonia and in Serbia, EXISTS! - Here are the data

One of the biggest obstacles in understanding the current situation of young people in sport in North Macedonia and in Serbia, was lack of data and statistics. That is why research was conducted with the 152 young people, aged 15-30 years old, from both countries with the aim of understanding the “Youth experiences on violence and abuse in grassroots sport in North Macedonia and in Serbia”.

The research was to collect data on the existing violence in sport against youth in both countries, as well as the understanding of existing mechanisms for reporting violence and protection of young people in sports. This part of the manual will provide the result of the analysis that indicates that young people from both countries have experienced or witnessed violence against young people in sport.

FACT 1 57.9% of young people part of the research, have witnessed some type of abuse against young people in sport, assisting them in understanding in a clearer way how violence against young people in sport is defined. Having 57.9% of young people who have witnessed abuse against young people, is an indication of the presence of violence against young people in sports, both in Serbia and North Macedonia. If we compare the data between the two countries, 48 respondents out of 76, have witnessed abuse against young people in sport in North Macedonia, while in Serbia 40 respondents out of 76, have indicated the same.

FACT 2 As one of the tasks of the research was to identify the type of violence against young people, emotional abuse and bullying have been identified both as most witnessed and most experienced types of abuse against young people in sport, however physical and sexual abuse, and discrimination have been also witnessed and experienced in sport by the young people of both countries, indicating that young people experience multiple types of violence in sport. Emotional abuse (yelling, insulting, swearing and verbal abuse) was the most common form of abuse that has been witnessed against young people 15-30 in both countries, representing 4 % of the respondents. The second type of abuse that was witnessed 36.6% by the respondents is bullying (name calling, threatening, and aggressive behavior). From the respondents who have witnessed abuse against young people in sport, 29.7% of them have witnessed physical abuse (body harm, slapping, kicking, and pulling hair or any form of using physical force). Sexual abuse (touching inappropriate, taking advantage of the person, manipulating or grooming, unwanted sexual activity or making sexual comments) has been witnessed by our respondents 13.9%. Discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, age, social/economical statues has been witnessed by 15.8% out of 88 respondents who have witnessed different types of abuse against young people in sports.

Graph – Type of violence witnessed against youth in sports

FACT 3 – Important finding of the research is the fact that young people have identified mostly the sport coaches as the biggest witnessed “abuser”, but peer-to-peer violence was indicated as the second biggest “abuser”. When trying to identify the abuser, parents and sport clubs’ members have also been identified as “abusers” by the young people, which concludes on the big need to have programs and internal policies to firstly recognize the fact that abuse and violence is taking place against youth in sport, and secondly to address all types of abuse that young people are experiencing. In addition, the work towards preventing and fighting violence needs to be done also with young people, who have been identified as well as “abusers” towards sport clubs’ members, which can be a direct result of lacking the space to discuss, recognize or taking actions to address different types of abuses towards youth in sport.

Graph – Identifying the “abuser” from the cases of violence against young people in sport witnessed by the respondents

FACT 4 – Through the research we have analyzed the frequency of violence in sport. Young people who were part of the research, who reported that they felt like victims of violence in sport, have identified 30% that the frequency of the “experienced violence” is more than once. While 7.5% is the percentage of respondents who identified that they “experience violence” on a weekly basis. 41.3 % have indicated that violence “never happened to them”. From which we can understand that violence against young people happens in different frequencies, and it should be alarming even if it happens just once.

Chart – Frequency of “experiencing violence” in sport

FACT 5 – Although it is identified that young people experience multiple types of violence in sport, the fact that 78.9% of the young people have never reported any type of abuse or violence that they have experienced or witnessed indicates why violence against young people in sport is rarely discussed and the lack of actions toward the matter, in both countries. Even the ones who decided to report it, have mostly used parents, friends or sport club staff to discuss it, and only a small group of young people have addressed their claims to the police or other responsible institutions.

FACT 6 Important finding of the research is the big percentage of the young people who have never received any information regarding identifying and responding to violence, which indicates the need to equip young people with information on better understanding their actions and adult actions in relation to causing harm to young people.

68.4% of the respondents have never received any information regarding identifying and responding to violence, neither from sport clubs, NGO’s or other organizations. Only 17.1 % have identified to have received information regarding the topic from a formal setting either sport clubs or NGO’s, while 14.5% have indicated to have revived information through informal discussion.

FACT 7 – Even though a small number of young people have received information regarding violence, they have a clear understanding that safeguarding and protection of youth in sport is a combination of different actions to prevent violence from occurring, to fight violence in systematic approach and to create a safe space where positive relationship between peers and youth with coaches is facilitated. 53.3% of young people respondents have indicated that they understand “safeguarding and protection of youth in sport” by taking actions to prevent violence from occurring towards young people in sport, while 39.5 % understand it as taking measures, actions in a systematic approach to fight violence against young people in sport.

Graph – How do young people understand “safeguarding and protection of youth in sport”