Ahmad Bakhtiyari nia; nasrollah sajadi; mehrzad hamidi
Abstract
The study is to design an optimal model for protecting elite athletes against harassment and abuse in Iranian sports. This qualitative study was conducted by using grounded theory methodology based on Strauss and Corbin approach. For gathering data, studying high level documents and semi-structured in-depth ...
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The study is to design an optimal model for protecting elite athletes against harassment and abuse in Iranian sports. This qualitative study was conducted by using grounded theory methodology based on Strauss and Corbin approach. For gathering data, studying high level documents and semi-structured in-depth individual interviews with experts aware of the subject were done. The statistical population included elite athletes in adults, the heads of sports federations, the committee of National Olympic coaches and the deputy ministers of the Ministry of Sports and Youth. Sampling method was purposive and fourteen interviews with elites and experts were collected. For data analysis, the continuous comparison method was used in three stages: open, axial and selective coding. Base on the study results, 5 main components and 15 subcomponents and 123 open codes were extracted.
The results showed that awareness, mutual rights and education were identified as the most important causal factors of the model. Media power factors, protection officer and audience classification were identified as the most important contextual factors. The intervening factors of the model also included limitations, infrastructure and managers' ignorance. Finally, strategies including policies, trust building, public relations, media and law were suggested. It seems managers can benefit from its achievements in sports organizations by implementing the model of protecting elite athletes against harassment and abuse.
