A groundbreaking national investigation has uncovered disturbing levels of abuse, bullying and inappropriate behaviour plaguing Australian grassroots sports, with parents emerging as the most frequent perpetrators.
Alarming Statistics Reveal Widespread Issues
The first annual Sport Integrity Australia Positive Behaviours in Sport Study has delivered sobering findings about the environment facing coaches and participants in community sports. More than one in six coaches reported experiencing direct verbal abuse within the past year, while an even more concerning two in five coaches witnessed such behaviour.
Perhaps most shockingly, the research identified parents as responsible for nearly half (47%) of all abuse incidents. The survey of 325 predominantly grassroots coaches revealed that beyond verbal abuse, more than 10% experienced bullying, with similar percentages reporting racism, discrimination, physical abuse or inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Impact on Sports Culture and Participation
Alexis Cooper, acting head of sport engagement at Sport Integrity Australia, expressed surprise at the results, particularly given that most coaches operate as volunteers within the sports ecosystem.
"When you look at that abuse of coaches, it has a range of flow-on consequences for everyone else," Cooper explained. "Children are more likely to drop out of sport because it's not fun anymore", she noted, adding that poor behaviour leads to increased anxiety and stress for young participants, poor sportsmanship, and strained relationships between coaches and parents.
Supporting these concerns, a separate 2024 University of South Australia paper studied the impact of parental behaviour, finding that children mirrored their parents' conduct. When parents demonstrated positive engagement, children projected similar behaviour, while parental criticism of officials or abusive shouting correlated with increased antisocial behaviour in young athletes.
Addressing the Cultural Challenge
Despite these concerning findings, the broader SIA report found that most participants still enjoy Australian sports, with approximately 90% of the 1,204 combined coaches and athletes believing their sport remained safe and fair for everyone.
However, the study identified significant issues in how behavioural problems are handled. Athletes demonstrated reluctance to make formal complaints, often choosing either to not report poor behaviour or to raise concerns informally rather than through official channels.
Reasons for this reporting gap included fears that complaints wouldn't be taken seriously, uncertainty about reporting procedures, concerns about potential persecution after reporting, and the belief that issues were someone else's responsibility to address.
Cooper emphasised that Sport Integrity Australia is working with 32 funded integrity managers to develop educational programmes addressing these challenges. "Sport is a part of society, it's not separate to society," she stated, highlighting the need for cultural change. "Verbal abuse wouldn't happen in other parts, but people sometimes accept that as being part of sport."
The five-year study will help tackle long-term cultural issues, but Cooper identified immediate solutions including parent education focusing on enjoyment rather than winning, clubs sharing values and resources with parents, ground marshals, and distinctive wristbands for under-18 officials.
