ENGSO EWS participated in the online seminar “Towards safer sports environments: transforming MEN'talities” organised by the SUPPORTER project

On February 5, 2025, ENGSO EWS listened to Daniel Alsarve’s presentation during this very interesting and informative webinar. Daniel Alsarve is researcher in Sport Science at Örebro University, Sweden and at RF-SISU Örebro County. He was an active player of the EQUIP project coordinated by ENGSO (2021-2023).

Hundreds of cases of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in sport have come to light in recent years. The presentation started with examples of rape taken from ice hockey and football in Sweden, highlighting the structural aspect of violence and the unwillingness of clubs or federations to openly denounce the perpetrators when key players or coaches are involved, thus protecting them.

Daniel Alsave presented research reports showing how team sport cultures such as ice hockey can be the ground for fertilising sexism and homophobia. Sensitivity and open communication might be considered weaknesses whereas violence by physical contact is encouraged, even celebrated. The risk lies in the transfer into everyday life of the normalisation of violence in sports, especially for younger players. For example, reports show that domestic violence increases during certain major sports events, and that spectator aggression and hooliganism are common among male fans.

More and more athletes denounce psychological and emotional abuse as being part of “sports culture”. Injury and pain can be perceived and experienced as “masculinising effort”, which can lead to long-lasting injuries, irreversible effects, or disabilities on the players. On the other hand, there is also an opportunity in the identification with role models who perform “rough” sports where toughness and strength are celebrated but who tell different stories of a manhood admitting failure, vulnerability and defeat.

The event ended with a call for sustainable change, requiring the active involvement of men as advocated for gender equality. Sport creates opportunities to learn values such as resilience and commitment, but safe spaces for men are needed to explore their identities, understand masculinities, encourage showing emotions, challenge negative stereotypes and to question the need of violence. Men can become powerful allies in transforming social norms and addressing gender-based violence.