Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the structural causes and developmental processes of violence in school sports through narrative inquiry, aiming to derive practical solutions for its prevention.It seeks to move beyond viewing school sports violence as mere individual deviance, instead conceptualizing it as a structural and cultural phenomenon shaped by the interplay of personal dispositions, performance-oriented values, and hierarchical power relations. Method: The participants were eight individuals in sport-related fields with over six years of experience in school or elite sports, all of whom had direct or indirect exposure to violence or abuse. The participants represented diverse disciplines, including baseball, soccer, basketball, and badminton. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and archival research, including prior studies, media reports, and institutional documents. Textual analysis was employed to identify, categorize, and interpret key concepts within their broader contextual meanings. To ensure trustworthiness, the study applied prolonged engagement, investigator triangulation through expert consultations, and rigorous ethical procedures, including informed consent. Results: Violence in school sports was found to constitute a structural and cultural phenomenon rather than a manifestation of individual deviance, shaped by the interaction of authoritarian coaching attitudes, a performance-oriented culture, and concentrated coach authority. Violence was reproduced through learned experiences, justified in the name of athletic performance, and reinforced by athletes’ silence and dependence. Participants identified critical turning points at which violence came to be recognized as a serious problem, often precipitated by media exposure or personal experience. Furthermore, violence was found to undermine interpersonal trust, distort team relationships, impair team functioning, and contribute to emotional disengagement and sport withdrawal. Conclusion: Violence in school sports should be understood as a complex structural issue rooted in cultural values, power imbalances, and institutional conditions. These findings highlight the need for structural reform, ethics and human rights education, and improved working conditions for coaches. The qualitative design and small sample size of this study limit the generalizability of the findings; future research employing broader samples and mixed-methods approaches is warranted.
Jeong et al. (Thu,) studied this question.