From Coach Behaviors to Athlete Responses: Female Athletes’ Perceptions of and Responses to Sexual Harassment as Predictors of Sexual Harassment Attitudes

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among female athletes’ perceptions of coach behaviors, responses to sexual harassment in sport, ambivalent sexist attitudes, and attitudes toward sexual harassment. A quantitative cross-sectional correlational research design was employed. The sample consisted of 215 actively licensed female team-sport athletes aged 18 years and older. Data were collected using the Coach Behaviors List, the Responses to Sexual Harassment in Sport Scale, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, and the Attitudes Toward Sexual Harassment Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analyses, and path analysis with observed variables were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated significant associations among perceived coach behaviors, responses to sexual harassment, ambivalent sexist attitudes, and attitudes toward sexual harassment. Overall, the proposed model suggested that these variables were statistically related within the hypothesized framework, highlighting the interconnected nature of interpersonal experiences and gender-related attitudes in sport. The findings contribute to the understanding of sexual harassment in sport by emphasizing the associations between coach behaviors, gender-related attitudes, and female athletes’ reported responses to harassment-related situations. These findings support the importance of promoting safe sport environments through educational initiatives, safeguarding practices, and organizational awareness while recognizing the limitations inherent in a cross-sectional correlational design.