New research by sociology Ph.D. graduates Dr. Mariah Warner and Dr. James Tompsett sheds light on sports-related mistreatment and patterns of high school sports participation. Their studies, supported by SSI graduate research grants, were conducted with SSI Research Chair Dr. Chris Knoester.

Warner and Knoester analyzed data from the SSI-funded National Sports and Society Survey to assess the prevalence and causes of mistreatment in sports. Nearly four in 10 U.S. adults reported experiencing mistreatment, including bullying, discrimination, or abuse. Even among those who never regularly played sports, one-third reported being mistreated. 

Psychological or emotional mistreatment (24%), hate speech (19%), discrimination (18%), physical abuse (10%), and sexual abuse (4%) were among the most common forms. Mistreatment was often linked to weight, gender, sexuality, and race.

Those at higher risk included males, sexual minorities, people with disabilities or health issues, and individuals facing weight-related stigma. Less popular and less athletic individuals were also more vulnerable. Competitive sports environments and elite-level participation further increased mistreatment risks. Their findings are published in the International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure (open access).

Tompsett and Knoester, in collaboration with Oregon State University Professor Kirsten Hextrum, conducted three mixed-methods studies on high school sports participation. Their latest findings, published in Leisure/Loisir and the Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, used life history interviews with 47 elite college athletes to explore the social factors influencing athletic progression.

Analyzing data from nearly 10,000 high school students across 800 schools, they found that family and school socioeconomic status (SES) significantly impacted sports participation. While 70% of students from high-SES families played a sport in 10th grade, only 43% of those from low-SES families did. SES also influenced multi-sport participation, persistence, and leadership opportunities. 

Gender and racial dynamics played a role, often privileging male and white students while producing complex patterns across different sports. A summary of this research was recently published by OSU News.

SSI remains committed to supporting research that enhances understanding of sports and their broader societal impacts, helping address disparities in participation and treatment.