Empower Your Team: Start the Discussion About Bullying

Fall sports are in full swing. Tournaments and championships are just around the corner. But even during busy sports seasons, coaches can still help create safe, positive settings for their athletes.

This National Bullying Prevention Month, we’re sharing ways coaches can help their athletes understand bullying. Read on to explore examples of bullying you can talk about together as a team and discuss strategies for how athletes can safely intervene if they witness bullying happening.

What is Bullying in Sport?

Understanding what actions are considered bullying can be challenging for coaches and players alike. By discussing the definition of bullying together, coaches can ensure everyone on their team is prepared to identify harmful behavior if they encounter it.

Start the conversation with your athletes about inappropriate or harmful actions. Talk about how bullying is:
- Directed at or about someone under age 18
- Repeated, aggressive behavior or a single, severe incident intended to hurt or control someone emotionally, physically, or sexually
- Physical, verbal, written, visual, social, discriminatory, or criminal

Explore Sport-Related Examples

Athletes have the power to stop or prevent bullying, but only if they have the tools, knowledge, and guidance to do so.

Using SafeSport’s Coaches’ Bullying Behavior Discussion Guide, coaches can help their athletes understand the types of bullying that may occur in sport and go over examples. This guide, which also covers how athletes can respond, will help prepare athletes to address similar situations in real life.

Example 1
An athlete repeatedly spreads mean rumors about another athlete online. They also create unflattering AI-generated images of the athlete and post them for others to see and share.

Why this is bullying: This behavior is repeated and aggressive. It is also meant to hurt or embarrass the teammate. More so, by sharing the content online, the athlete is spreading the rumor further and doing additional harm.

Example 2
A swimming team is at practice. One athlete has an above-knee amputation and removes it before getting into the water. Two teammates hide the athlete’s prosthetic and laugh when he can’t find it.

Why this is bullying: Even if this behavior only happened once, it is severe enough to be considered bullying. By hiding the prosthetic, his teammates intended to hurt him, and they interfered with his ability to walk.

Discuss How to Respond

Step 1: Talk with your athletes about the 5 Ds of Bystander Intervention. Using the Coaches’ Bullying Behavior Discussion Guide, review examples of bullying in sport and talk about ways athletes can distract, delegate, document, delay, or be direct if they witness bullying in action.

Step 2: Create a plan with your team on what to do if they encounter bullying. Communicate that they should let you or another adult know about any inappropriate behavior they witness. If your sport organization has specific procedures or ways to report misconduct, share them with your team.

Bullying Prevention: Take the Lead

Educating your team about bystander intervention gives athletes the knowledge they need to step in and say something. However, bystander intervention is not just the responsibility of the athletes. Coaches have a duty to take the lead in preventing bullying and other harmful behavior from happening on their team. As a coach, you’re uniquely positioned to help protect athletes by creating a positive, inclusive sport environment. Coaches should also be prepared to take action if bullying happens.

Learn more about how to promote a team environment centered on inclusivity and belonging. Download SafeSport’s Bullying Prevention Handbook for Coaches of Minor Athletes.