SafeSport unveils 2024 Athlete Culture & Climate survey
The U.S. Center for SafeSport recently launched the 2024 Athlete Culture and Climate Survey. The survey is intended to solicit input from adult athletes across all levels of sport related to any experiences of abuse or misconduct while participating in sport in the United States.Survey submissions are anonymous, and the results will be compiled by Pacific Research and Evaluation, an independent research firm, and disseminated publicly prior to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this summer.
The survey will be open until February 9, 2024, and is available in both English and Spanish.“From the practice field to the podium, SafeSport wants to understand the experiences of athletes at every level,” U.S. Center for SafeSport CEO, Ju’Riese Colon said. “This information is critical to our efforts to change sport culture, and we will use it to guide our processes and prevention strategies.”
The goals of the survey include:
- Understanding and assessing adult athlete experiences throughout all levels of sport
- Providing data-driven insights to inform SafeSport’s prevention education work and processes
- Informing the wider sports community about the needs and experiences of athletes
This is the second survey of its kind conducted by SafeSport; the first was administered in 2020 and received nearly 4,000 responses from athletes nationwide. For the 2024 edition, SafeSport has ramped up its distribution efforts and has extended the survey to athletes outside of the Olympic and Paralympic movement to reach a diverse range of participants.
After the survey closes, 200 participants will be randomly drawn to receive $20 Amazon gift cards or one of four $100 Amazon gift cards.
Need for Abuse Prevention in Sport
The U.S. Center for SafeSport is the nation’s only independent organization dedicated to ending sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sport. The Center emerged in response to high-profile cases of sexual abuse of minor athletes within Olympic and Paralympic sport in the mid-2010s. With the mission of making athlete well-being the centerpiece of the nation’s sport culture, the Center has since been setting safety policies and receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints of abuse and misconduct. The Center also serves as an educational resource for sports organizations at all levels, from recreational sports organizations to professional leagues.
To ensure athletes within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement are safe, supported, and strengthened, the Center:
- Establishes safety policies, including the SafeSport Code and the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP).
- Investigates and resolves allegations of abuse and misconduct and levies sanctions, including temporary and permanent bans from sport.
- Delivers comprehensive abuse prevention education within and outside of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement.