Experiences of bullying victimisation in female interuniversity athletes

The purpose of the study was to explore interuniversity student-athletes' experiences with bullying victimisation. Eleven female athletes from a range of individual and team sports volunteered to be interviewed about their personal experiences as targets and witnesses of bullying behaviours from their teammates. The interviews elicited stories that were analysed using narrative thematic analysis. The athletes discussed a range of negative repercussions associated with bullying victimisation including reduced enjoyment of sport, isolation from their teams, reduced self-esteem, negative emotions including sadness, embarrassment, and fear, and detriments to sport and academic performance. Interpretation of the athletes' stories led us to conclude that bullying represents a form of peer-to-peer interpersonal conflict in the sport context that has serious negative effects on athlete mental health and well-being. Bullying between teammates should be included in the broader conversation regarding identifying and preventing harassment and abuse to foster safe and inclusive sport environments. Future research should explore roles beyond that of the victim to inform effective strategies to intervene and prevent bullying in interuniversity sport contexts.