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Hazing and Bullying in Athletic Culture

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Mental Health in the Athlete

Abstract

Hazing and bullying are major factors impacting the mental health of athletes. While these behaviors arise from initiation rites and may serve as a means of organizational self-governance, they can rapidly evolve into dangerous and maladaptive behaviors with negative health consequences. Hazing exists as a trial for group entry and potentially to enhance team cohesion. Bullying aims to exclude undesired participants from the athletic group. Both behaviors have the potential to include sexualized violence. The modern athletic culture has mixed views on hazing, with some viewing it as unacceptable, while others consider it an important part of mainstream sports. Bullying has more unified opposition. Early recognition of risk factors for abusive behaviors is critical, as these behaviors, once established, may be difficult to curtail.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Aaron S. Jeckell

  2. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA

    Aaron S. Jeckell, Elizabeth A. Copenhaver & Alex B. Diamond

  3. Program for Injury Prevention in Youth Sports, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN, USA

    Aaron S. Jeckell, Elizabeth A. Copenhaver & Alex B. Diamond

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Elizabeth A. Copenhaver & Alex B. Diamond

  5. Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Alex B. Diamond

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  1. Aaron S. Jeckell
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  2. Elizabeth A. Copenhaver
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Correspondence to Aaron S. Jeckell .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine and Department of Orthopaedics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Eugene Hong

  2. Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Ashwin L. Rao

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Jeckell, A.S., Copenhaver, E.A., Diamond, A.B. (2020). Hazing and Bullying in Athletic Culture. In: Hong, E., Rao, A. (eds) Mental Health in the Athlete. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44754-0_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44754-0_13

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