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Jaime Roche
Professor Ferrara
ENGL 1001 Section 19
1 May 2023
Protecting Athletes Against Sexual Abuse

Do you believe it is possible for a sports physician to sexually abuse hundreds of girls

and young women for decades? Unfortunately, it is. Larry Nassar, the former sports physician

for the USA Women’s Gymnastics team, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in federal prison for

sexually abusing hundreds of young women under the guise of medical treatment. Nassar was

also sentenced to an additional 60 years for possession of child pornography, someone who was

trusted to personally handle children. Sexual abuse among athletes is a controversial topic, but a

very serious one as well. While many athletic coaches and trainers have a hands-on job with

athletes, they should be required to undergo background checks, screenings, and proper sexual

abuse training, to prevent the oversight of sexual abuse within sports and allow athletes to feel

safe because the emotional, psychological, and physical repercussions of exploitation are severe,

and victims are often silenced.

First off, it is important to fully understand what sexual abuse means, when looking for

ways to prevent it. The scholarly source, Sexual harassment and abuse in sport: the role of the

team doctor, written by Saul Marks, Margo Mountjoy, and Madalyn Marcus, explains how

sexual abuse is a problem in athletics. The authors provide clear definitions of what is considered

sexual harassment/abuse and the different physical and psychological consequences of it. “The

underlying aspect of sexual harassment is that it is ‘based upon an abuse of power and trust and

that is considered by the victim or a bystander to be unwanted or coerced’.

Brackenridge similarly defined sexual harassment as ‘unwanted attention on the basis of sex’ and
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sexual abuse as ‘groomed or coerced collaboration in sexual and/or genital acts where the victim

has been entrapped by the perpetrator’. Sexual abuse has also been defined as ‘any sexual

interaction with person(s) of any age that is perpetrated against the victim’s will, without consent

or in an aggressive, exploitative, manipulative or threatening manner” (Marks). I find that proper

knowledge of sexual abuse is important for athletes to have, so they know what their coaches and

trainers are not allowed to do. Being educated on the topic also eliminates the mental game

within a person where they try to figure out if they have been sexually assaulted. Additionally,

this information provides coaches with clarity on what is not allowed, which can prevent issues

from occurring in the future. With this in mind, it is crucial to know the background behind who

are common sexual predators in sports. As stated in the scholarly source, “While it is expected

and also seen that more males than females are perpetrators of SHA, this could be due to the

larger percentage of males in positions of power in sport… For example, a recent study exploring

sexual harassment of females in sport, has found that 34% of women had experienced sexual

harassment from men and 12% from women” (Marks). I believe this statement holds importance

because sexual predators can be both male and female, although the majority are male. Athletes

and other sports professionals mustn’t turn a blind eye to a suspect just because of their gender. I

believe the evidence from the source relates to the logos appeal because it provides facts and

quantitative statistics from real studies that the audience finds credible and reliable. I found this

source to be very helpful in beginning my argument because it provides a basis of knowledge for

those who are not educated on sexual abuse.

Furthermore, the need for athlete protection against sexual abuse erupted when the

despicable Larry Nassar abuse scandal was reported. The public was sickened to learn that a

sports doctor who oversaw the treatment of female gymnasts, was able to commit such hateful
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acts. After more than 150 young women publicly confronted him in court, the public discovered

the severity of his abuse. “Dr Nassar is alleged to have sexually abused approximately 256

female athletes from 1998 to 2015, often in front of parents. His victims were mainly gymnasts,

some as young as 6 years of age. For some victims, the abuse occurred repetitively, up to 10

years in duration. Dr Nassar stated that his ‘medical treatments’ (which were invasive pelvic

floor ‘therapy’ where he would digitally penetrate girls’ vaginas and anuses) would cure physical

injuries. He abused them in his clinic, his home, at training camps and at competition venues

where he treated them alone in his hotel room, often after having sedated the athlete with

sleeping pills. Dr Nassar referred to himself as the ‘body whisperer’” (Mountjoy). Nassar

claimed to perform “medical treatments”, oftentimes one-on-one, which involved him

penetrating the young girls’ genital region, claiming it was a type of therapy that would help treat

the injury. This type of relationship between coach and athlete should not be permitted by any

means, no matter if it was an actual medical treatment. Young gymnasts should not have been

subjected to visit Nassar alone in his hotel room, however, he utilized his power and influence to

sway the adolescents into being grateful for his “helpful” treatments. The online source,

Maroney sues USA Gymnastics, saying it tried to buy her silence on abuse, written by Will

Hobson, explains the attempt by USA Gymnastics to silence sexual abuse victim and former

Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast, McKayla Maroney. Maroney filed a lawsuit against USA

Gymnastics in December 2017, relating to the negligence and oversight of sexual abuse she

endured by Nassar. In December 2016, once Nassar had been arrested and incarcerated, USA

Gymnastics offered Maroney $1.25 million to sign a confidential settlement agreement, which

assured that Maroney could not go public with her stories of abuse, and in turn, would allow

Nassar a quiet exit from USA Gymnastics. Considering Nassar began sexually abusing Maroney
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at age 13, she refused to bottle up her trauma and went public with Nassar accusations in October

2017. Pertaining to the lawsuit against USAG, Michigan State and the U.S. Olympic Committee

were also named as defendants because they too neglected warning signs and accusations against

Nassar, allowing him to continue abusing young gymnasts. “The scariest night of my life

happened when I was 15 years old," Maroney wrote. "I had flown all day and night with the team

to get to Tokyo. He'd given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and the next thing I know, I was all

alone with him in his hotel room getting a 'treatment.' I thought I was going to die that night"

(Hobson). This statement from McKayla Maroney describes one of the many occurrences in

which Larry Nassar abused his power and took advantage of a young athlete. This event took

place in October of 2011 when Maroney traveled to Tokyo, Japan to represent the USA at the

World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. After Nassar had given Maroney sleeping

medication, she woke up unclothed on a bed in a hotel room with Nassar hovering on top of her.

Nassar convinced the terrified young gymnast that he was performing medical treatment on her,

but she knew something was entirely wrong. I believe this statement shows the control Nassar

had over the athletes, trying to assure them that what he was doing was a treatment, when it was

really for his sexual pleasure. I also think it highlights the complete terror that Maroney endured

while she was in the hands of someone she thought she could trust. I believe these victim stories

relate to the pathos appeal because these gut-wrenching stories evoke emotion in an audience.

Furthermore, the source highlights one of the ways organizations can pull strings to avoid

controversy in the public eye. “Confidential settlement agreements between victims and

organizations that employed their abusers are common, albeit controversial, practices that

provide money for victims while allowing organizations to escape bad publicity” (Hobson). A

confidential settlement agreement prevents the parties involved in the settlement, and their
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attorneys from revealing details about the dispute. The quote explains that they are commonly

used to silence victims by offering them a sum of money, and in turn, helping the organization

get off scot-free. I believe this is highly important to my argument because victims are often very

hesitant to speak out about their abuse in the first place and waving money in their face and

asking them to remain silent on their exploitation, diminishes their bravery. Victims should not

be persuaded into protecting organizations just because they are negligent in protecting their

athletes.

Moreover, the scholarly source, ‘Only by speaking out can we create lasting change’:

what can we learn from the Dr Larry Nassar tragedy?, written by Margo Mountjoy, explains the

life-long emotional, psychological, and physical effects, victims of sexual abuse endure. The

victims have suffered from poor mental health including substance abuse issues, eating disorders,

PTSD, depression, self-harm, and suicide attempts. Additionally, sexual abuse victims are

subjected to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and genital trauma. Sexual

abuse also has physical repercussions on an athletic performance due to a want to drop out

prematurely, the use of athletic-enhancing drugs, and a willingness to cheat. The friends and

families of victims are also affected by the malicious acts because they feel as though they let

this happen and wish to relieve their loved ones of pain. “Jamie Dantzscher (2000 Olympic

bronze medalist) described her challenges with depression, anorexia and bulimia requiring

hospitalization for attempted suicide. Chelsey Markham committed suicide in 2009, which her

mother directly related to her sexual abuse by Dr Nassar. The victims described the physical

pain, shame, and embarrassment as well as the loss of their childhood. Kaylee Lorinez stated that

she lost trust in physicians and is unable to tolerate physical touch. Whitney Mergens’ statement

identified her parents as victims also. Kyle Stephens attributes her father’s suicide to her abuse at
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the hands of Dr Nassar” (Mountjoy). This quote is important because it provides the audience

with real life narrations of the victims of Larry Nassar, and how the sexual trauma has affected

their lives. Several gymnasts either attempted or committed suicide because they could no longer

deal with the psychological effects of the abuse that stripped them of their innocence. Not only

does this source highlight the victims’ feelings, but it explained how the father of a gymnast

abused by Nassar, committed suicide because he was disgusted that someone hurt his daughter.

Now knowing how prevalent sexual abuse is in sports and the ramifications that come

with it, there is a crucial need for prevention and protection of athletes. The online source, Safe

Sport: Protecting Athletes From Sexual Abuse, written by Laurie Koller, discusses the

preventative measures that must be put into place in sports environments. After the

overwhelming number of stories of sexual abuse arose about Larry Nassar, The U.S. Center for

SafeSport opened in March 2017. This organization was created to investigate complaints of

abuse within sports organizations, and within 15 months, over 1,000 complaints were filed,

mostly against coaches. In February 2018, Congress passed the Protecting Young Victims from

Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act, an attempt to prevent sexual abuse of athletes.

This source explains the importance of implementing the legal and civil guidelines, that the act

requires, in all sports organizations. The author also explains preventative measures that all

organizations should require before hiring a coach or adult to help with athletes. These actions

include conducting criminal background checks that look for risks of sexual abuse, screening

coaches and employees, and training on what sexual abuse is and how to go about reporting an

accusation. “Because of the known risks of child sexual abuse, a background investigation for an

employee or volunteer who works with children ought to be done… An adequate background

check typically includes a criminal history check at the state and national level and searching
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sex offender and child abuse registries” (Koller). This quote is important to my argument

because many organizations hire coaches/trainers without conducting a background check. This

is a major problem because if the person had a criminal history involving sexual or child abuse,

organizations are putting young athletes in the hands of danger. Background checks do not take

long to conduct; therefore, sports organizations should take the extra step to assure they are not

subjecting children to endangerment. As also mentioned in the source, “Screening employees

and volunteers is a first step. Having clear boundaries and rules in place during sporting events is

also necessary. The basis of much of this training is preventing one-on-one situations between

adults and youth. This is especially an issue for youth competitive sports where there is frequent

travel and overnight stays in hotel rooms” (Koller). This quote is important because screenings

verify that a person is trustworthy, appropriate, and allowed to work somewhere. These

precautions are crucial because some people may apply for children’s sports organizations for

wrong and malicious reasons. I also believe that setting clear boundaries between coaches and

athletes should be a part of training because it provides each person with a sense of comfort and

familiarity. By properly training coaches and setting limits on the athlete-coach relationship, it

helps to eliminate the chances of a questionable abuse accusation.

All in all, sexual abuse against athletes in sports is a topic that we cannot turn a blind eye

to. Despite the fact that many athletic coaches and trainers work directly with athletes, they

should be subject to background checks, screenings, and appropriate sexual abuse training in

order to prevent the oversight of sexual abuse within sports and to give athletes a sense of

security. This is because exploitation has serious emotional, psychological, and physical

consequences, and victims are frequently silenced.

Hobson, Will. "Maroney sues USA Gymnastics, saying it tried to buy her silence on

abuse." Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2017. Gale Academic

OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A519648281/AONE?u=a04fu&sid=bookmark-

AONE&xid=0e71ae3d. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.

Koller, Laurie. “Protecting Athletes from Sexual Abuse.” Oklahoma Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar

Journal, Oct. 2018, https://www.okbar.org/barjournal/oct2018/obj8926koller/.

Marks, Saul, et al. “Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sport: The Role of the Team Doctor.” British

Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 46, no. 13, 2012, pp. 905–08, https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-

2011-090345.

Mountjoy, Margo. “‘Only by Speaking Out Can We Create Lasting Change’: What Can We Learn

from the Dr Larry Nassar Tragedy?” British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 53, no. 1, 2019, pp.

57–60, https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099403.