70% of Child Athletes Suffer Violence
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Seven out of 10 child athletes on elementary school's sports teams have experienced violence from older athletes or coaches, according to a recent survey.
The number is more than fourfold that of ordinary elementary schoolchildren_ 17.8 percent_ indicating violence on school sports teams is a serious issue.
According to the survey conducted by the National Human Rights Commission and Yonsei University about violence toward child athletes, 74.3 percent among 746 fourth, fifth and sixth graders at elementary schools nationwide, or 554 students, have been the victims of violence.
When asked from whom, 80.3 percent selected either a coach or trainer. Another 17 percent said from older athletes.
More than 34 percent said they are beaten once or twice a week, while 18.2 percent said three or four times. Some 5 percent said they suffered violence more than 10 times a week.
The violence mainly took place at training sites (65.1 percent), and at training camp houses in schools (15.9 percent) and sports fields or stadiums when they participated in a game (5.3 percent).
About 15 percent said they suffered sexual abuse as well, and the ratio was higher for boys, 16.9 percent, than girls, 5.9 percent. Forty-five percent of the abused children said it was done by coaches, while 36.9 percent cited older students on the sport teams.
Violence on school sport teams has been a problem for a long time.
Last month, a video clip was disclosed in which a football team coach at an elementary school in Ulsan beat students in the face on the school's playground during after-school training. Early March, other footage emerged showing freshman members of a Seoul college's sports team standing in front of the school gate wearing only underwear after their seniors ordered them to do so. The students said they had to follow the order because the senior students would have beaten them if they did not.
``Coaches, parents and even students are obsessed with getting good results. They think a beating enhances a student's fighting spirit and thus brings about a good result,'' an official of the commission said.
He said they do not recognize children's human rights. ``When students desert the training camp after being beaten, parents send them back, as they believe the children will have great success when they become famous athletes in the future,'' the official said.