Document Type
Article
Academic Discipline
Sociology
Abstract
The distribution of power in American Olympic sports has made room for the development of a culture of sexual assault. This culture has continued to grow and the organizations in authority have not done enough to put a stop to the abuse. First, I will address the troubles that victims have when sharing their stories, due to the distribution of power within the organizations, namely in gymnastics, taekwondo, and swimming. I focus on the Me Too Movement and the influence that social media has had in making strides towards raising awareness about sexual assault. I will explore the specifics of the abuse within each sport and the women who shared their stories to prevent similar things from happening to others. I also focus on how each coach abused his power and used their position to manipulate the athletes, while using the rules of each sport to their advantage. I spend some time discussing the corruption and neglect of the organizations to put a stop to the abuse immediately. My aim is to educate the reader on both the severity of the culture of sexual assault and the importance of taking a stand against the abusers and the organizations that let it happen.
Creative Commons License
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Recommended Citation
Meenan, Chloe. "Sexual Assault of United States Olympic Athletes: Gymnastics, Taekwondo, and Swimming." Sacred Heart University Scholar, vol. 3, no.1, 2019, https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/shuscholar/vol3/iss1/6