Headlines about sexual assault and Hockey Canada in recent years have prompted discussion about the culture of sport and its links to gender-based violence, as well as racism, homophobia, and transphobia. High-level organizational and systemic shifts are needed, but community-based initiatives with players and athletes are also critical.
With your support, Amelia Rising Sexual Violence Support Centre in North Bay, Ontario, provides training to the local OHL team and other teams to improve understanding and prevention of sexual violence.
“I consulted with local players to see what they wanted to learn and to find out their knowledge gaps,” says Daniella Northrup, the centre’s Executive Director. She used what she learned to enhance existing training workshops, which were developed in 2014 by the OHL in partnership with sexual assault centres.
Young players see the headlines about scandals and want to discuss the issues, Daniella says, but they tend to disengage if they feel shamed or blamed for all the problems. “As conversations started to evolve, not just in the hockey world but sports in general, I decided to build on the training, to make it more relatable and engaging.”
Amelia Rising holds the OHL sessions on the players’ turf – in the locker room after practice – so it doesn’t feel like a school lecture. Presentations point to examples of former NHL players Sheldon Kennedy and Theo Fleury, to show that sexual abuse can happen to athletes regardless of gender and that shifting the culture of silence benefits everyone: athletes and fans who face higher risk, like women and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and those we don’t always think of, too.
“We try to raise awareness that they may have teammates who are survivors of violence, or who are members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and how their language and behaviour can impact those around them, including the younger players who look up to them.”
These are entry points to conversations about how gender-based violence impacts society more widely. While media stories tend to focus on the consequences players face for abusive behaviour, the training underlines the long-term impacts of gender-based violence on survivors’ lives.
The sessions look at how the “man box” – the traditional ideas of masculinity as being aggressive, tough, showing little emotion – impacts players’ lives, mental health, and futures. There is another exercise where they are asked to rank acts of gender-based violence, ranging from taking your girlfriend’s phone to sexual assault by a stranger.
“When I tell them that the order doesn’t really matter, that these acts are all part of a continuum of harm,” Daniella says, “that’s where we challenge some of their beliefs and see mental shifts.” The partnerships Amelia Rising has formed with athletic organizations have created opportunities for athletes to reach out to staff with questions or to seek support.
“On an individual player level, I do see a lot of hope. On an organizational and systemic level, there’s a lot of work to do,” Daniella says. “Hockey is a big part of our community, so having these conversations early and implementing more prevention throughout sport is so important. We need to engage in these discussions to make things safer for everyone.”
