Dr. Sc. Phil. R.G. Ardashev
East Siberian Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Irkutsk

Keywords: sports competitions, sports, athletes, violence.

Introduction Strength sports increase testosterone levels in the body, leading to heightened activity and aggression, which can also impact daily life [1, 2].

Research Objective To examine the risks of violence among athletes outside of competitive events.

Methods and Research Organization An expert survey was conducted among athletes and coaches (n = 42) engaged in strength sports for 5–30 years, aged 18–55 (58% male, 42% female). The survey consisted of semi-structured interviews with eight thematic blocks and guiding questions, conducted via Zoom (duration: 1.5–2 hours). Responses were transcribed and analyzed using Atlas.ti software.

Results and Discussion The interviews revealed a significant prevalence of violence among athletes in everyday life (experts estimated that 60–75% of athletes across various sports exhibit aggression outside competitions). This violence primarily targets family members or bystanders in unrelated life situations.

Experts identified psychological (60%) and social (40%) factors contributing to increased aggression:

Psychological factors: Individual reactions, communication styles, and behavioral traits (e.g., leadership drive, competitiveness). When unmet (e.g., competition losses, financial struggles), these traits may manifest destructively in daily life.

Social factors: External pressures, such as limited funding or exclusion from international competitions (e.g., World Championships, Olympics), fostering frustration and self-dissatisfaction, often redirected toward close relationships.

Conclusions Athlete violence is a negative socio-psychological phenomenon reflecting systemic issues in sports training. To mitigate this, comprehensive psychological preparation for both competitions and post-career adaptation is essential.

References

1. Ardashev, R. G. (2023). Irratsional’nye strategii otsenki zdorov’ya v usloviyakh neopredelennosti [Irrational health assessment strategies under uncertainty]. In Sotsial’naya dinamika naseleniya i chelovecheskiy potentsial [Social population dynamics and human potential] (pp. 133–135). Proceedings of the V International Scientific-Practical Conference. Moscow.
2. Polyushkevich, O. A. (2019). Stigmatizatsiya: analiz v ramkakh kontseptsii I. Goffmana [Stigmatization: An analysis through E. Goffman’s framework]. In Filosofiya zdorov’ya: integral’nyy podkhod [Philosophy of health: An integral approach] (pp. 24–29). Interuniversity collection of scientific papers. Irkutsk State Medical University.