A new study from Statistics Canada has shed light on individuals experiencing unfair treatment, racism or discrimination in community sports in Canada.
The study, focusing on both players and those in non-athletic roles, including coaches, referees, volunteers and fans, revealed that six per cent of individuals involved in sports experienced some form of discrimination from 2018 to 2023.
Within those numbers, 21 per cent of those who identify as a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community and 12 per cent of the racialized community said they had experienced unfair treatment, racism or discrimination.
The study highlights a worrying trend within the wider sports community, including those in athletic and non-athletic roles, as well as spectators. Twenty-two per cent of victims of discrimination said they felt threatened or harassed, and 14 per cent reported having been physically attacked or assaulted.
As well, 22 per cent of sports participants lacked confidence in the training of sports personnel to prevent incidents of racism and discrimination in sports, while 27 per cent lacked confidence in the training of sports personnel to address those incidents.
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Correction
This story has been corrected to address several factual errors.
