Identifying and Explaining the Dimensions of Abuse in Sports (A Study of Iran's National Athletes)

Athelte abuse is an under-researched topic and a major and growing concern worldwide, because this phenomenon has increased terribly in the last two decades in all sports and at all sports levels. In this regard, the aim of the current research work was to identify and explain the dimensions of abuse in sports (a study of Iran's national athletes).

The current research method is qualitative and in the form of thematic analysis, and the statistical population includes experts in the field of national athletes. The sampling method was purposeful and a semi-structured interview was conducted with 18 participants until theoretical saturation. Coding technique was used to analyze the data.

The findings of the research work indicate that the conceptual framework of abuse of athletes includes five main themes of types of abuse, causes and triggers of abuse, individual roles of abuse, platforms of abuse and consequences of abuse of athletes, which have 16 sub-themes and they include 131 concepts.

The results of this research work have provided important applications in both theoretical and practical parts. On the one hand, it is the first study conducted in the field of abuse of athletes and it has solved a part of the huge gap in this field in domestic research, and on the other hand, it is a coherent view about the concept of abuse, roles, people, factors, conditions, has presented the bases and consequences of the abuse of national athletes and has brought a wide range of necessary measures to reduce, control and manage the factors of this phenomenon.