More than one-third of Dutch club athletes faced verbal or physical abuse last season
More than one-third of athletes who compete in organized club sports in the Netherlands experienced some form of boundary-crossing behavior during the 2024-2025 sports season, ranging from verbal expressions to physical violence, a new survey has found.
The representative study, conducted by Arch Safeguarding on behalf of Centrum Veilige Sport Nederland and NOC*NSF, polled more than 1,100 athletes aged 16 or older at clubs. It indicated that 36 percent reported encountering some form of boundary-crossing behavior. Eleven percent experienced sexual boundary-crossing behavior, nearly all of it (10 percent) verbal.
More than half of those affected chose not to report or discuss the incident. Most often, they considered it “not serious enough to report,” the study found.
One in five talked about it with someone at the sports club, in their private circle, or, in a few cases, at the reporting point of their sports federation. None made an official report to Centrum Veilige Sport Nederland.
Researchers noted that the low number of formal reports aligns with the scale of Dutch club sports, which involves roughly 4 million athletes, while CVSN and the federations receive about 1,500 reports a year across the entire sector.
The study measured experiences only over the past 12 months—corresponding to the most recent sports season—rather than lifetime exposure, so the results provide a current snapshot rather than a trend.
Athletes rated the safety at their clubs an average of more than 4.7 on a 1-to-5 scale. They gave the same score for feeling welcome and valued. Even those who experienced boundary-crossing behavior still rated club safety at 4.5.
Respondents highlighted positive elements, including a supportive social climate, a positive and motivating atmosphere, fair treatment, and respectful interactions. They suggested improvements, including greater visibility of confidential contact persons at clubs, clearer reporting procedures, and more openness about the line between desired and undesired behavior.
