Significant sexual safety problem for women working in elite UK sport, says survey
There is a significant sexual safety problem for women working in elite sport in the UK, according to a survey, with 88% of respondents reporting they had been the target of at least one form of sexual misconduct in the past five years and five people (2%) saying they had been raped in work-related contexts outside the main workplace in that period.The report published on Wednesday, titled Women’s Experiences of Sexual Misconduct Working in UK Elite Sport, invited members of the Women’s Sport Collective to take part in the study anonymously and 260 people responded.Participants included administrators, coaches, current and former athletes, TV producers, lawyers and physios.The statistics make for grim reading, with 87% saying they had been the target of at least one form of sexual harassment and 40% reporting they had been the target of at least one form of sexual assault.For the study, sexual misconduct was broken into three categories: harassment, assault and rape.
The report found that three of the six reported rapes (one person reported that they had been raped twice) were from those who identified as having a disability,The sample size meant intersectional effects were difficult to track but those who identified as having a disability (19) showed a much higher abuse rate than any other minority group,“The responses from people living with a disability really jumped out and I felt it needed to be noted and it’s something that needs to be explored further,” said Lindsey Simpson, who carried out the survey,Simpson, who holds a BA in sport and recreation and an MSc in workplace health and wellbeing, said the report had put numbers behind the anecdotes familiar to women working in elite sport: “Was I surprised by the findings? No, but there is something very powerful about seeing the numbers … We know people don’t tend to report,So this gives an idea of the size and shape of the issue and gets quite specific into what actual behaviours we are talking about.
”The survey included a question on the gender of perpetrators and found that 93% of those who perceived that sexual misconduct had taken place said the perpetrator was always, or in most cases, male,Simpson said: “There is a widespread understanding that men are disproportionately perpetrators of sexual violence – that’s well documented – but what I didn’t want was someone to be able to go: ‘You didn’t even ask who was doing it,How do you know it’s not women?’ So I was asking to make sure that I’m not making an assumption that is untrue but also because it can be really hard if you are a woman who is experiencing sexual misconduct at the hands of another woman,You need to be believed and we need to evidence that is also a behaviour,”Only 38% of participants expressed positive sentiments about governing bodies addressing the issues around sexual misconduct in the workplace and only 46% expressed positive sentiments about employers doing so (with 29% of those “absolutely” confident in their employers).
The report found 26% of those surveyed had no opinion in relation to these questions.Simpson hopes women working in elite sport who have experienced sexual misconduct receive validation through the understanding that they are in the majority and that their concerns and vigilance are legitimised.She pointed to practical implications for employers in the report’s summary, noting that there are criminal acts within the findings and that “if organisations are not meeting requirements in risk assessment and mitigation, as this research suggests many are not, they expose themselves to negative legal, reputational, and commercial consequences”.She also noted that this level of sexual misconduct may be harming the industry’s ability to attract and retain female talent, “undermining efforts to increase inclusivity and representation, and create more balanced and effective power structures that deliver better organisational outcomes”.Simpson is keen for the report to prompt organisations to take action and “drive positive change”.
Davos live: Trump rules out taking Greenland by force but calls for ‘immediate negotiations’
Onto Nato, Trump says “we give so much, and we get so little in return.”Trump says the US only gets “death, disruption, and massive amounts of cash [given] to people who don’t appreciate what we do.” – and he’s taking about both Nato and Europe generally.Trump then points out Nato chief Mark Rutte in the audience – who this morning was complimentary about Trump’s pressure to raise military spending among Nato members.Trump then appears to state that he won’t use force to obtain Greenland
Trump steps up demand to annex Greenland but rules out using force
Donald Trump has stepped up his demand to annex Greenland in an extraordinary speech in Davos, but said the US would not use force to seize what he called the “big, beautiful piece of ice”.Addressing thousands of business and political leaders at the World Economic Form in the Swiss ski resort, the US president said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States”.“I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the US is asking for is a place called Greenland,” he said
My analogue month: would ditching my smartphone make me healthier, happier – or more stressed?
When I swapped my iPhone for a Nokia, Walkman, film camera and physical map, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But my life soon started to changeWhen two balaclava-clad men on a motorbike mounted the pavement to rob me, recently, I remained oblivious. My eyes were pinned to a text message on my phone, and my hands were so clawed around it that they didn’t even bother to grab it. It wasn’t until an elderly woman shrieked and I felt the whoosh of air as the bike launched back on to the road that I looked up at all. They might have been unsuccessful but it did make me think: what else am I missing from the real world around me?Before I’ve poured my first morning coffee I’ve already watched the lives of strangers unfold on Instagram, checked the headlines, responded to texts, swiped through some matches on a dating app, and refreshed my emails, twice
Big tech continues to bend the knee to Trump a year after his inauguration
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, the Guardian’s US tech editor.One year ago today, Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States. Standing alongside him that day were the leaders of the tech industry’s most powerful companies, who had donated to him in an unprecedented bending of the knee. In the ensuing year, the companies have reaped enormous rewards from their alliance with Trump, which my colleague Nick Robins-Early and I wrote about last month after Trump signed an executive order prohibiting states from passing laws regulating AI
Mercedes and Red Bull facing tough questions as storm brews over new F1 rules loopholes | Giles Richards
Unveiling their new engine in Tokyo should have been a significant moment for Honda to celebrate but behind the scenes, the storied grand prix team – as well as plenty of their Formula One rivals – are worried that a looming row over new engine regulations is threatening to overshadow the opening of the 2026 season.So significant is the concern that it will be the key topic of discussion at a meeting between the FIA and the engine manufacturers set for Thursday before the first day of pre-season testing at Barcelona.With a swathe of new engine and chassis rules coming into effect for the new season, how teams have adapted will be key to their performance, and perhaps allow some to steal a march that could render them uncatchable. Before a wheel has turned in anger, there are fears that Mercedes – who also provide engines to defending champions McLaren, Williams and Alpine – and Red Bull have gained a vital advantage.The new generation of hybrid engines are likely to be the key to performance in 2026 and a dispute over how Mercedes, Red Bull, Honda – who are supplying Aston Martin – Ferrari and Audi have built their new units has been growing during the close season
Carlos Alcaraz marches on at Australian Open after golfing with Roger Federer
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