Professional football environments legitimize bullying disguised as banter

A new study that examined the perceptions and behaviors of footballers about banter found that professional settings can legitimize and even normalize bullying. It highlights the need for coaches and players to address the cultural expectations surrounding banter in their environment.

It comes after recent discrimination at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, which raises serious concerns about the perception of what is acceptable in UK sports culture. Behaviors such as bullying and racial harassment were portrayed as “friendly, good-natured banter.”

The research, which was done by Sheffield Hallam University’s sports psychology experts and University of East Anglia, challenges the notion that banter has a positive impact on the culture of teams.

The study acknowledges the ambiguity surrounding what is meant by bullying and banter. Banter has been defined as “an interaction which helps to improve relationships.” Although it can be aggressive, banter is generally seen as playful and occurs between friends. This is complicated by the fact that bullying can be viewed from either the victim or perpetrator perspective. “Perpetrators often perceive their behavior as more benign and humorous than their victims.”

It is important that individuals are educated about their own perceptions of bullying, banter, and other forms of harassment. The findings reveal how notions are complex. Four key themes emerge: perceptions, intentionality and detecting the line.

Dr. James Newman is a senior lecturer in sport psychology at Sheffield Hallam University. He said that the findings give an important insight into professional footballers’ perceptions of bullying and banter. However, they also highlight that this distinction can be very thin or nonexistent. These findings also show that the boundaries between what can be considered “banter” in professional football can be stretched further. This has important implications for football and other sports culture.

Dr. Kate Russell, an associate professor in physical education at University of East Anglia, stated that the findings show the need to be aware of workplace culture at all levels of football, including at the professional level. Every player, coach, board member, and fan must be aware of the harmful and negative behaviors that are part of football’s early experiences. It is imperative that sports do more to support those who have had bad experiences and to help them.

The study was published in Frontiers in Psychology.