FINCIS co-operates closely with various research institutes and utilises the expertise that they have in the implementation and development of research on sport ethics. Co-operation with research institutes is reflected in, for example, jointly implemented research projects.
Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport KIHU
Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport KIHU, located in Jyväskylä, is a long-established operator in research and development activities that focus on sports in different ways. Currently, KIHU is responsible for the research and development of Finnish top-level sports, especially the development of participatory expertise and its realisation along an athlete’s path. KIHU also leads the Research and Development Programme of the Finnish Olympic Committee’s High Performance Unit.
KIHU was involved in the FINCIS research project Harassment in Finnish Competitive Sports published in autumn 2020. The study investigated the prevalence of sexual and gender-based harassment in Finnish competitive sports. The study involved 48 sports organisations and its target group was licensed Finnish competitive athletes at least 16 years of age. The study involved 9,018 athletes.
Based on our data, sexual and gender-based harassment is common in sports, but not more common than elsewhere in society. Of all respondents, about one in four (26 percent) had experienced sexual harassment. The risk of suffering harassment was increased by female gender, young age, and competing at higher levels of competition. The risk of experiencing sexual and gender-based harassment was also increased by belonging to a sexual minority, a linguistic minority, a religious minority, or an ethnic minority.
UKK Institute
The UKK Institute is a private research and expert organisation located in Tampere that works especially in the field of health and sports. The core task of the UKK Institute is to promote the health and functional capacity of the population through research and expertise, e.g. by reducing immobility and the number of sport injuries and leisure-time injuries, and promoting health-enhancing physical activity.
The UKK Institute is carrying out a FINCIS research project on Athletes’ Experiences in Finnish Competitive Sports, which started in autumn 2021. The purpose of this study is to find out about the positive and negative experiences of Finnish competitive athletes in sports, and the related factors. The research project will identify good and reinforcing models in our sports culture as well as possible inappropriate treatment of athletes. The research, the report of which will be published in autumn 2022, is a continuation of the project Harassment in Finnish Competitive Sports conducted by FINCIS in 2020. This study highlighted the wish to ask more extensively about the negative and positive experiences in sports.
