About the Partnership and the Project

Sexual abuse in sports
Sexual abuse is common in sports, including among (but not limited to) professional and intercollegiate athletics. One of the most publicized cases of violence in sports involved Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of hundreds of young athletes within USA Gymnastics and at Michigan State University. To give voice to survivors of Nassar and raise awareness about the importance of preventing abuse in athletic systems, the Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD) and their media division, Sidewinder Films, produced the documentary, At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal (ATHOG).

Our Partnership and Our Goals
In 2020, UC Speaks Up established a new partnership with Courage First  (GSD’s sexual-abuse prevention program)  to offer University of California (UC) students the opportunity to participate in virtual screenings and discussions of  ATHOG. The virtual events aim to raise awareness about sexual assault prevention and resources available to survivors across the UC system. This work directly responds to UC Speaks Up research that examined sexual violence prevention among intercollegiate NCAA athletes at UCLA, UCSB and UCSD. Findings suggested barriers exist to UC student-athletes’ awareness about and access to resources for sexual violence support, and that additional programs for sexual violence prevention are necessary.

Partners

Media

• UCLA Fielding School of Public Health to Co-host Discussion on Sexual Violence Prevention in Sports (10/13/2020) https://www.newswise.com/articles/ucla-fielding-school-of-public-health-to-co-host-discussion-on-sexual-violence-prevention-in-sports
• Virtual film screening and panel delves into sexual violence in sports, college (10/30/2020) https://dailybruin.com/2020/10/13/virtual-film-screening-and-panel-delves-into-sexual-violence-in-sports-college
• Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films Partner with UC Speaks Up to Prevent Campus Sexual Assault (12/2/2020) http://globalsportsdevelopment.org/tag/at-the-heart-of-gold/
• Sexual violence awareness panel expands to other UC campuses after launch at UCLA (12/6/2020) https://dailybruin.com/2020/12/01/sexual-violence-awareness-panel-expands-to-other-uc-campuses-after-launch-at-ucla

UCLA TEAM