Citation

Mewett P, Toffoletti K. Int. Rev. Sociol. Sport 2008; 43(2): 165-180.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, International Sociology of Sport Association, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1012690208095377

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The 2004 Australian Football League and National Rugby League seasons started amidst claims made by women about players behaving inappropriately towards them. A raft of allegations surfaced in the media, prompting nationwide debate on the issue of sportsmen and violence. While sport sociologists have made important inroads toward understanding sexual misconduct by male athletes, much of this research appears to focus on the socio-cultural factors informing the perpetrators' actions. This study takes a different approach, analysing the perspectives of female Australian rules football fans to consider gendered narratives of sexual misconduct. Our findings demonstrate that discourses of individualism, along with a mix of socio-cultural and biological arguments, are used by women to reconcile players' misconduct with continuing support of their sport.