We determined the prevalence of eating disorder (ED) symptoms among elite Spanish athletes from a broad range of sports and levels of competition and examined the associations between the presence of symptoms and perceived sport-specific weight pressures. We surveyed 646 elite athletes (16.7 ± 4.4 years; 51.08% females) representing 33 sports from top-division teams and two elite athlete training centers in Catalonia. Based on the results of the Eating Attitudes Test-26 responses, 5.1% of athletes (7.6% of females and 2.5% of males) were at risk of EDs. The highest rates of ED symptoms were observed in male endurance athletes and female esthetic athletes. Competition level was not a risk factor. The only gender differences in the presence of ED symptoms by competing level were observed in athletes competing at the national level. Female athletes with ED symptoms scored higher on the two subscales of the Spanish version of the Weight Pressures in Sport (WPS) tool: coach and sport-specific pressures and pressures from teammates and due to uniform. Male athletes with ED symptoms scored higher on the pressures due to uniform subscale. Finally, symptomatic female but not male athletes competing at international and national levels also perceived greater sport-specific weight pressures.

Bullying is a global issue that, beyond school, is present in different social contexts, such as sport environments. The main objective of this study was to get to know the experiences of victims of bullying in sport throughout their youth sport training. Semi-structured interviews to four Spanish women and seven Spanish men were carried out, within an age range of 17–27 (M_age = 21 years, SD = 3.69). The following main themes were established by means of a hierarchical content analysis: (a) “bullying characterization,” (b) “dealing with bullying,” and (c) “consequences of bullying.” The results show the presence of physical, verbal and social bullying in the sport context, with the changing room being the space where this type of behavior is most frequently developed. Most victims show an internal attribution (self-blame) for the bullying event, related to their motor skills and their personal physical and psychological characteristics. Double victimization can be observed, at the sport club and at the educational center. Passive strategies are used to deal with the situation, while little support is shown by sport agents (teammates and coaches). The victims, as a consequence of the bullying experience, suffer from short and long-term negative effects on a psychosocial level. The study highlights the necessity to design and implement programs focused on the prevention, detection and intervention of bullying for sport organizations, bearing in mind all the agents that make them up (coaches, management teams, families, and players). Furthermore, the importance of promoting the creation of safe sport environments, free from any kind of violence, is emphasized.

To explore perceptions of bullying in children’s football (8-13 years) based on the experiences of players, families, and coaches.We conducted a multiple case study. Participants from four football...

Este estudio describe un proceso completo de enseñanza y aprendizaje de los contenidos de iniciación deportiva en Educación Física mediante el uso del aprendizaje cooperativo. El método de investigación escogido es el estudio de caso único y las técnicas de obtención de la información utilizadas son la observación, la entrevista y el análisis documental. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la eficacia del aprendizaje cooperativo en la adquisición de los conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes correspondientes a los contenidos estudiados. También se muestra como una metodología adecuada en el desarrollo de las competencias básicas recogidas en el currículum escolar. Otras ventajas identificadas son la mejora del clima de aula y la promoción de la participación de todo el alumnado. Finalmente, las principales limitaciones detectadas son la necesidad de adaptación previa a la metodología y el volumen de trabajo docente que esta supone antes de llevar a cabo la intervención directa en el aula. Palabras clave: Educación Física. Deporte. Aprendizaje cooperativo. Metodología. This study describes a complete teaching and learning process of sports initiation contents in Physical Education through the use of cooperative learning. The research method chosen is the single case study and the techniques used to obtain information are observation, interview and documentary analysis. The results obtained show the effectiveness of cooperative learning in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes corresponding to the contents studied. It is also shown to be an appropriate methodology in the development of the basic competences included in the school curriculum. Other advantages identified are the improvement of the classroom climate and the promotion of the participation of all students. Finally, the main limitations detected are the need for prior adaptation to the methodology and the volume of teaching work involved before carrying out a direct intervention in the classroom. Keywords: Physical Education. Sport. Cooperative learning. Methodology.

The member states of the European Union have funded many initiatives supporting the teaching and learning of foreign languages. Content and language integrated learning is one of the experimental language programmes that have been introduced in Catalonia, in the north-east of Spain. The aims of this study are to analyse the results achieved by students on the state test of English language competence during the period 2009–2012 at (1) 1175 Catalan primary schools, (2) a purposive subset of 85 primary schools and (3) a school of reference (SoR), which applies a programme integrating physical education and language. The analysis indicates that the improvement of English competence occurs regardless of whether schools have participated in the experimental English language programmes. It is also showed that slightly better results can be observed in schools that apply the content and language integrated approach and a notable improvement in the SoR.

Bullying is a social problem that has been studied most in schools but affects other social contexts. However, there is a general lack of studies on bullying in sports. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of bullying among youth soccer players. Participants were 1,980 soccer players (88.2% boys) aged 8 to 13 years (M _age = 10.5, SD = 1.68) from 25 clubs in Catalonia, Spain. An ad hoc questionnaire was administered to analyze the prevalence and characteristics of bullying from the perspective of victims, bullies, and bystanders. The overall bullying victimization rate was 8.9%, with higher rates observed in the younger categories ( p < .001); 5.2% of victims experienced bullying in both their soccer club and at school. The bullying and bystander rates were 14.8% and 34.7%, respectively, with significant differences between boys and girls (15.5% of boys and 9% of girls were bullies [ p < .05], while 36.4% of boys and 21.9% of girls were bystanders [ p < .001]). Verbal bullying was the main type of bullying reported. The locker room and pitch were the most common locations, and victims were more likely to deal with bullying on their own than to ask for help. Bullying is present in grassroots soccer, and anti-bullying programs are needed to instill ethical and moral values in athletes and equip coaches with the necessary skills to prevent, detect, and address bullying situations.