In this research, the author sought to understand how organizational practices that harbor and, ultimately, perpetuate abuse become legitimized. The authors drew from the tenets of institutional work to understand how institutional structures were created and legitimized to allow abuse to perpetuate within sport organizations. In examining the sexual abuse scandals of Penn State University, Baylor University, and Michigan State University, the authors found that university administrators and stakeholders obscured reporting and investigative processes, enacted internal discipline structures that were uncompliant from formal regulations, valorized the perpetrators and university leadership, silenced victims, and engaged in collusion. The authors theorized these actions as legitimacy work designed to legitimize the universities’ management of abuse. In effect, these actions contributed to the harboring and perpetuation of abuse. The implications for the study and management of abuse in sport are discussed.

在这项研究中，作者试图了解掩盖并最终导致长期滥用的组织实践如何合法化。作者借鉴了机构工作的宗旨，以了解机构结构是如何建立和合法化的，以使体育组织内部的滥用行为得以长期存在。在审查宾夕法尼亚州立大学，贝勒大学和密歇根州立大学的性虐待丑闻时，作者发现大学管理者和利益相关者掩盖了报告和调查程序，制定了不符合正式法规的内部纪律结构，使犯罪者和大学领导地位得到了提高，使受害者保持沉默，并进行合谋。作者将这些行为理论化为合法性工作，旨在使大学对滥用行为的管理合法化。实际上，这些行动助长了滥用行为的隐瞒和永久化。讨论了对体育中滥用行为的研究和管理的意义。