Browsing by Author "Colley, Madison L., author"

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Open Access
Exploring former collegiate women athletes' experiences of emotional abuse in the coach-athlete relationship
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Colley, Madison L., author; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Fisher, Gwen, committee member; Tompkins, Sara, committee member; Butki, Brian, committee member
Historically, sport has been regarded as inherently good and beneficial in a variety of individual and societal domains; however, more recent research has begun to challenge this idea by examining one pervasive, negative practice within sport, emotionally abusive coaching practices. Emotionally abusive coaching practices are associated with a host of negative psychological, emotional, physical, social, educational, and sporting outcomes, with some lasting years after the athlete has left the competitive sporting role. Much of the literature examining the emotional abuse of athletes has focused on elite child athletes in Canada and the United Kingdom, with little to no research conducted in the United States (US) or on elite adult athletes. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine women athletes' perceptions of emotional abuse from a coach who is a man, the impact of emotional abuse on mental well-being and athletic performance, and the potential implications of power on athletes' perspectives and ability to report the abuse within collegiate sport in the United States. This study also aimed to examine the post-traumatic growth experiences, or lack thereof, in the years following the participants' exits from collegiate sport. Due to the relatively new and exploratory nature of this study, a qualitative approach was taken with a symbolic interactionist approach to grounded theory. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 former collegiate women athletes with 1-5 years distance from the competitive sporting role. Data was analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding techniques with adherence to the constant comparative method to ensure theoretical saturation. An additional coder was employed to ensure inter-coder reliability in data analysis. Three themes were identified in alignment with the research questions; the first being the impact on athletes during and after their athletic careers, the second being the ways that athletes made sense of their experiences, and the third being the post-traumatic growth experiences reported. Findings demonstrated that emotionally abusive coaching practices are associated with a variety of negative short- and long-term outcomes for former collegiate women athletes in the United States. Moreover, the perceived power held by the coach impacted the ways that athletes made sense of their experiences. Finally, post-traumatic growth experiences were observed in all athletes studied. This study highlights the detrimental impact of emotionally abusive coaching practices on athletes and reinforces the need for athlete protection mechanisms in collegiate sport in the United States.
Open Access
Exploring the utility of a rolling-admission dialectical behavior therapy skills group for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Colley, Madison L., author; Emery, Noah, advisor; Karoly, Hollis, committee member; Nelson, Niccole, committee member; Kwiatkowski, Lynn, committee member
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health concern for individuals with a breadth of identities in the US. The current study explored the effectiveness of a rolling-admission Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills group intervention for individuals who had experienced IPV. The participant sample was made up of 23 victims and survivors of IPV residing in the northern Colorado area. Data were collected at pre-intervention, 24 hours after each intervention, and one month after the final intervention attended for each participant. Participant demographics, PTSD symptoms, positive and negative affect, emotion regulation skills, self-efficacy, social connectedness, and diverse qualitative data were collected. Effect size, idiographic, and qualitative analyses were employed to analyze the data. Results demonstrated that various levels of attendance in a rolling-admission DBT skills group at a domestic violence shelter were associated with qualitative benefits and quantitative improvements on all outcome measures. In addition, participant attendance impacted effects on the outcome measures selected, but not such that participants who attended more interventions saw larger or more effects than those who attended fewer interventions. Finally, the qualitative data elucidated factors which increased the cultural appropriateness of the intervention, enhanced participant motivation, and were broadly considered strengths of the intervention itself. A variety of qualitative recommendations for the group intervention were also provided. Practical recommendations related to group therapy format and specific interventions are offered. The present study highlights the varying treatment needs of victims and survivors of IPV in relation to time since experiencing IPV-related stressors, symptom acuity, and life instability.