한해영 · 김혜선

여성 엘리트 선수가 경험하는 스포츠 현장에서 트라우마의 의미: 주제 분석방법

The Meaning of Trauma Experienced by Female Elite Athletes in the Sports Field: Thematic analysis

여성 선수, 스포츠 외상, 심리적 트라우마, 주제분석, 성 정체성

Athletes; Athletic injuries; Psychological trauma; Qualitative research; Gender identity

질적연구 26권 2호

2025년 11월

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the cumulative trauma experiences of female elite athletes and how they reconstructed meaning from these experiences. Methods: This qualitative study involved in-depth online interviews with eight current and former female elite athletes from various sports, conducted between May and July 2025. Purposive and maximum variation sampling techniques were employed. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The female elite athletes reported recurrent experiences of emotional suppression, sexual objectification, body evaluation, hierarchical discipline, and enforced silence. These experiences were not isolated traumatic incidents but rather cumulative injuries that impacted their bodies, emotions, self-perception, and relationships. Although participants did not initially identify these experiences as trauma, the analysis revealed that they represented small-t trauma, which caused emotional harm. When accumulated, these experiences could result in symptoms akin to big-T trauma. Conclusion: It is crucial to understand sports trauma among female elite athletes not as individual weakness but as a phenomenon arising from repetitive and layered oppression. This perspective provides a vital foundation for future academic and social discussions.