Hockey Canada sexual misconduct scandals reflect broader problem: Ipsos poll

Six in 10 Canadians say the recent revelations reflect a more pervasive problem of sexual harassment and violence within the culture of hockey in Canada, new Ipsos poll shows.

With Hockey Canada in the midst of a series of scandals around sexual abuse allegations, new polling suggests 60 per cent of Canadians say the recent revelations reflect a broader problem of sexual harassment, assault, and violence within hockey culture in Canada.

A new Ipsos poll done exclusively for Global News and released on Tuesday also indicated that women are more likely to view the allegations as more of a pervasive issue and not a series of isolated events, said Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos public affairs.

And the problem is not limited to hockey, he added.

“People see it as a problem with organized sports in general, not just with Hockey Canada, particularly if you ask women,” Bricker told Global News.

Hockey Canada has been under intense scrutiny since this spring over its handling of alleged sexual assaults by players, including two alleged incidents involving members of the World Juniors teams from 2003 and 2018.

There’s “certainly a lot of caution” among people about how the amateur hockey world is functioning these days in light of the allegations, said Bricker.

In terms of accountability, most Canadians think the blame falls largely on those in positions of power — managers, directors and coaches — more so than the players and their parents, the poll showed.

Specifically, 73 per cent pointed fingers at the managers and directors, 64 per cent on coaches, while 60 per cent said team owners and players were responsible for letting the culture persist.