Position Paper, May 1998

A tremendous problem that faces the athletic community today is the occurrence of violent crimes against women. Domestic violence is not the principle cause of injury to women in America. There are numerous incidences of assault, rape, and domestic violence, committed by college and professional athletes, which are reported each year. One may question whether male athletes are any different then the rest of society. The answer to this question would be that over the past twenty - five years, there has been a dramatic increase in the violent crimes committed by 'sport heroes.'

Numerous athletes, especially football and basketball players, have been accused and charged with assaulting their wives, raping a woman, etc. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. It is possible that it is just a reflection of how society is. However, data show that athletes have been involved in a disproportionately high number of assaults involving members of the opposite sex.

Several reasons may explain these findings. Contact sports have become more violent over the past twenty years. It is possible that the sports themselves cause the athletes to be aggressive and brutal. Playing contact sports often requires the athlete to be powerful and vicious in order to win the game. The mentality that has been drilled into their brain is that it is necessary to 'win at all cost' no matter what is required. Athletes may have difficulty leaving these emotions on the field. They may transfer these violent emotions home and take them out on their wives.

Athletes tend to come from violent backgrounds. Many of them come from dysfunctional families and were raised in poverty. These athletes were exposed to family violence and overrun neighborhoods at an early age. Some of them do not develop adequate social skills, which can lead to problems relating to other people later in life. Athletes have been conditioned since childhood that women are less respectful than men are. Boys begin hearing at an early age many verbal comments that reflect negatively on women. They do not want to be told that they are 'sissies' or 'play like girls.' These negative stereotypes are reinforced by coaches, teammates, and society throughout their lives. Therefore, male athletes tend to lack respect and sensitivity of women.

A related problem, which faces the athletic community, is that many more violent crimes are being committed and they go unreported, or charges pressed against the assailant have been dropped. The women involved, 'the victims,' are often too scared to press charges against athletes because they fear that the athletes in question will become angry and even more violent. Victims also think that society will not believe them; that their celebrity role models would never become violent off the field, especially toward women.

It is also common for athletes to receive special treatment by judges? and society in general. Often athletes are found not guilty of their crimes, not because of their innocence, but because of their status as athletes. People in society are willing to allow athletes to break laws because they are celebrities. The governing bodies of many athletic teams have also turned a blind eye on the crimes that their athletes are committing. Often athletes are not punished for the crimes that they commit. They are allowed to play in their games as normal, even if they are charged with domestic violence. Many sports organizations, such as the National Football League, deny having any problems with violence occurring off the field.

There have been several solutions suggested that would help decrease violence against women by athletes. Society must recognize the lawlessness that is occurring. One solution is for companies to include a provision in the contracts of the athletes they endorse, which specifically requires proper moral behavior. This clause would let the company break the contract if the athlete were to commit any crimes. In addition, athletes should continue the work that Liz Claiborne Incorporated has started. This corporation sponsors advertisements and public service announcements featuring professional players and coaches. These sports figures publicly discourage domestic violence, assault, and rape.

Another solution is to teach children that women should be respected and that they are equal in status to men. Workshops and various programs could be organized that would be effective in fighting the negative conditioning that occurs at such an early age. Workshops can also be used at the high school and college level. Mentors in Violence Prevention Project is a workshop that already exists in several colleges. This program informs athletes and non-athletes about the problem, and then suggests ways to decrease the number of incidents. This would increase the number of informed people actively fighting violence against women. Popular male athletes can also go into the classrooms and talk to the freshmen proclaiming how 'uncool' violence against women is. These freshmen would be enlightened as to the frequency that these crimes occur, how to prevent them, the cost of violence to the assailant, and prevention strategies.

Recently the House of Representatives has addressed this dilemma. They want the major athletic organizations to become involved in resolving this problem. Several suggestions have been proposed that governing bodies, such as the NCAA, NBA, and NFL, could use to help decrease the number of incidences that occur. A code of conduct could be instated for male athletes to follow. This code would include forbidding criminal behavior, especially against women. It would enable these institutions to punish the athletes who violated the code with severe disciplinary actions. The punishment for these athletes would be suspension from the team or loss of playing time, depending of the seriousness of the crime, and possibly a hefty financial fine. If a felony is committed, then the athlete should be suspended for an entire year without pay. If there is a recurrence of criminal behavior, then the athlete's contract should be terminated. In addition, a screening procedure could be started that checks the athlete's background. This would enable the athletic organizations and colleges to be aware if any criminal or suspicious behavior has occurred over the course of the athletes' lives. If a violent background was found, then the athlete could be drafted on a probationary basis, or perhaps not accepted into the program at all.

In conclusion, the violence of male athletes against women is a serious problem which faces the athletic community. Drastic methods need to be taken to fight these violent crimes. If society in general, the teammates of these athletes, and the athletic organizations do nothing to reduce the occurrence of this violent behavior, then the number of incidents will continue to rise. The male athletes committing these crimes will perpetrate more crimes, and they will continue to be poor role models for young children aspiring to be athletes themselves. Without action, this vicious cycle may never end.

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