Recent studies have found that the rate of arrests for professional athletes regarding domestic violence/assault is less than half of the general population's rate and DUI rates are about half that of the rate for all young men in their 20's (Keane, 2013). Those number clearly indicate that professional athletes have reduced arrest rates for certain crimes, however the media makes it seem as though athletes are always getting in criminal trouble because it broadcasts every instance of crime. With that in mind, one must imagine if every crime across the nation was broadcasted, which is nearly unfathomable, if not completely beyond belief. The messages and values conveyed by these media representations are that athletes can not possibly separate their on-field lives and off-field lives, resulting in a violent and criminal nature.
A 2011 study found that the most common arrests with NFL, MLB, and NBA athletes are domestic violence/sexual assault, illegal possession of weapons and drugs/DUIs (Administration, 2011). Based on my own extrapolation of those trends, I think that there is an explanation behind those tendencies. Team sports, by nature, tend to rely more on contact or brute force than individual sports and activities that one might partake in extracurricularly. For this reason, I do not find it all that surprising that of arrests made in those three sports, domestic violence and sexual assault cases are among the highest rates. These athletes are conditioned to be highly aggressive in an intense situation (a game) so when an intense situation occurs off the field, some must revert to handling the situation in a way that is most familiar to them. Additionally, in rookie and player development programs, women are often not talked about as equals, but instead as a threat to players who will try to get impregnated by the athletes or make sexual assault claims (Zirin, 2014b). The conversation of women objectifies the gender, leading to decreased respect, which may explain the tendency of sexual assault. As for the illegal possession of weapons, I might explain this by the financial status of most professional athletes, or at least how they are made out to be by the media. Athletes tend to be well-off, by most standards, though not all are multi-millionaires, which causes them to feel as though they need an increased level of personal and familial protection, resulting in the purchase of weapons. Again, that is speculation, but if that is the case, then it could explain the number of illegal possession of weapons charges made to this group of people. Finally, the drug/DUI charges can be explained in part by financial situations, but perhaps more by the feeling of invincibility athletes receive from playing sports from a young age and being highly successful at what the American public deems extremely important.
Administration. (2011, April 4). Crime Rates in Pro Sports. Retrieved from http://www.uscollegesearch.org/blog/resource-articles/criminal-justice-info/crime-rates-in-pro-sports
Keane, T. (2013, July 2). The myth about crime and pro athletes - The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/07/01/the-myth-about-crime-and-pro-athletes/qlnKoSMkbhuImiS4pO87WJ/story.html
Zirin, D. (2014a, August 19). Here's What Happens When an NFL Player Beats His Fiancée Unconscious. Retrieved from http://www.edgeofsports.com/2014-08-09-940/index.html
Zirin, D. (2014b, September 5). Yes, I 'Question the NFL's Commitment' to Being a Force Against Domestic Violence. Retrieved from http://www.edgeofsports.com/2014-09-01-950/index.html
I completely agree that the media does tend to only highlight all the bad events that occur in the lives of the athletes. Do you think it paints athletes in a bad light or helps express to the public that these events are not appropriate and what is seen as ok.Could broadcasting do a better job.
ReplyDelete-Meghan Nee
I like your explanation in why you think athletes partake in these criminal acts that tend to happen more in sports that have more contact in them. I feel the same way in how athletes use the techniques they use on the field to handle intense situations and bring it back home to handle those same situations, but in a different environment where it's not appropriate. Do you think there is a way that athletes could better learn how to use behaviors, other than those they are most familiar with, to handle arguments at home?
ReplyDelete- Cindy Molina
Meghan- I think that the media generally shed a bad light on athletes by highlighting their violent outbursts that may not necessarily be characteristic of an individual. However, there are definitely situations when I think athletes who commit a crime should be shed in bad light, for instance, domestic violence cases, which currently do not receive the amount of negative press they deserve.
ReplyDeleteCindy- I think the idea of implementing workshops into rookie/player development programs is a good start, but realistically to avoid crime, particularly domestic violence cases, a better environment must be introduced at a younger age. A "better" environment is one that I consider is respectful towards women, and all individuals for that matter, as well as less violent/more appropriate ways to handle oneself in the locker room because I am sure that behavior translates towards how a man behaves outside the locker room.
-Melanie Habib
I find that is quite sad to see these professional athletes wasting their lives to prove society that they are someone else. Therefore sad part is crime is one that they have the option to choose from. Even though they are a small percentage of the domestic population, they are very influential to society and should set a more of a better example to the society.
ReplyDelete-Jessie Sisavat
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Very good job analyzing the issue and providing some good insight.
~Brittainy