Aggression and violence in sports

Aggression and violence among athletes has received increasing attention in the media, especially since the much publicized OJ Simpson trials, with the allegations of wife abuse, and also since the arrest of Warren Moon, a Minnesota Vikings quarterback for charges of battery of his wife. In the case of OJ Simpson, charges were made that several times the police had received complaints of wife abuse, and these included a formal charge and response in 1989, to which he pleaded no contest. The high profile of these two cases, rather than the established court facts, has led to increased public awareness of instances of violence in the sporting community.1-5

Some believe that the apparent increase in assaults committed by athletes simply reflects the increase in domestic violence in society in general. (Athletes simply carry the aggression from the playing field to the home.) Others, however, believe that because of the sports culture, athletes are more likely to be aggressive and violent, and that this has increased in recent years. However, sports psychologist, Kathryn Wullner Thomas, Ph.D. (quoted in Ryan5), a former basketball coach, cautions that "there is confusion in peoples' minds between aggression and competition. The words get interchanged. Athletes are trying to be aggressive in terms of competitiveness. Sports will not turn a non-violent person into a violent person off the OeId."5

A 1991 study of the Campus Violence Prevention Center in Towson State University in Maryland, found that 55% of all admitted acquaintance rapes were committed by male athletes, although athletes represented only 16% of the male student body.6 In 1986, a Philadelphia newspaper reported that male football and basketball players were reported to police for sexual assaults about 38% more often than their college peers.7

VIOLENCE IN FOOTBAU, BASKETBALL, ANO THE "MANLY SPORTS"

Most of the reports of violence among athletes involve football, basketball, and other "manly" sports, such as boxing and hockey. Of course, the case that received the maximum media attention was the Simpson criminal trial (and subsequent civil trial), which included allegations of previous spousal abuse. According to the media description of these episodes of domestic violence, the accusations were dealt with characteristically. Namely, the punishment has historically been lenient - even though domestic violence injury to women (ages 15-44...