Domestic violence and
sexual abuse incidents involving professional athletes are regularly covered in
the media. Domestic abuse is the most common felony among professional football
players, accounting for 55 percent of all charges (Giovannone, 2021). According
to statistics, 134 athletes have been charged with domestic violence, and 15
have been charged with sexual assault, abuse, or harassment since 2000,
accounting for 13 percent of all football league convictions (Giovannone,
2021). Considering the fame of many sports players, their actions have negative
consequences not only on their personal lives, brands they work with, and
leagues but the young audience that seeks to become like their role models.
The history of
domestic abuse and sexual assaults on famous athletes has a long history.
Before the 1970s, there was an unofficial policy that nobody could discuss the
athletes' personal lives off the field (Penn Today, 2021). However, according
to Wyner, head of the undergraduate department in statistics at the Wharton
School, it started to crumble in the 1970s (Penn Today, 2021). The book Ball Four, released in 1970, disregarded
the guidelines. The publication highlighted baseball stars' misdemeanors,
transgressions, and addictions (Penn Today, 2021). It was momentous since it
signaled a shift in perception of the sports stars.
Now, more incidents
have started to gain a lot of media attention. For example, Alexander Zverev, a
German tennis player, was one of the players featured in the US Open in 2021
and was ranked fourth (Penn Today, 2021). However, two years before, Zverev's
partner, Olya Sharypova, directly accused the player of domestic violence,
which involved verbal and physical mistreatment (Penn Today, 2021). The woman
shared her experience in the expectation that it would serve as a caution to
those in abusive relationships and in hopes that the Association of Tennis
Professionals would take action (Penn Today, 2021). However, the star's
reputation was not affected, and during the US Open event, Zverev was chosen to
be the Rolex ambassador alongside other famous players (Penn Today, 2021). When
the brand named Zverev their ambassador, several individuals expressed anger
and even disgust on Twitter, but the comments did not receive much support.
However, domestic
violence is a problem not only in the tennis league. It is the most prevalent
issue in the National Football League. Domestic abuse cases of the biggest
notoriety include the arrest in 1995 of player Warren Moon for domestic battery
(Coyne, 2017). It was typical for athletes to be detained, but there was a slew
of occurrences that went unreported (Coyne, 2017). Former professional football
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was more concerned with working on the projects
than with the athletes' off-field activities (Coyne, 2017). Roger Goodell
considered it a personal challenge when he became chief to restore the image of
the league and maintain a good reputation.
Hence, it can be seen
that domestic violence and sexual assaults in the sports field, in the majority
of cases, go unnoticed. However, sports stars are idolized by fans who pay
great attention to their behavior and actions. In this case, role models may
have a significant impact on how fans feel about a club or league and encourage
emulation of the same attitude. Although every sports league holds a status in
the entertainment business, each league's and athlete's societal significance
owes it to the community to do more to eradicate domestic abuse and promote
appropriate behavior.
References
Coyne, J. (2017). Domestic violence in the National Football
League. Sport Management Undergraduate.
Giovannone, L. (2021). The prevalence of domestic violence in the
NFL. The Charger Bulletin. Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://chargerbulletin.com/the-prevalence-of-domestic-violence-in-the-nfl
Penn Today. (2021). The business of sports reckons with domestic
violence off the field. Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/business-sports-reckons-domestic-violence-field
Hi, Jan,
ReplyDeleteYou rightfully noted that the majority of domestic crimes go unnoticed. However, if they come under the spotlight and there is a prosecution and trial, the problem remains (at least in NHL, I wonder about the other American professional leagues). This problem is that NHL, e.g., does not have a policy on domestic violence charges. When the case with LA Kings' player Voynov emerged (his wife accused him of beating her), he could not be suspended on these grounds. Only the collective bargaining agreement had something to do with the complicated case. Voynov was only suspended on the grounds of being a part of a criminal investigation. A very vague notion, indeed. Thus, firstly, there must be some legislation in the leagues first. They should be first protectors, I think.