With cases of domestic violence occurring throughout major sports, the questioning of the policies of different leagues and how domestic violence is being dealt with amongst them has heated up. High profile cases of domestic abuse taking place in sports leagues such as the NFL, MLB and MMA, rethinking the way consequences are handed down amongst players facing charges or having found evidence of the crime. Among those leagues, some domestic violence rates may be higher than others, but all of them have cases that deal with it.
A website, FiveThirtyEight, stated that the arrest rate for all crimes for NFL players is just 13 percent of the national average for men 25-29, which is considerably lower than that of the comparable young male population as a whole. However, domestic violence rates are quite high: “There are 83 domestic violence arrests, making it by far the NFL’s worst category — with a relative arrest rate of 55.4 percent.” So the site concludes: “Although this is still lower than the national average, it’s extremely high relative to expectations.
The MLB also released a statement (2015) emphasizing how important the issue is and they want everyone to know that they will be taking it seriously.
According to an article written by the Huffington Post, there was a research study done by “Real Sports (2015),” that found domestic violence arrests are three times as likely to involve a MMA fighter than professional football players. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a code of conduct and policy against domestic violence and other behaviors, and Dana White himself said, “you don’t bounce back from putting your hands on a woman,” in an interview with Fox Sports Live September. There have been fighters who have returned to the octagon after charges of domestic violence though, and given the fact that charges end up being dropped in certain cases where fighters were suspended, UFC President Dana White preaches forgiveness and redemption. This has led to some public outcry for more strict policy from the UFC.
No matter where it occurs, domestic violence is a very serious topic. Questioning and creating discussion on the policies of major sports is needed. General awareness of the problem is the only way forward to a solution to it. At Cabrini University, they have been trying to spread that awareness throughout the campus and student-body.
Dr. Colleen Lelli, assistant professor in education and program coordinator at Cabrini, said, “I have seen plenty of cases in the media about athletes who commit domestic violence and I have also seen athletes that are falsely accused of it as well. Athletes should be leaders and honestly any athlete or someone who is in a student group, they are considered leaders. They are role models and they should also teach others on what is right and wrong.”
People may believe that leaving abusers are easy, when in reality they are not. When the victim decides to leave their abuser, it can be very dangerous for them to try to do and there can be tons of factors that can happen when they finally decide to leave. Victims love their abusers and they believe that one day, they can change.
Amy Persichetti, assistant professor for English at Cabrini, said, “Remember that leaving an abusive relationship is a lot harder than it seems from the outside. The average victim leaves seven times before the relationship is over. Also, keep in mind that the most dangerous time for a victim is directly after he or she leaves or ends the relationship. It’s particularly important to remain aware. Don’t abuse the ones you love. Don’t make excuses for friends who abuse others. This is the standard. It is the same for everyone, and it needs to be a high, high standard,” Persichetti said.
Tommie Wilkins, Grant Project Coordinator and Office of Violence Against Women at Cabrini, has advice for those whether they’re married to professional athletes, or here on Cabrini’s campus.
“Asking the victim why they don’t leave is almost victim blaming and it is my job to prevent people from thinking that way. On a college campus, it might be hard to get into a shelter, because of age. There are a thousand reasons on why people stay in abusive relationships. If they are married or together at the same college, financial aid and scholarships can affect their ability to leave. People who try to leave campus when the abuser is at the same school is difficult because they cannot afford apartments and the financial aid is connect to a certain school.”
“Talking to students, having open conversations, bringing it into classrooms, having students take classes that revolve around that, like our ECG 300 class, and always having something on campus are ways awareness can be raised on the issue. Never acting like it is not happening and making the conversation approachable for them are more ways to bring awareness to domestic violence,” Wilkins said.
