With the coming and going of the most recent World Cup, discussions surrounding high-contact sports, and their enablement of abusers again reenter the public conscience. With there being at least nine high-profile soccer players who have been accused of either rape or physical abuse in this year’s tournament, the question arises: how much violence are we allowing in our sports culture today? When we look at the research, it seems increasingly clear that a distinct correlation exists between violent tendencies and participation in contact sports, particularly among men.
Athletes who participate in contact sports are encouraged to be violent on the field, and often that mentality does not stop once the game is over. By encouraging violence through competition, we create a culture that glorifies male aggression. A study done on the impact of sports on interpersonal violence in young men found that, compared with non-athletes, football players and wrestlers are 40% more likely to engage in a serious fight. This study also found that men with friends who all play football have an 8% higher likelihood of getting into a serious fight. In addition, male participation in contact sports has been shown to correlate with sexual assault. Sports culture at the collegiate level may create an environment “conducive to sexual violence toward females.” By promoting a hyper-masculine culture, men's sports can become a conduit towards violence and misogynistic behavior. Along with this, research has shown that student athletes and male fraternity members have a higher likelihood of committing alcohol-induced sexual assault than other men.
At a professional level, few athletes face consequences for violent acts if they commit them. In fact, the consequences for American football players arrested for violence against women are “negligible,” with higher performing players continuing to be signed to high-profile teams despite past criminal charges. A notable recent example of an athlete who is still widely admired despite past abuse is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has faced multiple sexual assault allegations. In leaked documents, Ronaldo admitted to his lawyers that he had raped a woman, Kathryn Mayorga, and he eventually paid her $375,000 to drop all criminal charges against him. Despite this, Ronaldo is still celebrated today as a disciplined, hard-working football player and his violent past is omitted from most media reports. Ronaldo remains an inspiration to millions of young boys around the world.
While sports often cause positive emotions, the violence surrounding it is undeniable, not just in players, but in viewers. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, studies showed a 27.7% increase in domestic violence in Greater London when England won and a 33.9% increase when they lost. Similarly, in America, there is a 10% increase in domestic violence after a local NFL football team loss. When violence becomes a regular response to sports losses, it is often women who become the victims of it. By allowing this pattern of violence not just at games, but at home to continue, we teach the next generation of children that these sorts of responses are acceptable.
Violence can occur at sports venues. According to a study done on the safety of NFL stadiums, 39.2% of NFL fans have seen a crime inside an NFL stadium or around it, along with that 7.2% of NFL fans being victims to a crime at or around an NFL stadium, the most common being verbal or sexual harassment and physical violence. Sports are an important facet of many people's lives. This means that often emotions and tensions can run high, leading to crime and harassment.
This issue of sports culture and its enablement of violence and aggression, especially towards women, will not stop unless we work towards a solution for it. In America, 72% of children look up to football players, and 1 in 4 Children in the UK view athletes as role models. If we do not want the next generation of athletes and fans to grow up in an environment that allows violence towards others, instead of the more important aspects of sports such as bringing people together, hard work, and passion, we need to dramatically shift our culture and view surrounding sports.
The first step for this would be an emphasis on good coaching; coaches with better leadership skills are critical in producing better and healthier athletes. In addition, we should raise awareness and participation in violence prevention programs such as DELTA AHEAD which focuses on domestic violence prevention and PREVAYL, a program that aims to reduce youth violence. These initiatives can have a real impact not just on athletes but on victims of abuse and the wider community issues the impact them as a whole. Most importantly, change can only happen when we change how we view sports as a community. By raising awareness about the violence that surrounds sports through social media or even word-of-mouth, you can have a real impact on how your community approaches contact sports, allowing important community building athletic events to be more positive and healthy for participants and viewers.