Running Head: FIXING NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Fixing NFL Domestic Violence

Michael Licon
The University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

FIXING NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

In the modern era of professional sports, NFL athletes are being connected to
a growing number of cases involving domestic disputes. Thousands of women are
beaten and abused, putting the players of these programs in the national spotlight.
This purpose of this paper is to bring awareness to this social issue thats plaguing
the lives of these people and determine whether the NFL should impose stricter
punishments for players who commit domestic violence.

Introduction

FIXING NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

In 1994, one of the most infamous murders in history involving a professional

athlete was committed by OJ Simpson on his wife Nicole. Years of domestic abuse
that went largely unknown had escalated into murder. In 2014, running back Ray
Rice beat his fiance unconscious in an elevator while being filmed by a security
camera. In the same year, veteran running back Adrian Peterson was indicted on a
charge of reckless or negligent injury to a child after he allegedly beat his 4-yearold son with a switch. All of these incidents all involve cases of domestic abuse
inflicted by NFL players and resulted in the prosecuted players getting very little
punishment. This literacy review will go over the questions What is the history of
domestic abuse in the NFL, Why is domestic violence the leading crime amongst
professional football players, and How does the NFL punish players accused of
and convicted of domestic violence?

Body
The history of domestic violence and the NFL has been on the down low for
most of its existence. According to Barrabi (2014), despite the frequency of these
incidents, the NFLs domestic-violence problem never really captured the publics
attention until the 1994 arrest of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee O.J. Simpson
(para. 4). As time passed and more cases began occurring, domestic violence (had)
gotten increased attention from law enforcement and policy makers (Belson).
Now domestic cases in the NFL involving players have become an invasively public
matter. After long being considered a private issue to be kept inside the home,
domestic violence has gotten increased attention from law enforcement and policy
makers in the past 40 years (Belson).

FIXING NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A surprising statistic that trends in NFL players is that domestic violence is

the leading crime amongst professional football players. arrest rates among NFL
players are quite low compared to national averages for men in their age range
but there are some types of crimes that trail the pack significantly (Morris). His
statistics show that domestic violence in the NFL is probably so high because the
amount of young men in the league is concentrated compared to the population of
the entire country. However, it is still arguable that the aggressive physical contact
endured and produced daily is a contributing factor to an increasing overall
average. Although the arrest rate for domestic violence may appear low relative to
the national average for 25- to 29-year-old men, it is probably high relative to NFL
players income level (more than $75,000 per year) and poverty rate (0 percent)
(Morris).
Punishment for a player accused or convicted of domestic violence is as
about as discordant as you could imagine. Different punishments can be assigned to
different players, most often the more valuable and well-known players being
punished the least. The common trend though was the lack of severity in the
charges. The NFL's history of punishing players in domestic violence cases is as
complicated as the legal cases themselves. Sometimes players were suspended for
a game or two. Sometimes, charges were reduced, which also reduced the severity
of the NFL punishment. Sometimes, charges were dropped and players' names were
cleared (Martinez, Riojas). Belson specifies that cases that more dropped or lightly
enforced. In at least 14 cases, the league or the team suspended or deactivated
the players, mostly for just one game. In 16 cases, the league did not suspend the
player, often in accordance with how prosecutors viewed those cases. Seven of

FIXING NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

those cases resulted in legal charges being dropped, plus one acquittal (Belson).
This goes to show the lack of enforcement of the rules regarding domestic violence.
How should the NFL fix the domestic violence issue in the NFL? This is a
question that their board and president are still trying to figure out. Its not a quick
and easy problem that can be solved overnight, but thats not stopping people from
trying to figure out ways. A writer from the White House proposes strict policies with
no tolerance for these actions. "The NFL has an obligation not only to their fans but
to the American people to properly discipline anyone involved in domestic violence
or child abuse and more broadly, gain control of the situation, a White House
official said (Brinson). The current policy for the NFL currently advises that the
aggressors seek some sort of counseling before they do any physical harm to
themselves or others.
The goals:
- Learn how to get help for those within the NFL (players, coaches, staff and
their families) who are impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault and help
to prevent it going forward;
- Use the NFL platform to work towards changing long-standing social norms
that include shame, blame and a general unwillingness on the part of many to
discuss these issues out in the open (NFL.com).
The current rules against domestic violence have now become almost like
mere guidelines for players to follow; if the players stray from that the punishments
are comparable to a quick slap on the hand then being on their way again. All
players need to be responsible for their actions and know the repercussions of every

FIXING NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

action or crime they commit. No more small fines and one-game suspensions.
Substantial punishments must be set in place.

References
Barrabi, T. (2014, September 21). NFL's history of domestic violence extends
beyond Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson Abuse Cases. Retrieved March 17, 2016,
from http://www.ibtimes.com/nfls-history-domestic-violence-extends-beyondray-rice-adrian-peterson-abuse-cases-1692014
Belson, K. (2015, November 10). Domestic violence is a recurring quandary for the
N.F.L. Retrieved March 18, 2016, from
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/sports/football/domestic-violence-is-arecurring-quandary-for-the-nfl.html
Brinson, W. (2014, September 19). White house: NFL needs 'to get a handle on'
domestic violence issues. Retrieved March 18, 2016, from
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24715785/white-house-nflneeds-to-get-a-handle-on-domestic-violence-issues

FIXING NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Martinez, M., & Riojas, P. (2014, September 16). NFL's past penalties for domestic
violence 'a different story' Retrieved March 18, 2016, from
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/09/us/nfl-players-domestic-violenceaccusations/
Morris, B. (2014, October 02). More on the rate of domestic violence arrests among
NFL players. Retrieved March 18, 2016, from
http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/more-on-the-rate-of-domestic-violencearrests-among-nfl-players/