In recent memory, we are provided several cases of domestic violence and sexual assault that have dominated sports headlines, including Ray Rice and the incidents at Florida State. As a common sports fan, I have felt that there have been many more cases like this as of recent than there were five, even ten years ago, but as panelist Don McPherson informed me, the idea that there is domestic violence and sexual assault “in sports” is a common misconception. The panel Can Sports Help End a Culture of Violence? speak on how sports has the power to change culture, through professional athletes as role models and advocates, to the role playing sports has on young athletes. This panel consists of four individuals who are extremely passionate and influential about the subjects of domestic violence and sexual assault; Ben Casselman, Chief Economics Writer for FiveThirtyEight, Jane Randel, Co-founder of NO MORE, Katie Hnida, who was the first female to play division one college football, and also Donald McPherson, President of Don McPherson Enterprises LLC. Here is a Q&A between Mr. McPherson and I about this upcoming panel:
Q: I’m sure there have been domestic violence and sexual assault situations within sports for many, many years but I do not believe these actions have been as publicized as those in recent years. Do you find this to be the case, or not? What roll do you feel social media has played in the heightened publicity?
A: Let me preface my response with two over-arching points. First, there is very little (if any at all) domestic violence and sexual assault “in sports.” This is commonly used language and it’s inaccurate. This is not an insignificant distinction. The implication that the violence is somehow linked to sports participation leads to a misguided search for societal and sustainable solutions. The violence that is committed by athletes must be examined for where and how the behavior is learned. A larger social context must be examined to address such a broad social issue. The high profile nature of violence committed by athletes distorts the conversation and excludes the scrutiny of the overwhelming preponderance of sexual and domestic violence that is committed by men who are not athletes.
The second point is the term “athletes.” Female athletes have been fighting for gender equity that includes the issue of men’s violence against women for decades. From Billie Jean King to Nancy Hogshead-Maker to Katie Hnida (whom I join on the panel this Friday), female athletes have been allies in the conversation and global work around gender equity and women’s rights.
I know this may sound like I am playing a game of semantics however, this is central to the conversation regarding solutions to men’s violence against women. This is primarily gender-based violence and therefore requires a gendered lens to examine it wholly and work towards comprehensive and sustainable solutions.
To your question regarding the impact of social media on our awareness of the issue, all media has been the catalyst for our acute awareness. The more scrutinizing and intimate the media the more visceral our awareness and reaction. In 1994 cable news followed a white bronco from high overhead of the highway that carried a suspected (brutal) murder suspect. 20 years later every handheld smart phone displayed the actual assault of a man on his fiancé and our response has been more swift and decisive.
Q: I believe that athletes have done a great job speaking out against domestic violence, but I feel that this has primarily been NFL players stemming from the Ray Rice incident. What proactive measures have all of the professional sports leagues, and NCAA, put in place to combat domestic violence and sexual assault?
A: The professional leagues have all been reactive to this issue. It is great to see them all making attempts in the past few months but this is all a reaction to the firestorm the NFL created by its inaction. The NCAA has long offered life skills programs for student-athletes (since the mid 1990’s) and individual conferences, schools and organizations within higher education have been addressing the issues for 20+ years.
I started work in this area in 1994 and along with Jane Randel (also on the panel) we produced a PSA that featured active college football players that aired in college football stadiums. While PSA’s and “speaking out” serve an important purpose, the sports world needs to come to terms with the gendered nature of violence and, address the central role of masculinity, as a socially learned construct, in violent behavior and our cultural silence about it. This is where sports can have a dramatic and positive impact.
Q: Athletes have a very significant influence in our culture, and are seen as role models by many. Which athletes are at the forefront of speaking out against domestic violence and sexual assault? Do you have any specific examples about what athletes have done outside of commercials?
A:There are some, like Dallas Cowboys’
Jason Witten who have done a great deal to support survivors of domestic violence by supporting agencies and programs that support victims and vulnerable families. However, until male athletes and the greater sports culture address the narrowness of masculinity at the core of how sports are taught and consumed, we will continue to see the kind of violence we witnessed in the past year. And, as you pointed out, social media will enable a more scrutinized view.
A: Let me preface my response with two over-arching points. First, there is very little (if any at all) domestic violence and sexual assault “in sports.” This is commonly used language and it’s inaccurate. This is not an insignificant distinction. The implication that the violence is somehow linked to sports participation leads to a misguided search for societal and sustainable solutions. The violence that is committed by athletes must be examined for where and how the behavior is learned. A larger social context must be examined to address such a broad social issue. The high profile nature of violence committed by athletes distorts the conversation and excludes the scrutiny of the overwhelming preponderance of sexual and domestic violence that is committed by men who are not athletes.