Professional athletes are supposed to be role models, yet so many of them make bad choices. Domestic violence is a very common fault among many athletes. Take Ray Rice, for example, former running back for the Baltimore Ravens: Rice was charged with a domestic violence case against his wife in 2014. The NFL suspended him, and the Baltimore Ravens made the decision to cut him from the team altogether, although not every team is as harsh on professional athletes who are charged with domestic violence cases. Why do players do it in the first place? It could be because because of the leniency of the league or team they are for, or because they don’t think the law can charge them too harshly? It could even be something more personal, like showing assertiveness on the field as well as off.

Many people may have noticed a huge loss from the Minnesota Viking’s offense last year; Adrian Peterson, veteran running back and also team captain, was suspended last season for child abuse charges. He was not the only professional athlete involved in domestic violence last year, however. It was a surprise to hear that Hope Solo, goalkeeper for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, was arrested for two cases of domestic violence last June. Solo allegedly forcefully beat her half-sister, and then blamed it on her nephew. Solo was about to play in her third World Cup when she was charged, but it seemed as though as soon as the tournament began, nobody remembered what she had done.

One of the problems with professional athletes is that it seems like they can get away with almost anything. They always have an excuse not to be charged, like “I have to play next season,” or “What about the fans?”.

Domestic Violence is also very prominent in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). According to a Benedict and Crosset 3-year study, male student-athletes make up 3.3% of the population, yet they are accounted for 19% of sexual assault perpetrators, and 35% of domestic violence perpetrators. Many of these athletes are going to college on a full scholarship; some think that after an athlete is charged for domestic violence, they should have their scholarship revoked.

Perhaps another reason why domestic violence is so common is how the athletes were raised. Mary Woodward says, “I think It was much more likely as how they were raised. Usually if they see their parents do it, they’re more likely to do it”. It is a fact that people act on how they were raised, as it is human nature to do so.

It may be a eye-opening to some to know that NFL players such as Dez Bryant, Brandon Marshall, and Santonio Holmes have been charged with domestic violence cases. Davis Mackelcan, ’18, responds to knowing about these athletes, “No, I didn’t know that they were charged, but I know that other players in the NFL have been charged with domestic violence”. None of the players were suspended, and the charges were all dismissed. It seems like nobody, not even the NFL commissioner, cares about what they did. The league cannot seem to see past the fact that the players charged are earning them money.

It is still a mystery to many why they feel the need to act out, but it is speculated that some players do this for attention from the media. Perhaps their season hasn’t been going the way they had hoped, and they wanted an extra bit of attention. Another idea about the large amount of domestic violence is that the players are trying to be assertive and show their dominance, or are this way by nature. What’s baffling about this is how athletes choose to put their career in front of their loved ones.

There are no upsides to domestic violence. After these athlete’s crimes occurred, they were protested against to come back into their team, and some like Ray Rice, for instance, still have not come back into the NFL. Jordan Carter ’17, had a thought about domestic violence; when asked his thoughts on domestic violence, he responds, “If I were a professional athlete, even if it made me look tougher, I would have to stop because kids look up to me. I can’t set a bad example for thousands just to preserve my image.”

Professional athletes have many duties, but the most important one, as stated, is being a role model to others. If young people see a person they respect and look up to commit a crime like this and get away with it, they will think it’s alright to do. A perfect way to stop this is to just not do it. And, if by chance the athlete breaks that rule, the punishments should be more severe. Hopefully, the NFL and other athletic associations will make a change by next season to recognize these issues better.