Violence in Sports - an Ethical Perspective

Violence in sport has become far too commonplace. Aggressive sports such as football and hockey involve many aggressive tactics; however far too often do these aggressive tactics become overshadowed by deliberate acts of violence with the intent to cause bodily harm to an opponent. Many professional and non-profession athletes, as well as coaches, have adapted the mentality that winning is the common goal that all who participate in sport strive for and therefore feel that engaging in violent acts while competing should be permitted in achieving this goal. In sport winning is what each athlete strives for and seemingly they will consign in harmful acts of violence to achieve their goal. Former Boston Bruins player David Forbes was quoted “ I just don’t see, no matter how wrong the act is, how anything that happens in an athletic contest be criminal”, (Gillespie). The mentality of being above the law that most professional athletes possess does not only affect the game in which they are playing. Many athletes who execute physical acts of violence while competing are more prone to committing such violent acts in their everyday lives, most commonly domestic violence. (Harvard Law Review). Spectator violence and hooliganism are also primarily linked to the violence fans observe during sporting events. (Williams). Also, professional and amateur sport has become an integral part of our culture and society. Sports can be seen or heard, in one form or another, at any time of day or night. Professional athletes are amongst the most publicized people in the world. Thus, the words and actions of these athletes have been commonly mistaken as notions of acceptable conduct. Therefore, people, especially children, who view these acts of excessive and dangerous violence often imitate the aggressive acts they too frequently observe from professional and amateur athletes. The core of these on going problems is the lack of, or far too feeble disciplinary actions assigned to players

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