Crime in the NFL

[politicus]

Why is domestic violence and sexual assault so prevalent among NFL players? Entitlement? Or does the sport just attract violent types? Or men from a social background where abuse is common?

It seems to more prevalent than any other professional sport, perhaps with the exception of boxing (but I actually doubt that).

http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-rate-of-domestic-violence-arrests-among-nfl-players/

As the stat shows (or indicates - it includes non-convicted) NFL players are underrepresented in the crime stats compared to their age group, but extremely overrepresented for someone as economically privileged regarding a few types of crime with domestic violence being #1.

[Mr. Morden]

As the stat shows (or indicates - it includes non-convicted) NFL players are underrepresented in the crime stats compared to their age group, but extremely overrepresented for someone as economically privileged regarding a few types of crime with domestic violence being #1.

Presumably because professional athletes are very atypical for someone as economically priveleged as they are.  Few of them come from wealthy backgrounds.  They didn't grow up with $, and so are going to handle it differently from someone who grew up a rich.

[dead0man]

As the stat shows (or indicates - it includes non-convicted) NFL players are underrepresented in the crime stats compared to their age group, but extremely overrepresented for someone as economically privileged regarding a few types of crime with domestic violence being #1.

Presumably because professional athletes are very atypical for someone as economically priveleged as they are.  Few of them come from wealthy backgrounds.  They didn't grow up with $, and so are going to handle it differently from someone who grew up a rich.

But that's true of basketball players too (probably more so) but they don't seem to have the domestic violence issues the NFL/American Football do.

I suspect it's a combination of things.....I don't know for certain, but I'd bet that star football players coming up through public school get more favoritism than ballers (and much more so than star baseball players or soccer or anything else), they get accustomed to having their transgressions swept under the rug.  "I've been beating on my gfs since middle school, and the adults around me always protected me, why would that stop when I start getting paid?"  Football also attracts the violent types more than the other sports.

[Mr. Morden]

As the stat shows (or indicates - it includes non-convicted) NFL players are underrepresented in the crime stats compared to their age group, but extremely overrepresented for someone as economically privileged regarding a few types of crime with domestic violence being #1.

Presumably because professional athletes are very atypical for someone as economically priveleged as they are.  Few of them come from wealthy backgrounds.  They didn't grow up with $, and so are going to handle it differently from someone who grew up a rich.

But that's true of basketball players too (probably more so) but they don't seem to have the domestic violence issues the NFL/American Football do.

I haven't read the 538 article, but when comparing to different sports, are we talking about the total number of incidents or the crime rate?  Because NFL teams have a much larger number of players than you find in most other sports, no?

[dead0man]

Yeah, I don't know (haven't read it either).  They've got roughly 5 times as many players as an NBA team and double your baseball and almost 3 times as many as an NHL team.  (assuming we're not talking minor leagues...which we wouldn't be as we're not going to hear about some guy in the AAs getting caught beating his wife)

[memphis]

How is this even a question? Football requires an extremely aggressive personality in a way that basketball does not. The only other mainstream pro sport in the same league for violence is hockey.

[MaxQue]

How is this even a question? Football requires an extremely aggressive personality in a way that basketball does not. The only other mainstream pro sport in the same league for violence is hockey.

Hockey? How many NHL players got arrested?

[politicus]

How is this even a question? Football requires an extremely aggressive personality in a way that basketball does not. The only other mainstream pro sport in the same league for violence is hockey.

Well, boxing comes to mind (but it has a lot of the same problems).

I haven't read the 538 article, but when comparing to different sports, are we talking about the total number of incidents or the crime rate?  Because NFL teams have a much larger number of players than you find in most other sports, no?

Crime rate.

[memphis]

How is this even a question? Football requires an extremely aggressive personality in a way that basketball does not. The only other mainstream pro sport in the same league for violence is hockey.

Hockey? How many NHL players got arrested?

I meant that the sport requires violence. But hockey players are mostly white. Of course they are going to be arrested much less frequently.

[King]

Big rosters, violent sport, a lot of people from poor neighborhoods.

[politicus]

Big rosters, violent sport, a lot of people from poor neighborhoods.

That doesn't affect the share of offenders.

[King]

It could. An NBA organization can keep better track of a 12 man roster's personal lives and have more of a family atmosphere. They are very involved. Remember, the NBA had a 'violent thug' perception in the late 90s/early 00s that they worked hard to stamp out.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I would definitely attribute it to background. Most of these guys witnessed domestic violence in some way at some point in their lives. The ones that didn't are a victim of culture, which is a problem in and of itself.

[patrick1]

Surprised that this hasnt been posted but PED's is a factor, imho.

[dead0man]

Surprised that this hasnt been posted but PED's is a factor, imho.

I'm not sure about that.  AFAIK, steroids aren't used anymore too much and have been replaced with HGH and, again AFAIK, there aren't any "rage" issues with HGH.

But I'm by no means an expert.

[Yank2133]

There is actually more domestic abuse arrest in the NBA then there is in the NFL. The NFL biggest problem is DUI arrest, there have been three incidents since 1998, where someone has died as a result of a drunk NFL player.

[DemPGH]

Very generally: Contact is the objective of football in a way that it's not in other sports - tackling and hitting are areas wherein players are coached daily, and you get to play based upon how well you do it. A lot of offensive players are coached to hit - hit or be tackled. The sport naturally attracts aggressive personalities. Hitting and tackling are day one objectives. I always heard how guys like Merlin Olsen were complete maniacs on the field, but gentle giants like you wouldn't believe off the field - wouldn't hurt a fly.

It's also true that there is a long offseason in football - way longer than in other sports, and more time to get in trouble.

There are also a lot of gentle giants in football (Jerome Bettis) and they play the sport at the Ivies, so it's not like it's overrun by thugs, but my point is: In sports where you see a lot of players busted for this or that, it's likely their background. And playing that sport was a way out of the hood. A good coach is often as much a mentor as a coach.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

What about MLB?  Ok MLB has its juicers, but is it me or considering these guys are playing the longest season in sports, the amount of time they get in trouble for off field stuff is negligible.  Why?

[dead0man]

What about MLB?  Ok MLB has its juicers, but is it me or considering these guys are playing the longest season in sports, the amount of time they get in trouble for off field stuff is negligible.  Why?

Baseball players, like hockey players, tend to come from middle class Americans and a handful of Latin America countries for baseball and a few European countries/Canada for hockey.  None of which have a high rate of domestic violence issues, AFAIK.  Football and basketball tend to get more than their fair share of inner city kids and hicks.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

How is this even a question? Football requires an extremely aggressive personality in a way that basketball does not. The only other mainstream pro sport in the same league for violence is hockey.

Hockey? How many NHL players got arrested?

I meant that the sport requires violence. But hockey players are mostly white. Of course they are going to be arrested much less frequently.

That, and the fact that 75% of the NHL hails from Canada and Europe.  These places are far more likely to raise well-mannered people who recognize the absurdities involved with being a confrontational Alpha-male, unlike America where we glorify animalistic bullies. 

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

What about MLB?  Ok MLB has its juicers, but is it me or considering these guys are playing the longest season in sports, the amount of time they get in trouble for off field stuff is negligible.  Why?

Baseball players, like hockey players, tend to come from middle class Americans and a handful of Latin America countries for baseball and a few European countries/Canada for hockey.  None of which have a high rate of domestic violence issues, AFAIK.  Football and basketball tend to get more than their fair share of inner city kids and hicks.

It's pretty hard to argue with that, even if it isn't so pretty of a truth.