Violence In Sports And Its Effect On Youth In America Today
Violence In Sports and Its Effect on Youth In America Today
Justin Braman
Southern Adventist University
Sociology and Psychology of Sport
Professor Rod Bussey
December 10, 2013
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of violence in sports. More specifically, the effect of violence in sports towards youth. As Jay Coakley (2009) points out in his book Sports in Society, when athletes engage in violence on or off the field, people see it as evidence that the “moral foundation of society is eroding” (p. 196). The fear from the general public is that young people who see athletes as role models are learning a “warped sense of morality” (Coakley, 2009, p.196). The effect of violence in sports, as this paper will examine, has a lasting effect on young people that often goes unnoticed.
In American society, the values we try to promote are believed to be good. Dr. Stanley Eitzen (1996) of Colorado State University thinks “the values are meant to motivate and promote excellence, while making life interesting” (p.182). We believe that sports participation for children and youth prepares them for success in a competitive society while supplying …show more content…
However, learning and obtaining the positive traits listed earlier are not the only things being learned through the sports experience. The main topic is violence in sports, and this paper will help examine and uncover the ethical dilemmas provided in participating in sports. Before we go any further, what exactly is violence? As defined in his book, Coakley (2009) terms it as, “the use of excessive physical force, which causes or has obvious potential to cause harm or destruction” (p. 196). According to the Merrian-Webster Online Dictionary, it is “great destructive force or energy”
Justin Braman
Southern Adventist University
Sociology and Psychology of Sport
Professor Rod Bussey
December 10, 2013
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of violence in sports. More specifically, the effect of violence in sports towards youth. As Jay Coakley (2009) points out in his book Sports in Society, when athletes engage in violence on or off the field, people see it as evidence that the “moral foundation of society is eroding” (p. 196). The fear from the general public is that young people who see athletes as role models are learning a “warped sense of morality” (Coakley, 2009, p.196). The effect of violence in sports, as this paper will examine, has a lasting effect on young people that often goes unnoticed.
In American society, the values we try to promote are believed to be good. Dr. Stanley Eitzen (1996) of Colorado State University thinks “the values are meant to motivate and promote excellence, while making life interesting” (p.182). We believe that sports participation for children and youth prepares them for success in a competitive society while supplying …show more content…
However, learning and obtaining the positive traits listed earlier are not the only things being learned through the sports experience. The main topic is violence in sports, and this paper will help examine and uncover the ethical dilemmas provided in participating in sports. Before we go any further, what exactly is violence? As defined in his book, Coakley (2009) terms it as, “the use of excessive physical force, which causes or has obvious potential to cause harm or destruction” (p. 196). According to the Merrian-Webster Online Dictionary, it is “great destructive force or energy”