Athletes and Acquaintance Rape: 8 (SAGE Series on Violence against Women) - Hardcover

Benedict, Jeff

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0761909664 ISBN 13: 9780761909668

Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc, 1998

Synopsis

In an age of sports hero idolatry, it is essential to understand the relationship between male athletes and violence against women. Reports of well-known athletes, both professional and intercollegiate, who have been charged with crimes involving violence against women are prevalent in the media. Are these athletes more likely to gain the spotlight because of their status as star athletes? Or do their lifestyles make athletes more likely to engage in sexual assault, battering, or other forms of violence against women than nonathletes? Athletes and Acquaintance Rape unravels the controversy of this topic by focusing on three high-profile cases involving professional athletes who have been charged with sexual assault. Jeffrey R. Benedict provides a brief history on each athlete and traces the chronology of events leading up to the charges of sexual assault and the results of those charges. By examining specific aspects of the collegiate and professional athleteÆs life, Benedict reveals a climate predisposed to committing violence against women that provides star athletes with protection from punishment and conviction. Intriguing and thought-provoking, Athletes and Acquaintance Rape will prove useful for academics, practitioners, and students in several fields, including sociology, psychology, gender studies, law, sport management, educational administration, violence against women, and family violence. Written in an engaging style, the general reader will also find this book accessible and enlightening.

About this title

From the Back Cover

This book takes a provocative look at specific aspects of professional athletic life that contribute to a climate favourable to athletes sexually assaulting women - a climate which also protects offenders from conviction and punishment. The book focuses on three high-profile incidents, and concludes that the problem is generated more by celebrity than athletic prowess: jurors are unable to reach an unbiased verdict because the athletes are held in such high esteem by the public.

Edition details

• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0761909664
• ISBN 13: 9780761909668
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 120