The U.S.A. Gymnastics team is currently facing a large problem that is very prevalent in today’s society, rape, one of the worst crimes there is. The article, “ Who has the U.S.A. Gymnastics’ Back at This Point? The U.S.O.C., for some reason,” by Juliet Macur discusses this issue. The U.S.A. Gymnastics has failed to protect their athletes from Dr. Lawrence G. Nassar, the national team’s doctor, who has been molesting the female athletes. This case is now known as one of the worst sexual-abuse scandals in sports history, and is bigger than the scandal that took place at Penn State five years ago, which ended with head coach, Joe Paterno, and athletic director, and a university president without jobs. Decertification is a term that has been thrown …show more content…
The girls coming clean to the public as one can be defined as collective effervescence which is, getting together as a group with shared interests involving some form of energy and shared purpose. They are all coming together to voice their concerns and their stories, because they have all experienced the same tragic fate. Social solidarity is becoming more visible when they voice common sense, and made it known that the actions of Dr. Nassar are not in accordance with established rules and norms of society. It is now time that they are heard, and that changes are made. As individuals they would not be able to make a huge impact, but as a team they will be able to get the justice they deserve. Talking about rape in any situation is extremely difficult because it is a he said/she said scenario. When one man or woman comes out to talk about what happened to them, they can easily be brushed to the side, because rape is sometimes hard to prove. Sadly, because of this lots of cases get dismissed, and the victims do not get the satisfaction of knowing they are safe from their rapist because they have been put in jail. In this case, because the U.S.A. gymnasts are all coming out about what Dr. Nassar did to them, they are being taken extremely seriously. It is easier to convict someone of rape when there is substantial evidence backing the case, and when there is more than …show more content…
Rape is a very traumatic thing, and the act of being raped stays with a victim for the rest of his/her life. There are so many victims who do not discuss being raped with anyone because they are ashamed it happened to them, and they are afraid if they come out it might happen again. A plan of action needs to be put in place when victims talk about their experiences, so they are taken seriously, and so they are given the results they deserve. The U.S.A. gymnasts are using gender strategy by developing a plan of action to discuss their experiences, which takes lots of emotional preparation for pursuing this case. By standing together as one, not only are they united, but they are able to protect each other. Each victim and their families have been betrayed by Dr. Nassar, betrayed by anyone who knew about their situation and kept quiet, and betrayed when given a settlement of money to remain quiet about the
The decision of the Supreme Court regarding the use of screening procedures to student athletes has been incorrect. . After an intense beginnin...
This research paper will determine whether professional athletes deserve a second chance to play in professional sports after inappropriate behaviors. Professional athletes are considered idols and are often held to higher standards. Society has become concerned with so many of today’s athletes making the evening news for their unsuitable behaviors.
... athletes to do as they please. However he does not do a good job of being non-partisan. He leads his readers to believe the only group of people who would do such things are “jocks”. This bias is not true. The newspapers report that University fraternities, and secret societies are as likely, if not more likely, to commit these very same acts. He also leads the reader to believe that all athletes and athletic teams are similar. The impression he leaves about the majority of teams and their members is prejudicial and unfair. It is very unfortunate and disheartening that members of a community that were so highly reguarded, would commit such acts. It is even more disturbing to hear about the scenario leading up to the rape, and the community which produced these troubled young men. It is more important to look at why the events took place rather than who committed them, because ultimately the only innocent person involved is the victim, a mentally handicapped young girl, named Lesli Faber.
Title IX and the Education Amendments of 1972 were created to defend equal opportunities for women of all ages. Since its inception 44 years ago, women have seen impressive strides as well as disappointing failures. Social prejudice continues to exist limiting female participation opportunities, benefits for female athletes, coaching opportunities, and increased exposure to sexual assault and abuse. Few institutions treat female athletes equally due to the lack of enforcement by collegiate athletic departments. The enforcement of Title IX has not been a priority among far too many educational institutions leaving women open to discrimination and mistreatment.
The debate over Title IX is a complex one, with many sides relentlessly attacking each other’s approaches regarding the law. The Title IX advocates, largely comprised of women’s organizations such as the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), take the approach that the law is the major reason women have achieved somewhat equal opportunities in athletics. The NWLC contends that abolishing Title IX would undo years of progress so far achieved. In sharp contrast with the Title IX advocates are the Title IX opponents, who are largely comprised of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (...
...ennis, basketball, soccer, and martial arts—have come from the days of cheerleading and synchronized swimming when she was growing up in the ’70s.” Disparities in media coverage and over-sexualized female athletes on magazine covers is something that needs to come to an end because of its effects on both male and female viewers, young and old, athletes and non-athletes. Both female and male athletics influence young people and shape their personality and morals as they mature. Retired WNBA player, Lisa Leslie credits her participation in basketball with shaping her character, as well as her career. “Sports can also help teenagers during an awkward time in their development.” (“Women’s Athletics: A Battle For Respect”). The solution is to come together as a society and identify how to balance the respect for female and male athletes in the media.
In this case it wasn 't just social media that perpetuated the idea of the victim being at fault and not the boys who assaulted her.mainstrem media outlets depicted the boys who just fell into a bas situation and that it wasn 't their fault., discussing how the boys will be "haunted for the rest of their lives" this one quote shows just how biased the media can be. There is no discussion of how the victims life is forever shattered by this event. The article continues on with how other channelsngave the boys excuses or that they are a "cautionary tale." Many of the news outlets discussed how the young men 's lives are now destroyed. Another source proclaimed that the girl in question "caused havoc in once quiet town. There can be a multitude
In 1970 only 1 in 27 girls participated in high school sports, today that ratio is 1 in 3. Sports are a very important part of the American society. Within sports heroes are made, goals are set and dreams are lived. The media makes all these things possible by creating publicity for the rising stars of today. Within society today, the media has downplayed the role of the woman within sports. When the American people think of women in sports, they think of ice skating, field hockey and diving. People don’t recognize that women have the potential to play any sport that a Man can play, with equal skill, if not better.
The enactment of this Title has significantly changed the playing field for athletic departments through out the nation by altering their funding systems to comply with its rules. As a result, women have benefited greatly. There have been additions of female sports as well as an increase of the number of scholarships awarded to female athletes, and also a lot more funding to provide more “equitable” facilities for them. According to the NCAA Gender Equity Studies , “from 1992 to 1997 NCAA institutions have increased the number of female athletes by 5,800. But tragically during that time these colleges also eliminated 20,900 male athletes.” (Kocher p.1) This dramatic landslide has occurred because athletic departments are under pressure to rapidly increase the proportion of female athletes by whatever means necessary. As the path toward complete “equality” gradually brightens for women in college athletics, a dark path is now becoming evident. Male athletes, in a sense, are now being discriminated against because of Title IX.
Parrot, Andrea. "A rape awareness and prevention model for male athletes" Journal of American College Health Jan 1, 1994
The statistics clearly show a group of people who’re affected by the heinous acts of sexual assault. Everyone knows that sexual assault isn’t a topic that’s on the top of the list to talk about; people usually even try to go as far as to hide it or to cover it up. Though, it’s clear for certain; covering something up doesn’t make it alright – It won’t make it go away and the problem is still there. For that exact fact, it is the very reason that sexual assault is something that needs to be brought to the
The sheer energy of a gymnast alone can be felt by audiences of all ages, but what the spectators lack the ability to feel is the pounding of the bodies that bear the impact of the athletes in action. Gymnastics consists of a mixture of acrobatic performances of four different events for females, and six different events for males (Gianoulis 1). Gymnastics is demanding in a multitude of ways, including: physically, emotionally and mentally. It requires countless hours of dedication. The concerns of most gymnasts are moving up to the next level, or getting a more advanced skill, while the concerns of the doctors, coaches, and parents revolve mostly around the athlete’s health, which is put at stake for the adored yet dangerous sport. Injuries are common among both male and female gymnast alike, but due to the fact a female gymnast’s career peaks at the same time of major growth and development, a female gymnast’s body as a whole is more likely to undergo lifelong changes or affects (Gianoulis 2). Among the injuries of the mind blowing athletes, the most common ones affect the ankles, feet, lower back, wrist, and hands of individuals (Prevention and Treatment 1). From sprains, to the breaks, the intriguing sport of gymnastics is physically demanding on a gymnast’s body.
For years gymnastics has been a sport that many children participate in. But as the years have gone by it has turned into something other than a place for kids to grow and learn. Its overwhelming commitment has continued to replace kids’ childhoods with stress, mental and physical pain and eating disorders. Many results have come from this change in the gymnastics society. Gymnasts have come to a point where they have been told and directed to understand that winning is the only important factor in gymnastics. “ It’s about the elite child athlete and the American obsession with winning that has produced a training environment wherein results are bought in at any cost, no matter how devastating. It’s about how cultural fixation on beauty and weight on youth has shaped the sport and driven the athletes into a sphere beyond the quest for physical performance.” (Ryan 5)
Gender inequality in the United States is a serious problem, and it is often overlooked. It is a big issue, especially within sports. We live in a society where our culture prefers men 's sports over women 's. Labeling activities as feminine and masculine is a social construction based on stereotyped expectations regarding gender and perceived gender differences (McCullick, 2012). In 1972 Title IX was passed stating that, no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. This opened up athletics to women and girls (Education Amendment Act of 1972, 1972). Although
Everyone is aware of the role that these athletes have to do. We should not look at the inappropriate actions of few athletes. The. I was biased to believing that all athletes are bad before I started. doing my research for this paper.