ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to shed light on the stereotypical world of the athlete and attempt to determine if incidence and prevalence with professional athletes is greater than the general public. Profound research in the area of child abuse is often consumed by research agendas hypothesizing a significant relationship among athletes and domestic violence, with minimal in-depth approaches for addressing child abuse. Intimidation and violence are common in many sports and pose a serious problem. Research has supported the notion that heavy-contact sports, such as football and hockey, are correlated with increased delinquent peer associations and that these negative friendships are correlated with increased fighting and aggression. Social learning approaches support the notion that athletes either imitate peers or older role models, associate with aggressive athletes in a locker-room environment or social setting, or have ideologies of being untouchable or above the law reinforced beginning as early as high school and into college and professional careers.
