Methodology and Results
Key Findings
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Focus groups were critical of NFL's domestic violence policies, however, could not reach an agreement upon a sufficient punishment
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Both the focus group interviews and the survey demonstrated that males were more lenient than females; more males for pay during the suspension, more females for a lifetime ban
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89% of participants in the survey voted for the NFL as having the highest crime rate amongst professional sports leagues
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3% of survey participants felt players accused of domestic violence should receive a lifetime ban from the league
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11% of survey participants felt players charged with domestic violence should receive a lifetime ban from the league
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92% of survey participants said players should not receive pay while serving a suspension
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On a scale of 1-10, the average score of the effectiveness of the NFL's domestic violence policy was just less than 5
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Survey and Interviews Administered
To study the impact of the NFL's domestic violence problem, a survey was administered to Hofstra students and faculty between February 8 and February 22. The same survey was then administered a second time between April 9 and April 16. In total, 133 surveys were taken. The majority of the responses came from Hofstra student-athletes, roughly 68% of the participants. The remaining 32% was divided amongst non-student athletes and faculty. About 20% of the participants were faculty members and the remaining 12% came from regular Hofstra students.
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In addition to the survey, focus group interviews were conducted as well. A series of three group interviews took place. The first was with a variety of Hofstra female athletes, a second with a variety of Hofstra male athletes, and a third with non-athlete Hofstra students. All three groups had students ranging in class standing from freshman to graduate students. Each group consisted of 6-8 students. Of the participants, 57% were females.
< PHOTO: WILSON