LINE OF INQUIRY ESSAY

Andrew Bergquist

WRTC 103

November 5, 2018

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Abstract

Domestic violence is a serious problem in the world today that needs to be dealt with

right now. This topic is extremely relevant because domestic violence cases have been increasing

every year, and the numbers will only get worse until someone does something about it. The

purpose of this paper is to inform and persuade my peers that domestic violence is a serious

issue.

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Line of Inquiry Essay

Nearly one-third of women in the United States are involved in partner violence at some

point in their life. Domestic violence is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as, “the inflicting of

physical injury by one family or household member on another”. The issue has become more

prominent since it was introduced with the number of cases rising by the seconds. The inflicting

of physical injury by one family or household member on another. The context of this issue is

very complicated. People are trying to figure out the right punishment for the people who are

convicted of domestic violence.

This topic was chosen because there is so many cases coming out about domestic

violence, and it is a huge and growing problem in the society. It also relates to the age group that

we are headed towards. This problem is most prominent in young adults which will relate to the

audience. The exigence in this paper is very urgent. People need to find a solution to stop

domestic violence. This has been a problem for years now, but nobody has found a way to stop

or even slow down domestic violence. The audience is drawn in by this topic because it is gut-

wrenching and can affect just about anyone.

Source 1 is titled, “The NFL’s ‘Violence Against Women Problem’: Media Framing and

The Perpetuation of Domestic Abuse”. This source written by Chris B. Geyerman outlines the

way people look at domestic abuse based off the media. Multiple cases were talked about

throughout the book including Ray Rice and Greg Hardy. The article not only includes the cases,

but also the role media played in persuading the publics thoughts and perceptions on domestic

violence.

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This article is called, “Domestic Violence Is Not a Serious Problem in he NFL” written

by Jim Picht. He analysis the fact that domestic violence isn’t a problem in the NFL today. This

point is proven by providing facts and data to support his theory. Many case studies have proven

the point that NFL players are less likely to be arrested then other men who don’t play in the

NFL. Later in the article Picht shows how the data is skewed against NFL players to make him

look bad. By focusing his argument based on the cases he makes a valid point that domestic

violence is not a problem in the NFL.

The last source is titled, “Domestic Violence Is a Serious Problem in the NFL” by David

Leonard. Leonard uses real life examples from the NFL to prove the point that the NFL has a

serious problem. Providing evidence like the Ray Rice case helped strengthen his argument.

Also, Leonard shows how the media influences the society’s perceptions.

The first two sources support the idea that domestic violence is a serious problem in the

world today. In source number one Geyerman provides evidence to support his claim like the

Ray Rice case. He says, “The Ray Rice domestic violence case was ‘the story of the moment,’

and the media frenzy was on in full force” (Geyerman, 2016, p. 100). Providing evidence like the

court case of Ray Rice helps strengthen the argument that domestic violence is a huge problem.

Similarly, David Leonard argues the same concept in his article, “Domestic Violence Is a Serious

Problem in the NFL”. He says, “Rice coldcocked his Fiancé, we see once again that the

system… cares little for Janay Rice” (Leonard, 2016, p. 1). Utilizing real cases from the NFL

shows how the problem is not only with normal citizens, but it stretches out into the entire

society. Clearly, both sources prove that domestic violence is a serious problem in the world

today.

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Another pair of sources compare very well with one another. Source 2 is titled,

“Domestic Violence Is Not a Serious Problem in the NFL” written by Jim Picht. In this source,

Picht focuses on the fact that domestic violence isn’t a problem specifically in the NFL. He

supports his theory by saying, “The data say no, it does not. More than that, the data say that

NFL players are half as likely to commit domestic violence as men in their 20s in the general

population” (Picht, 2016, p. 1). Data collected from Picht claims that domestic violence is still a

problem in today’s society, but not in the NFL. The author of the article, “The NFL’s ‘Violence

Against Women Problem’: Media Framing and The Perpetuation of Domestic Abuse”, Geyerman

agrees with Picht’s ideas. Geyerman says, “A woman is beaten in the U.S every nine seconds;

each year, more than 4.5 million women are subjected to physical violence at the hands of their

intimate partner” (Geyerman, 2016, p. 1). Clearly both authors show that domestic violence is a

serious problem and is growing worse and worse by the second. They show this by providing

facts to help support their argument.

Two sources that contradict one another is source 2 and 3. In David Leonard’s article,

“Domestic Violence Is a Serious Problem in the NFL”, he claims that the problem with domestic

violence in the NFL plays a huge part in its problem. He states, “Where have NFL officials and

pundits been when women assaulted by their partners face severe traumatic brain injury—an

issue about which the NFL claims to care deeply?” (Leoanrd, 2016, p. 1). Leonard’s article

utilizes not only evidence, but also attacks the entire NFL for neglecting the issue of domestic

violence in the NFL. In contrast, Picht claims that the NFL is doing nothing wrong. Picht says,

“Their arrest rates for domestic violence are half the rate of the general public” (Picht, 2016, p.

1). Interestingly, Picht claims that the NFL is not to blame for the domestic violence problem.

While both these sources contradict each other Leonard proposes a better argument and provides

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more evidence throughout the article. This proves that domestic violence is still a problem in the

world today.

I have learned that domestic violence is a serious and confusing topic to talk about. Also,

I have learned that there are two sides to the debate that both present valid points in their

arguments. It shows a complicated topic with two sides that show valid points. Overall the

conclusion. I have come to is that domestic violence is a huge problem in our society and needs

to be dealt with today. While my viewpoint didn’t change from the beginning of the research, it

opened my eyes and made me think about the other side of the argument. My stand in the web

page will be against domestic violence. I believe that domestic violence is a serious problem in

the society today. There is a lot of extensive research to help prove the point I am trying to

make. The research helped give me understanding about real cases that have happened so I can

make a developed argument, and fix the domestic violence problem that plagues society today.

References

Geyerman, C. (2016). The NFL's "Violence Against Women Problem": Media Framing and The

Perpetuation of Domestic Abuse. Studies in Popular Culture, 38(2), 99-124. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/44259601

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Leonard, D., & Casper, M. (2016). Domestic Violence Is a Serious Problem in the NFL. In T.

Thompson (Ed.), Current Controversies. Professional Football. Farmington Hills, MI:

Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Rotten to the Core: The NFL and Domestic Violence,

Feminist Wire, 2014, September 8) Retrieved from

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010975212/OVIC?

u=viva_jmu&sid=OVIC&xid=d7929049

Picht, J. (2016). Domestic Violence Is Not a Serious Problem in the NFL. In T. Thompson (Ed.),

Current Controversies. Professional Football. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.

(Reprinted from Domestic Violence: NFL Less Violent Than Real Life, Communities Digital

News, 2014, September 14) Retrieved from

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010975215/OVIC?

u=viva_jmu&sid=OVIC&xid=e28ecca7