The high-profile arrests of Darryl Strawberry and other jocks might lead some to believe that professional athletes are more likely to commit violence against women than the typical man. Advocates for battered women, though, say there's little real evidence to support this perception, and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence is increasingly using athletes to help prevent domestic violence.

Commercials featuring Jim Chamblee of the Pawtucket Red Sox and bicycle stunt rider Kevin Robinson, among others, are the most recent additions to the coalition's "Love Shouldn't Hurt" campaign, which began running this summer. In one spot, Chamblee swings his bat, slides into second base, and says, "On the field I play tough! But off the field, there's no excuse for violent behavior . . . because love shouldn't hurt.

For some, the use of male athletes in a campaign against domestic violence may seem strange, considering the level of aggression in sports and the publicized off-field troubles of some jocks. But the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence has been working with various groups of (primarily male) New England athletes for the last five years, and the effort will be in full swing to coincide with October's designation as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In addition to the PawSox, the Providence Bruins, New England Patriots, and New England Storm are some of the teams whose players do prevention work on a regular basis.

"It started as a result of the [O.J.] Simpson trial, to counteract all that negativity," says coalition spokeswoman Alice Trimiew. With reports about the involvement of other athletes in domestic violence, the coalition wanted to create a positive message, she says, adding there's no real evidence to support the assumption that male athletes are more violent than other men.

One of the best reasons for involving athletes in the campaign against domestic violent, says Deborah DeBare, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition, is that they "have an enormous capacity to influence the minds and behaviors of Americans. [They] are the heroes and heroines for our generation."

Issue Date: October 5 - 11, 2001