Faculty Perceptions of Student-athlete Deviance: A Comparison of 4 Universities with Big Time Sports Programs

• In Event: Examining Undergraduate and Graduate Education in Criminal Justice

Abstract

Student-athletes bring both positive and negative attention to college campuses. High-profile crime incidents involving student-athletes that receive press attention may color attitudes towards athletes among the public, fellow students, and campus faculty. Faculty attitudes and behaviors toward student-athletes are especially important because they can affect the academic success of these students. Using labeling theory as a theoretical backdrop, this study looks at the label as the dependent variable to determine what attributes influence faculty perceptions of student-athletes as deviant. We surveyed faculty at four NCAA Division I institutions located in the South and Midwest to examine their views of student-athlete normative deviance (including crime). Faculty were randomly assigned to answer questions about either men’s football, men’s baseball, or women’s basketball. Overall, faculty had low perceptions of student athlete normative deviance. However, when looking at group differences, faculty had the most negative perception of deviance among men’s football student-athletes and the least negative perceptions about women’s basketball student-athletes. In addition, the more familiarity or accessibility faculty have to student-athletes the less likely they were to have negative perceptions.

Authors

• Ashley P Kuhn, University of Florida

• Jodi Lane, University of Florida