However, other sources say there may be a link. For example, an analysis of 10 Division I colleges showed that student athletes comprised 3 percent of the college population, but 19 percent of perpetrators of sexual abuse or violence, said Stanley Teitelbaum a sports psychologist in private practice in New Jersey, and author of “Athletes Who Indulge in the Dark Side” (Praeger Press, 2012).

Abrams said a contributing factor to domestic violence among football players may be that they are desensitized to physical conduct because it’s “part of what they do all the time.”

Teitelbaum agreed, saying that players can take their aggression with them when they leave the field.

“They’re trained to be very aggressive and somewhat violent on the field, that’s the nature of the game and that’s how they become important players. And sometimes it’s difficult for athletes to turn that off when they go back to their regular lives,” Teitelbaum said.