Sports, aggression and violence were topics of discussion Thursday in the Maintenance Shop as part of “Week Without Violence”.

A panel of four spoke to a lunch-time crowd of about 30.

Jason Arquilla, a graduate student in sport psychology, was one of the panelists.

“There’s a big difference between aggression and violence. Aggression can be defined as an act used to gain power and it can be used in any setting,” he said. “Violence is an intent to harm. Violence would be ethically wrong in sports.”

Susan Rayl, instructor of health and human performance, gave a short speech on the history of college sports and her views on the problems of violence in society — not just athletics.

“Abusers come in many forms. We all need to accept responsibility for change,” Rayl said.

It’s society, she said, that teaches people to do whatever it takes to win and it’s no different with athletics. Aggression and violence in sports is a learned activity, she said.

Rayl said she believes the media gives excessive attention to the negative behaviors of athletes and ignores those of the general population, thus giving the impression that athletes are more violent than the general population.

Lynette Ward, executive director of ACCESS, disagreed. She pointed out that athletes are responsible for the majority of reported sexual assaults on campus and in high school.

Ward also disagreed with Rayl’s opinion of media overexposure of athletes’ negative actions. She said she believes that the crimes of athletes get “hushed up.”

Steve McDonnell, manager of Athletic Academic Services, said the Iowa State Athletic Department is addressing the issue of violence and athletics in three ways.

“One way we’re addressing this issue is that our coaches are taking a stronger stance of requiting athletes of character. Two is that our staff has a new student-athlete orientation program that is designed to educate them on the rules and expectations of the university,” he said.

The third way, he said, is an ongoing education program. “Right now we have a program on sexual responsibility. It deals with acquaintance rape, sexual harassment and appropriate sexual behavior. The other program is about alcohol use and abuse,” McDonnell said.

Gene Smith, athletic director, took the stage after a question was asked by an audience member about the need for regular, ongoing educational programming.

“We don’t have the ongoing type of programming we need. We have a long way to go,” Smith said. “But we do have a new attitude, new leadership and a new kind of coach we’ve brought on board.”