School is an important place where everybody needs to attend to if they want to have a good future. It’s supposed to be a safe place for everybody to learn, except that this is not the case for everyone. Some people go to school and they are terrorized because they could get attacked anywhere at anytime. They get bullied almost everyday and suffer a lot from it. They don’t want to go to school after that because the same cycle happens everyday for them and it’s not how it’s supposed to be. Bullies attack people for no reason everyday and most of the time, the victim doesn’t tell anyone because he thinks either it’s going to be useless or it’s going to get worse. We’ll be seeing more deeply the sexual violence, the physical violence and involvement of schools towards the reports of the students.

First of all, school fights happen way more than you would think. According to a research by CBC news, in Ontario, there is more than 2100 violent incidents per year, which is approximately more than 10 cases a day. Most of the time, parents don’t even know about the fights at their kid’s school and don’t know either about the amount of fights that they have weekly. They see police officers at their kid’s school all the time but have no idea why they are here. During an interview with the CBC Marketplace, several parents agreed to know how many violent incident was there at their kid’s school per year to assure their security. Jayden Trudell is a 15 year old boy who almost lost his life because of a bully who gave him a blind-side attack to the head leaving him unconscious and badly wounded. Luckily, he managed to survive and recover from this tragic situation. CBC news also discovered that 40 percent of high school boys reported being physically assaulted at least once in their life and that 1/5 of them have been threatened with a weapon.

Secondly, sexual abuse happens a lot as well. Even in Primary school, little girls get sexually harassed. CBC Marketplace interviewed the mother of a young girl who was sexually abused in the school bus at 9 years old. Some girls don’t tell the authorities about being sexually harassed because they think it will make everything worse. A girl that got interviewed by CBC Marketplace admitted that she went to consult a guidance counselor to report that she was sexually assaulted and the counselor didn’t know what to do. 1/4 girls say they faced unwanted sexual touching and grabbing at school and 1/7 of these say they were sexually assaulted by another student. Only 1/4 of the girls who actually reported a rape were satisfied by the school’s reaction and 3/5 girls say they didn’t report sexual violence to the school because they know nothing will happen or change. 4000 students across Canada answered a survey about sexual assaults and violent incidents and 41 percent of the boys say they were physically assaulted at high school.

Schools don’t show their stats concerning the amount of fight that happen per year. They keep sexual assaults secrets. 77% of Ontario schools reported that they had 0 case of physical assault for the whole year. Some of the schools keep their violence incidents secret but will give the information wanted for fees.

I think that some schools are not well prepared for the safety of their students and also think that they should change that as soon as possible because it is important for a child to learn in a safe place where he doesn’t have to worry about being hurt because it can cause some trauma and prevent them from learning correctly.

Fighting has been part of the NHL and other professional hockey leagues since their inceptions, but why does it continue to be part of the game? Fighting in the NHL is governed by “the code”, a set of somewhat ambiguous rules that have often been mis-interpreted by the athletes who follow them. The purpose of the code is to protect “star” players — athletes who aren’t very big, but are extremely skilled at playing hockey, and who score a large number of goals per season. When given the chance, athletes on an opposing team will try to get away with legal or, more often than not, illegal hits on a star player. If athletes are hit multiple times per game, every game, their hockey career won’t last very long, and professional hockey teams want to keep their star players as long as they can. The solution to this problem was to hire athletes who were encouraged to embody extreme masculine traits such as being intimidating and aggressive. These “enforcers” protect star players from being hit too much, and routinely fight the athletes on the opposing teams to maintain the threat of violence for the length of the game. Fighting in hockey reduces the chances of a star athlete getting hit, but it also promotes violence on the hockey rink, and ultimately normalizes the spectre of fighting amongst the viewers and fans. Simply put, the debate revolves around whether or not fighting should be banned outright in professional hockey, to protect the athletes from injury, or if it should be kept, to avoid potentially more dangerous injuries such as brain trauma. There are many arguments in favour of allowing fighting; however, many of these seem more like rationalizations.

Enforcers, who have spent many seasons fighting and who receive many hits to the head, could easily develop chronic brain conditions such as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This is the result violence being permitted and encouraged on the ice, theoretically in order to protect against more dangerous injuries caused by “high sticking”. Fighting in hockey can provoke a very emotional response from the fans of the sport, if the designated fighter from one team beats the fighter from an opposing team: the winning fighter’s fans will feel pride in their team. However, collaterally, this level of emotion and blind loyalty can cause fighting amongst rival fans, and even fighting amongst the fans and players. The unnecessarily extreme aggressiveness imposed on the enforcers can cause them “…to take (physical) risks, and become violent if necessary” (David and Brannon, 1976). Many hockey enforcers can feel forced by “The Code” to fight, even when they don’t want to. Don Sanderson, a hockey player who died during a fight in a hockey match, had actually claimed that his goal for that season was not to fight. Marty McSorley took a cheap shot on Donald Brashear because he had to uphold his end of The Code, resulting in Brashear’s suffering a 3rd degree concussion. The problem with any code is that it make many people, falsely justify their actions. Many men find comfort in having a code to follow, as it provides some sense of order, however codes can be very detrimental to those who follow them. This level of commitment to achievement is common in very physically demanding sports (David and Brannon, 1976). Ironically his own fighting ultimately ended McSorley’s hockey career. If fighting were to be removed from hockey altogether, neither Brashear nor McSorley would have been under pressure, nor would have felt like they needed to be aggressive on the rink.

Other hockey players have made other suggestions: Nick Kypreos, a former Toronto Maple Leaves enforcer said that “if you want to take it (fighting) out, just take it out” (The Fifth Estate, 2010), proposing that fighting could, simply, not be tolerated. Kypreos claims that he didn’t want to fight but he felt like he had to prove himself to his team. The need to prove himself caused Kypreos to eventually quit his job as an NHL hockey player. He was getting too old and, further, was knocked out by another enforcer, losing both respect and his own dignity as a hockey enforcer. Respect is one of the cornerstones of being an enforcer, and if an enforcer cannot intimidate the other team, they cannot do their job.

According to Don Cherry, a hockey commentator and former hockey player and coach, the majority of the fan base of hockey leagues enjoys fighting in hockey games. Many blue collar hockey fans of minor leagues have “always loved their hard working tough guys” (Eric Beman, The Fifth Estate, 2010) such as John Mirasty, an enforcer in a hockey minor league. Many blue collar workers have very frustrating and repetitive jobs, which can cause people to need relief from stress the jobs cause (Kilmartin, 2019); watching sports with the occasional fight is how many people relieve their stress. Mirasty claimed in an interview with The Fifth Estate that he loves fighting: “without it you wouldn’t have hockey, you’d have figure-skating on ice.” This quote emphasizes that to Mirasty along with many other enforcers, playing hockey is about being “the man”, and that every time he fights, he’s fighting to defend his honour as a man.

 On the other hand, the majority of people who don’t identify themselves as hockey fans, think that hockey has become too violent, and would refrain from letting their children participate in the sport (Angus Reid Institute). Many hockey players, too,  don’t like the fighting in hockey; and many enforcers only keep doing their job because they want to stay in the NHL. In fact, the only thing both camps have agreed on is that the NHL has poorly handled the situation. In order to provide the fans, the athletes, and the people who are against fighting with a satisfactory outcome, the NHL needs to come up with a suitable solution. Those who are anti-fighting would agree that hockey isn’t a martial sport like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and shouldn’t have fighting in it, let alone encourage it.

The NHL isn’t thinking about the athletes who are put into positions where they need to fight other athletes in order to keep their jobs; rather, they’re thinking about the pro-fighting fans who currently seem to demand the violence that comes with the game. The truth is that people would most likely still watch hockey even if there were a ban put on fighting. The Code was a system that was created to protect hockey players, but it has not protected them. Instead, it has created a cadre of 60 jobs in the NHL of people who generally don’t like doing what they’re doing, but still feel that they have to.

Canadian Hockey Survey:

Canadians Want to Ban Head Shots from Hockey, But No Consensus on Fights

In the last 15 years, fighting in hockey, has turned into a controversial debate topic not only in the world of hockey, but in our everyday lives. People argue whether or not fighting should be allowed in hockey. This debate started after retired NHL players who were “enforcers”, started developing CTE-like symptoms. Enforcers are players who fight for their team, to protect the star and smaller players on the team. 

I’ve been playing hockey for the past 10 years, since I was 7 years old, and the debate whether or not fighting should be allowed in hockey. In the early stages of my career, there was very little physical contact between players. Therefore, I never understood why there was fighting at the professional levels. However, as I grew up, physical contact between players started and I slowly understood why fighting is allowed. As of right now, I believe that fighting should be allowed despite the possible devastating consequences.

Fighting is crucial in hockey because it makes the game itself safer. Hockey is a very physical sport with players ramming into each other trying to hit their opponents onto boards or hard ice, at extremely high speeds. Usually, big hits are targeted at the star players and there is not much an opposing team could do about it. “The code” in hockey is a set of unwritten rules that every hockey player follows. One of these rules is that you fight and protect your teammates at all costs. Therefore if your star player is hit, you make sure by any means necessary that it doesn’t happen again. Fighting is one way to ensure a player doesn’t hit your teammate again. This leads to players trying to avoid hitting a star player since they know that it will lead to them getting in a fight, possibly getting injured, and spending 5 minutes inside the penalty box. Without fighting, small star players such as Wayne Gretzky, never would’ve reached their level of greatness if fighting was not allowed. Despite the injuries that occur during fights, fighting is still safer than hitting. Throughout a full season, there are plenty more injuries that are a result of hitting compared to fighting. A few fights per season is definitely safer for the overall safety of players compared to thousands of big hits or “cheap shots”. 

For the rare occasion I agree with what Don Cherry said about this debate, which is that most people who are against fights, have never played hockey and only watch hockey occasionally. That being said, these people do not understand the game of hockey and “the code”, and therefore cannot understand why fighting should still be part of the game.

Although I believe fighting should still be permitted, I strongly believe that the NHL should acknowledge the risks that go along with fighting, such as concussions that can develop into CTE. If the NHL would acknowledge this it would no longer be the league’s fault, leaving the players responsible for their actions.

In conclusion, I believe that fighting should continue to be permitted in hockey since it makes the game itself safer. However the NHL should acknowledge the risks of fighting, making players take responsibility for their actions.

Work Cited

Smart, Virginia, and Lisa Ellenwood. “Pain, Agony and ‘Years of Duress’: How Hockey Wives Are Fighting Back over Players’ Chronic Brain Injuries | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 24 Nov. 2019, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hockey-players-enforcers-brain-injuries-1.5370444.

It is a scene all too familiar in sporting events. A star player is hit by the opposing team and the rest of the teammates come to aid with tightly curled fists and a plan to strike. The head injuries, split lips and bruised knuckles, broken bones and busted teeth are all supposedly connected to one common cause: to defend a teammate. “Toxic masculinity” in sports is an opportunity to question the truth behind aggressiveness in hockey and why players feel compelled to engage.

The things that make hockey; and many other sports so interesting are the same things that make it so dangerous; the fights. The drop of a glove is a sign to the opposing player that he’s ready to fight; ready to prove his perseverance and dominance. Protecting your teammates is “the essence of hockey’s unwritten law”(Fifth Estate); a code that means having your teammates back and preparing to fight when they’re in need. In Don Sharey’s words, “ You give a cheap shot to one of our players, you should pay the price. If a guy is down, you don’t hit him…you have to fight with honour.” Does fighting with honour mean giving another player a concussion? Coming from a hockey family, I’ve learned that there’s more to fighting than simply covering for a teammate. Hockey players are drafted for having high levels of speed and stamina, for being strong, big and brave, and some players are solely acknowledged for fighting. According to Kilmartin, “…, most men in the Western world define themselves according to their jobs (Men at Work)”, thus explaining why hockey players like Don Sanderson may feel obliged to fight.

Similarly to hockey, the coordination, mental determination, speed, courage and incredible core and lower body strength makes figure skating no easy sport to learn. Mostly dominated by women, figure skating is generally associated with being more “feminine” because it requires wearing “girly clothes and accessories”, like sparkly dresses and makeup. Speaking from experience, it’s important to be emotional on the ice. Facial expressions allow the audience to connect to the skater and understand the story he/she is trying to tell. An obvious difference between figure skating and hockey is that there’s no tolerance for violence or they will be suspended from the competition. John Mirasty, NHL hockey player, interprets hockey without fighting as “figure skating on ice”. Kilmartin points out that, “Males are encouraged from an early age to avoid behaviours, interest, and personality traits that are considered “feminine” (Defining Mens Studies)”, hence another probable reason why he’d associate non-violence in hockey with figure skating. 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), is a disease caused by repetitive head impacts to the brain, resulting in aggression, depression, memory loss and confusion. Primarily recognized in athletes, CTE can only be diagnosed in an autopsy after death. Jennifer Belak, wife of former NHL hockey player Wade Belak, noticed that the last few seasons of his hockey career was an emotional roller coaster. Some days he was overly excited and happy, other days he was aggressive, angry and sometimes suicidal. On August 31, 201,  Wade committed suicide as a result of CTE. Many men have been taught to “ignore emotions, especially if it is connected to feelings of weakness or powerlessness (Men at Work).” Men who express insecurity are considered “weak”, causing boys to grow up and think that it’s not okay to express weakness and vulnerability; that being why Wade may have felt overwhelmed by his emotions that also strained his relationship with his wife and kids.

To conclude, hockey isn’t just a game, it’s a lifestyle. Every player who laces up their skates has a chance of not coming home to their families. The blood, sweat and tears spilled on their jersey shouldn’t come from a punch to the head, but rather the sacrifice and achievement of a hard working athlete. “Toxic masculinity”continues to grow within male athletes to be stronger, faster and bigger, but they must learn that being the toughest guy in the league means nothing if you don’t have the passion and heart to play the sport.

Works Cited

Christopher Kilmartin and Andrew P. Smiler. “Men at Work: Jobs, Careers and Masculinity.” 

The Masculine Self, Cornwall On Hudson, NY, Sloan Publishing, 2019, pp. 221-226, 228-235.

Kilmartin, Christopher, and Andrew P. Smiler. “Defining Men’s Studies.” The Masculine Self,   

Cornwall On Hudson, NY, Sloan Publishing, 2019, pp. 1–7.       

Concussion Legacy Foundation, “What is CTE?”, Publishing April15 2020. https://concussionfoundation.org/CTE-resources/what-is-CTE

The Fifth Estate, “The Code”, October 30 2017, https://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2009-2010/the-code 

The Fifth Estate, “Hockey Fights: Wives Reveal the Cost of Concussions”, November 26 2019, https://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2019-2020/hockey-fight-wives-reveal-the-cost-of-concussions