Sport and Violence

Lynn M Jamieson, Thomas Orr

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781138137660
• eBook ISBN: 9781136435805
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

Sport and Violence takes a critical look at the culture of 'sports rage' and aggression in the sporting industry, covering ethical, historical and sociological causes and impacts. It examines international examples of sport violence, including: the father of a tennis competitor placing a drug in the drinks of her competitors; a player's neck broken after being attacked from behind by an opponent in an NHL game; hooliganism in international soccer and more. The book not only attempts to explain how and why such violence originates, it examines its impact on society outside sport and suggests potential remedies for the problem. This book:

• Examines the culture of violence that permeates and surrounds sport, including the sociological causes of that violence, and what can be done to mitigate them
• Features an international perspective with examples of sport violence from throughout the world
• Offers a historical view on the evolution of violence in sport

Its up-to-date and in-depth coverage of a controversial issue makes this book a valuable asset to both sports students and professionals working in sports management.

Chapter 1

Our Violent Society – Nationally and Globally

Contents

What is Sport Violence?

Definitions

The Violent Sport Environment

Key Examples

A Brief Tour of the World

Toward Policy – An Integrated Approach

Summary

References

“A sense of identity can be a source not merely of pride and joy, but also of strength and confidence. It is not surprising that the idea of identity receives such widespread admiration, from popular advocacy of loving your neighbor to high theories of social capital and of communitarian self-definition. And yet identity can also kill – and kill with abandon. A strong-and exclusive-sense of belonging to one group can in many cases carry with it the perception of distance and divergence from other groups.”

(Sen, 2006, p. 1)

As we approach the phenomenon of violence in sport, we need to take into consideration that sport is merely a reflection of society, one lens by which we define what that society stands for and creates as an image for itself. In examining the topics we have chosen to share in this book, we examine how societies reflect their particular identity to the world. That is to say that sport is one of the ways that we are introduced to a nation and its citizens. It is a positive reflection, for the most part, but the phenomena that surround the violent aspects of sport reveal a great deal of the underbelly of a society’s character, and herein, reflect on all of those who participate either directly or indirectly in the sport experience. One could suggest that all individuals are affected by what happens in the sport environment whether they directly engage in the sport itself, view the sport, or remain aloof to any participation whatsoever. This is due to sport’s maximum visibility in media and imagination. In this book, we examine the epidemic of sport violence to provide an understanding of the many ways it permeates through the entire sport participation continuum, provides the backdrop for much criminal activity, and in the end, leaves a path of disappointment and frustration. This chapter provides an introduction to what sport violence means, the nature of its origins and the backdrop from which it develops. Subsequent chapters will go into greater depth about our historical roots, causal factors in sport violence, sociological factors, roles and solutions.

What is Sport Violence?

In the United States, but certainly not restricted to this setting, the concern for increased incidences of altercations, criminal activity and even death during and around sport venues has been well documented. Violent episodes between players, spectators, revellers and officials within and outside the contest have raised the specter of curiosity and questions as to why these incidents occur and what can be done. In addition, the events have resulted in increasingly strict actions taken to provide remedy through the courts, incarceration and other means to treat these as criminal acts. One of the most publicized events in the United States in recent years was the pummelling death of a father of a recreational hockey player, and this report galvanized people to begin investigating root causes. The phenomenon is not restricted to the highest levels of competition but seems to permeate all levels of sport participation along the entire continuum from start to top accomplishment. In addition, incidents have been occurring around the world in many cultures and in many forms (Coakley & Dunning, 2000; Tomlinson, 2007). It is the intent of this book to articulate a perspective toward sport violence that helps the reader to not only understand ways to avoid violence personally, but also to provide solutions from an organizational standpoint. It is also the major premise in this book that sport violence episodic behaviors have their roots in the home and organizational structure surrounding sport, and as such, solutions must begin in those two venues.

As a backdrop, school violence has caught the attention of many administrators who cannot understand why a young person would go to the lengths that he/she would to make a statement about issues that are later revealed once the individual is either incarcerated or pieced together after he/she dies. Time Magazine shared the backgrounds of several young students who have either successfully or unsuccessfully planned killing strategies–stimulated by the most notable of which was a commando-style raid by two students on Columbine High School in 1999 that ended in the death of several fellow students and the perpetrators themselves (McCarthy, 2001). Fortunately, most of the efforts were foiled by advanced surveillance; however, those that were carried out were studied more fully. Andy Williams killed two fellow students in Santee and wounded 13, and was revealed to have been bullied mercilessly by these and other individuals. It pointed to lack of adult supervision by two parents and even being dared by friends to “pull a Columbine”.

In looking at many of the situations that caused this and similar debacles, the unhappiness of these students was documented, and studies that began revealed methods to create a safer school environment. Notwithstanding, the background of frustration and violence provides an intricate tapestry with which sport violence may be better understood – in that many of the incidences occur due to frustration, deep unhappiness and neglect. According to the Time (2001) article, understanding students could better alleviate even the most difficult of situations.

It is important to note that “violence has always been a fact of human existence, in every civilization.” (Spinrad, 2004, p. 240). It is the way in which we address violence that differs – for example, many sport activities within the playing setting really are acts of controlled violence and are acceptable; however, if these same acts occurred on the street, they would be considered criminal and at the very least, deviant behavior (Shillito,2004;Reshef&Paltiel, 1989). Molina (1999) refers to the prevalence of violence in culture and the notion that continuous existence may cause youth to become hardened to the consequences brought on by violent acts. Our dilemma has been – What constitutes acceptable behavior and what constitutes violence that should be viewed more as unacceptable, or criminal, behavior? In this text, attempts are to be made to differentiate these and provide approaches to mitigate those behaviors that are deemed criminal, either in intent or as a result of accident.

Definitions

But first, we must explore working definitions and premises for this text so that we understand the complexity of this phenomenon and the degree to which we all can address the solutions made necessary by these unfortunate acts. For the purpose of definition, the following background definitions are offered to culminate in an operational definition of sport violence. This will allow for an understandable framework to the phenomena of issues that exist in sport today.

We start with the term sport and then violence as well as combining the two terms together to form this approach to understand the nature of these pervasive phenomena. Definitions of sport vary but include the following:

1. Sport – “an activity, experience, or business enterprise focused on fitness, recreation, athletics, or leisure” (Pitts, Fielding, and Miller, 1994, p. 15).
2. Sport Management – “the total process of structuring the business or organizational aspects of sport.” (Mull, Bayless, Ross, and Jamieson, 1997x, p. 7).
3. Recreational Sport – “playing cooperative or competitive activity in the game form” (Mull, Bayless, and Jamieson, 2005, p. 7).
4. Athletic Sport – located within the recreational sport cont...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface and Acknowledgment
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Our Violent Society – Nationally and Globally
• Chapter 2: A History of Leisure, a History of Violence: Our Violent Society, a National and Global Historical Perspective
• Chapter 3: The Status of Sport and Violence
• Chapter 4: Exploration of Societal Factors
• Chapter 5: Causes of Sport Violence
• Chapter 6: Fan–Sport Environment Interaction Disorder
• Chapter 7: The Role of Exclusion/Inclusion
• Chapter 8: Spillover Effects of Sport and Violence
• Chapter 9: Specific Solutions to Mitigating Sport and Violence
• Chapter 10: Solutions
• Bibliography
• Index