The Prevention Of Violence In Sport

This is the first in a series of publications which consider different themes covered by the Council of Europe's projects on violence prevention in everyday life. It looks at the issue of spectator violence in sport, in particular football hooliganism. As this problem becomes international, generating similar problems in Europe and throughout the world, a common co-ordinated preventive response is required. This book examines a number of initiatives designed to explore solutions for developing integrated preventive activities that can be adapted to local needs.

The book brings together the research of the most important scientists in this field in the world: Kari Fasting, Nada Knorre, Trisha Leahy, Celia Brackenridge, Gretchen Kerr and a number of other well known authorities in the field of child protection in education and in sports.

This book brings together the research of the most important scientists in this field in the world: Kari Fasting, Nada Knorre, Trisha Leahy, Celia Brackenridge, Gretchen Kerr and a number of other well known authorities in the field of child protection in education and in sports.

Books about sports, even those written by scholars, are frequently little more than hagiography. They extol the virtue of athletics for participant and spectator alike. Of greater rarity are those that look critically at the political, social, economic, and psychological underpinnings of contemporary sports. Violence in sports is among the relatively neglected issues of serious study. Sports Violence is perhaps the first collection of scholarly theory and research to examine in detail aggression within and surrounding sports. As such, it seeks to present the broadest possible range of interpretations and perspectives. The book is, therefore, both interdisciplinary and international in scope. Two chapters, by Guttmann and Vamplew, are concerned with historical analyses of sports violence. Definitions and perspectives on aggression in general, and sports-related aggression in particular, are the topics of Chapters 4 through 7 by Smith, Bredemeier, Mark, Bryant, and Lehman, and Mummendey and Mummendey. Here, a wide variety of social and psychological theories are brought to bear on the conceptualization of aggression on the playing field and in the stands. Dunning and Liischen, both sociologists of sport, examine the origins, structure, and functions of violence, of sports, and of their interconnections. Psychological interpreta tions and research are presented in chapters by Russell and Keefer, Goldstein, and Kasiarz, while Bryant and Zillmann examine the portrayal and effects of aggression in televised sports.

This book aims to pull together the main themes relevant to the relationship between sport and violence, using information from the media, court reports, statistics and research. The topics covered include: football grounds and violence; the links between sport, politics and violence; the way it is treated in the media; violence directed at minority groups; and the economic perspective.

Fierce financial competition, the determination to win, and fanatical fans all play a part in the increase in sports violence. While many people think victory is worth the violence, others feel that the principles of sportsmanship and fair play should be honored above all. The author examines the factors at play and assesses both sides of this sports controversy.