Sports Spectator Violence: Origins,
Recognition, and Control
The problem of violence among spectators attending
sporting events was well documented and discussed in this study. The social
psychological factors, definitions of key words and aggression, spectator
violence and player violence were presented in depth. Of particular interest to
the investigators was crowd behavior at a sports event. The introductory review
of literature also included extensive presentation of the differences among
various sports and their crowd behaviors.
The second half reported results of observations
through instruments designed to quantify individual and crowd behavior. IRG I was used to study the mood and
behaviors of team officials, and male and female coaches. Little difference
existed in the overall patterns between the three managerial groups and most of
the behaviors were in the interested, involved, and logically involved
categories. Male coaches, though, were slightly more involved and more out of
control than female coaches.
Male and female spectator behaviors at diverse
sporting events were not as intense as behaviors for team officials. The
spectators were capable of a greater range of behaviors and were also more negatively
involved in the game. Women registered behaviors in more categories, but these
behaviors were positive.
Ratios were presented from IRG observations for four
sports: Football, Soccer, Hockey, and Baseball. Ice Hockey with 7.7%, reflected the greatest percentage of hostile acts.
'Football showed the smallest percentage (3.0%) of hostile acts or fighting
between players. This in-depth report listed recommendations for spectator
control. Measures from Leach (1959) and Turner and Killian (1957) and the authors,
Cheffers, Wood, Meeham (1979) were listed.