Spectator Violence Today

1462 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effect of sport violence

Spectator Violence Today

Spectator violence in sports is everywhere, and it is on the rise.

Just a few weeks ago a San Francisco Giants baseball fan was fatally

stabbed and his friend beaten unconscious by three men following the

game Barry Bonds hit his 700th home run against the San Diego Padres.

The Washington Redskins-Philadelphia Eagles game on September 20th was

delayed when the Eagles had to leave their bench when a cloud of

pepper spray drifted on the field as a result of the police using it

to stop fights between fans. Spectator violence isn’t a new thing; it

dates all the way back to the chariot races in the Coliseum, where

fights between the fans broke out frequently, and riots were not

uncommon. Violence today hasn’t reached what it was in Rome, but it

is reaching new heights in today’s society. The effects of the

increase in violence are not limited to the increased number of

spectator injuries and deaths. This increasing violence is also

portraying a very negative image that sets a bad influence for

society, namely children. Most of children’s role models are sports

figures, and if they see violence in connection with sports, they are

more likely to act violently than if they had non-violent role models.

The media plays the paradoxical role in transmitting these images of

violence through television, magazines, newspapers, and radio. On a

positive note, the exposure that the media gives sports violence is

increasing the efforts to control and prevent such behavior. On the

other hand, the ample coverage that the media gives these violent acts

is resulting in numerous bad examples that children are easily

in...

... middle of paper ...

...permeating every sport. Now that the causes of fan violence are easily

seen, the solution seems quite obvious. If the things that instigate

fan violence are eliminated, spectator violence will decrease.

However, completely eliminating these causes is impossible because of

the inherent nature of sports and the unwillingness of society to

sacrifice sales for safety. However, the safety of our society

unquestionably makes an attempt at minimizing these causes advisable.

It is time that our society starts to place safety above money, and it

starts with the franchise owners. Sports are so influential in

today’s society it is a shame they have a negative image. If a

consorted effort would be made to reduce sports violence, sports could

become the positive influence they should be; building unity,

character, and morals.

Show More
Related

  • Ethical Issues: The Act of Fighting in Hockey

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    As long as there have been sports, there has been violence in them. Ice hockey, particularly due to its increasing popularity as a professional sport, has brought up several ethical issues regarding the act of fighting in hockey. There are strong arguments for both sides of this present problem in the world of hockey. Numerous male athletes, including children as young as nine years of age, have suffered injuries as an outcome of fighting and it should be considered if it should be part of a sport that very young people grow up with (Brust, Leonard, Pheley & Roberts, 1992).On the other hand, fights create excitement and the sport of hockey might grow in terms of popularity, making the problem of fighting in hockey complex and difficult to resolve (“Towards An Explanation Of Hockey Violence: A Reference Other Approach”). Even though hockey is known to be a very aggressive and fast-paced sport, the unsportsman-like action of fighting in hockey cannot longer be tolerated.

    Read More

  • Race and Ethics in the 1960s: Race and Sports

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    Coakley, J. J. (2007). Sports in society: issues & controversies (9th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

    Read More

  • Violence and Corruption in College Athletics

    1527 Words  | 4 Pages

    Athletes are national heroes who are held in high regard. When their reputation gets very high and they fail to realize that they are still accountable for their actions regardless of the position they hold in their societies, athletes can turn into violent activities. They become egocentric and selfish-centered, forgetting that their moral conduct should be put at check just as any other citizen.

    Read More

  • Deviance in Sports: Four Categories of Violence

    1728 Words  | 4 Pages

    Coakley, J. J., & Donnelly, P. (2007). Violence in Sports . Sports in society: issues & controversies (9th ed., pp. 198-199). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

    Read More

  • Video Games do Not Increase Teen Violence

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    A major concern about violent video games comes from the innocence of a child. The media easily influences children and teenagers. Kids dream of becoming professional athletes from watching their favorite sports stars on TV. Ad agencies strengthen this desire with ads containing slogans such as, ?like Mike, if I could be like Mike,? referring of course to Michael Jordan. Yet there is no concern that they could get seriously hurt from having the dream to be an athlete. In fact, most youth are encouraged to go out and play, and practice to get what they want.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Violence in the Media

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    While violence is not new to the human race, it is an accumulative epidemic that is taking over today’s society. With firearms, ammunition and explosives becoming more accessible, this is resulting into more violent behavior and less serious consequences. Violence in the media plays an imperative role in the etiology of violent and hostile behavior in the world today. While it is difficult to determine which age group have experienced more televised violence, studies have shown that the consequences of aggressive and violent behavior have brought a great deal of human agonizing, suffering, pain and financial destitution to our society, as well as an atmosphere of apprehension, distress and doubt. Research indicates that violence in the media has not just increased in quantity; it has also become more explicit, sexual and sadistic. Most acts of violence in media and on television are laughed off and there are no consequences for these actions.

    Read More

  • Deviance in the World of Sports

    2029 Words  | 5 Pages

    There have been many studies geared towards sports, and sports violence or deviance. Many theorists contemplate what causes athletes to be violent. Within sports there are various types of violence such as player on player, coach and fan violence. When professional athletes act violently on or off the field it leaves an impression on the viewers in our world of entertainment. There are many forms of deviance in sports. Professional sports are valued greatly in our entertainment industry. When professionals act violently, those watching will mimic those same violent acts. Without a doubt, teenagers and children are watching professional sports. Yong adults will model what they see professionals do on television and this modeling behavior is known as the social learning theory. “According to Aronson, Wilson and Akert (1999), social learning theory holds that individuals learn social behavior by first observing others then go on to model or imitate what they have seen.” One experiment was conducted by Albert Bandura in the early 1960’s. Bandura had children watch adults hit, kick, and yell at a plastic air-filled doll known as Bobo. After the adults were done modeling these aggressive behaviors, the children then had the opportunity to be in the room with the Bobo doll. These children imitated the aggressive models and treated the doll in an abusive manner. Children who were in the control group condition, who did not see the aggressive adult did not use aggressive means to control the doll. Based on this social learning theory professionals should try their best to suppress their anger and not act violently on and off the court because they are modeling inappropriate behaviors for our future generation.

    Read More

  • Spectacular Violence In Sport

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this article the Authors want to say that now a day’s sports event are increasing rapidly in a society. In this research the authors says that wild state of people increasing. In this research the author express the violence of past and present. The sports physiologist has attempted to read the spectacular violence by focusing on individual person. The sports sociologist used theories to see the determinant of people violence. This research is necessary to understand the violence. In the past certain reports are recorded of spectacular violence. The case of spectacular violence is to study the concept of physiology and sociology.

    Read More

  • Why Are We Dehumanize Football?

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    Football is a sport that is ingrained into American society. Across the United States, football is more than just a game, it is a representation of its followers’ values. In recent years, football has become increasingly criticized. A majority of this criticism arises from the high risk of head injuries while playing football. However, there is another sect of the population that criticizes football at its foundation. They claim that the game creates a barbaric and dehumanizing spectacle of violence. Supporters of football, on the other hand, argue that, without football, the values that America holds dear will cease to exist. This conflict is prominent in the landscape of the sporting world in modern America. Regardless of one’s position in the argument, there are serious

    Read More

  • Fan Violence

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sports fans must have certain rules and regulations against them in order to maintain violence outbreaks during games. For the past decade, fan violence has gotten more and more out of control. There should be certain limits for fans so that violence can be prevented during games.

    Read More

  • Why Do Professional Athletes Appropriate Behavior Of Players?

    1687 Words  | 4 Pages

    “In a free society, government reflects the soul of its people. If people want change at the top, they will have to live in different ways. Our major social problems are not the cause of our decadence. They are a reflection of it” (Cal Thomas). In recent years, growing amounts of domestic violence and substance abuse and lack of penalties in major sports leagues such as the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA have led them to experience negative press in the media and criticism from fans. Therefore, these sports leagues should impose stricter penalties to handle and prevent the egregious conduct of these professional athletes. The inappropriate behaviour of athletes reflects poorly on the leagues and teams and reduces public interest. In addition, the leagues should have a

    Read More

  • Fan Violence In Sports

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sports and its events are often portrayed as a pastime of bonding and enjoyment. However, this belief is often disregarded, especially when pride and power (winning) are on the line. Sports can transform from an enjoyable to dangerous event. In this case, in sports, pride and violence can easily be intertwined. Conversely, the pride of a fan can easily give way to violence if fans perceive another fan is overstepping their boundaries. This can and often does lead to violent outbursts of rage and isolation of the fan’s once relationship with other fellow fans and even the team as well.

    Read More

  • Modern Gladiators

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to the epigraph of the article, Modern Gladiators: A Content Analysis of Televised Wrestling, “The purpose of this study is to explore how antisocial content in televised wrestling is represented in match–nonmatch time and in three different television time periods: prime time, after midnight, and weekend morning time.” (Woo, 2003) This study was conducted to find out whether or not children might be exposed to similar amounts of antisocial behaviors regardless of time period. (Woo, 2003) The article defines antisocial behaviors as, “aggressive acts, rule violations, and glamorization of violence.” The article considers these behaviors very important in the evaluation and analyzing portion of the research conducted for this study. “This study delves into the antisocial content represented in televised wrestling programs to examine the possibility that these may affect children and adolescents.” (Woo, 2003)

    Read More

  • Gender Roles Of Domestic Violence Against Women

    1421 Words  | 3 Pages

    Violence against women as grown to be a critical problem in society. Today, society has given women the right to obtain the justice and retributions they deserve. On the other hand, domestic violence against men are ridiculed in society. Society needs to recognize that domestic violence a human problem, and both gender should be freely protected without judgement from the malice and misery he or she may face. People in society do not personally experience the emotional toll that soldiers experience in war. By accepting the male violence of war contradicts its intentions to eradicate violence in society. People also needs to identify the harmful impact that violent sports, such as football has on its players for the long term effects. If people continue to support violent sports, than more and more people are at risk of mental and physical

    Read More

  • Essay On Sports Teach Life Lessons

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, it is explicit that sports is a positive influence on athletes, spectators and the world as a whole as it teaches imperative life lessons as well as allows its participants to experience enjoyment, fulfilment and gratification. As mentioned previously sports enables its players to bring out the best in others and create unity amongst groups as team work is so essential. This highlights the views I have in conjunction with the views of Joe Humphrey.

    Read More

More about Spectator Violence Today

Open Document