Violence in sport Research Essay

Violence in general is a serious problem that must not be overlooked. It is a problem that frequently surfaces as a result of the heightened feelings of emotion and unmet expectations among various sports players. Sports frequently produce a highly heated environment that is ripe for conflict. It has been asserted that sports serve as fictitious battles with a quick shift to violence. Sports have become more aggressive and competitive, which greatly increases the likelihood of bloodshed. (Abbott & Geddie 2000). Some competitiveness between teams has socioeconomic origins and can occasionally last for decades. The disparate ideologies that the various sports organizations hold only serve to increase animosity. It is also clear that some violence are a representation of the occurrence in the whole society and aggressor use sport as way of making a statement.

It is however essential to note that contemporary sports in the 21st century have become less susceptible to violence than in past years. There has been well intended civilisation of sports that has decreased the bloodshed amongst fans and athletes. Some teams tends to use violence and excessive aggressiveness as form of intimidation to the opposing team. If not controlled the aggression (Lenk et al., 2010).The spread of violence in sports attracted the attention of the justice department. The vice had to be dealt with just as any other criminal offence due to its ability to spill over in the rest of the society inform of riots and public disorder. The case study provided shows is a clear example of a probable case of violence in sporting facility. The home fans decide to assault the vising team coaching staff with a glass full of beer leading to a brawl between the fan and one of the coaching staff. It is a criminal offence for the fan to intimidate the coaching staff.

Assessment of the Scenario.

The circumstance surrounding the attacks on the visiting team presents several legal challenges to the management of the sporting facility. The management of the facility have legal responsibility to ensure safety and security of the fans athletes and their coaching staff. The facility stakeholders have a duty of care to ensure that there is enough security all over the stadium. Visiting teams should be well secured form the home fans who may portray some aggressiveness towards them. The management of the sporting facility did not provide enough security to maintain law and order in the facility. There were no evidence of stewards or the police form the facility. This allowed the fans to portray aggressiveness towards the team. The inability of the visiting team to respond to the first attack is clear sign of their intimidation (Drury, Stott & Farsides, 2003). The management of the facility failed to secure the fans and the team form lawless fans. It’s very essential for all participants in the event to feel safe as they undertake their activities.

The facility management did not show any duty of care when they allowed the sale of alcohol in the stadium as the spring event went on. It is obvious that the fan may have acted under the influence of alcohol leading to the aggression (Lenk et al., 2010). Alcohol covers the ability of a person to reason and judge well. They become susceptible in making simple mistakes that misguided actions. The aggression may not have been premeditated but rather a result of alcohol intake. This is clear from the ay the attack was disorganised and unsystematic. It was also spontaneous and the fans did not seem to be bothered much. Sale of alcohol in sporting event plays a big role in in increasing the fans aggression towards their opponents. It’s a facilitating factor that should always be left out in planning for sporting events. The event facility should be liable for any actions committed under the influence of the alcohol sold at the event during the event. Most management see selling alcohol as an extra way for making money for the team yet it poses a greater challenge in cases of riots or chaos. The behaviour of the home teams was unacceptable and uncouth. Sporting duels should start and end in the field. They should to spew over into the fans. No aggressions should be advance to a fan or staff of the opposing teams. Teams must make intentional strategic measures to stop the spread of violence. Fans found to breach peace should be banded form the stadiums as a move to root out the criminal elements. The fans are liable for their deliberate and aggressive actions that may put the lives of the rest of the team at risk.

The visiting team deserved to have security personnel attached with them during the event. This was a failure for the sporting event organiser to provide enough security in a move to prevent aggressiveness towards the team. It is their right to undertake their activities in a secure environment that is far from intimidation and aggressive suppression. Sporting event s should be sanctuaries of peace in the civilised world. However the behaviour of one of the assistant coach was unwarranted. His aggression towards the fans was reckless and unprofessional. The assistant coach committed a criminal offence had hence he is liable to the consequences of his actions. It is evident that mug of bear did not hit anyone on the visiting team. Reacting to the aggression without informing the stadium management was unnecessary and therefore an offence (Wolohan, Gray & Murdoch, 1998). It also put his other coaching staffs and players at the risk of being attacked.

Although he might have been tormented by the actions of the fan, the issue should have been reported to the event security first before the staff taking the matter in his hands. Hitting and injuring a fan is a criminal offenses that can lead to an indication in a court of law. It’s obvious that people should not respond to aggressiveness should not be responded the way he did without following the due procedures (Schot, 2005). Although there is clear indication of inadequate security in the stadium the vising team should have taken other profession ways of handling the issue. First they would have sought the attention of the management of the event or the referee. This would have helped to highlight the problem they were facing and come up with ways of handling it in a professional manner

Sports should be used to unite people despite their varying backgrounds and origins. It is essential to remember that sports paly an essential role in holding together the fabric of the society. It is one of the ways a society celebrate the diversity and differences. However the high emotions running during sporting events can spill out in an ugly fashion to undo the unity created by sport (Drury, Stott & Farsides, 2003). It is the duty if all sporting facility management to ensure that the facilities are safe and secure for both the fans, athletes and their coaching staff. The coaching staff should have security personnel attached to them preventing any aggression form the fans. The areas preserved for the staff should well tucked a way and a cover provided to protect the form flying objects. It is paramount for all the teams to feel safe during the event. Violence in sports a practice that have been passed by time and should not be encouraged at all.

Risk Management

Unruly fan behaviour ranks as the primary root cause of violence in the stadiums. Most contact sports tend to create tension amongst the different fan bases. Due to the highly charged environment, fans feel the need to replicate the duels in the field amongst their opponents (Lenk et al., 2010). There are varying evidence of the consequence of violence and unruly behaviour on the team as well as the community. If tolerated, violence spews over into the society in an excessive manner leading the loss of lives and properties of innocent civilians. Teams that are known to have unruly fans fails to attract lucrative business deals for the fear of tarnishing the brands of different companies. Cities where teams are violent further fails to attract visitors and investors due to the repercussions of holding sporting event. Violence is therefore not good of the sporting and general business.

It is therefore paramount for all sporting stakeholders to undertake serous steps in ensuring the safety of their teams as well as the cities. Teams must ensure the eradication of violence amongst their fans to avoid penalties and fines form the sporting event organisers. They therefore undertake several steps in ensuring the safety of the sporting facilities and the surrounding environments (Abbott & Geddie 2000). The following is an illustration of the several ways that teams and stadium management use to prevent the spread of violence.

Surveillance Cameras

Technology has been essential in managing violence in large stadiums. Facility manger shave installed surveillance cameras all over the stadiums to monitor the occurrences in different parts of the stadium. They then set up a control rom staffed with security expert who survey the whole stadium during sporting event seeking to identify any spot of chaos. The cameras have been adequately designed to focus on the facial features of an individual that helps in easier identification. It is further essential to note that these technologies have been successfully used to identify criminal who parades as supporters of a team. They surveillance cameras provided enough evidence to incriminate a supporters seen to commit a crime of starting violence (Lenk et al., 2010). The Ice City stadium did not have closed circuit surveillance cameras. They would have been essential in identifying the fan who threw a mug of ear stating off the chaos.

When identified the criminals are handed over to author and banned by their team to serve a stern warning other who might be premeditating violence. The information of the individuals should be shared with the general public and other teams as move to sensitise them of their criminality (Wolohan, Gray & Murdoch, 1998). The surveillance camera further improve objectivity of the security department in allocating its resources only to the essential areas that needs attention. Crowd management becomes easier as the management o have a bird’s eye of the whole stadium and therefore a step ahead in minimising chaos and violence. It is paramount for the management of Ice City to adopt the use of closed circuit cameras as tool for effective crowd management during sporting events.

Vetting of Supporters.

Teams should strive to ensure they have existing records of supporters. They should liaise with the justice department and local police to weed out fans with a criminal past. The effective vetting of fans assist ensuring safety in stadium facilities (Drury, Stott & Farsides, 2003). They should endeavour to ensure that anyone who accesses their only well intended supporters have access to the facilities. Some criminal’s seek to enter into facilities to advance their illegal activities such is pick pocketing and causing chaos. The presence of the list of supporters will help in minimising case of violence on the sporting facilities.

Physical Presence

The use of advance crowd management technologies does not underestimate the role of security personnel in the sporting facility. Technology should rather assist in managing the occurrence on the ground in move to ensure the safety of both the fans and the athletes. Security personnel can include local polices security guards as well as guest service professionals. The security should be available for rapid responses to avoid the escalation of event such as in Ice City. The management can undertake further advance security measures such as the use of civilians and undercover police officials to weed out law breakers (Schot, 2005). The police are given opposing teams jersey and allowed to integrate with the fans this gives them a head start in handling trouble makers causing chaos and violence in the stadium. The greatest advantage of having security personnel on the stadiums due to the dynamics of fan behaviour.

Supporters tend to behave and respond differently towards varying scenarios. This therefore necessary for the personnel to be present and respond instantly. The Ice City stadium did not have enough security personnel to oversee the sporting events. The lack of adequate technologies for crowd management further meant that there was delay in responding to urgent case in the stadium (Abbott & Geddie 2000).. This a serious misstep that could have led to the loss of life and property. It is essential for all the sporting facility management to have enough security for the sporting events in anticipation of the changing behaviours of the supporters.

In conclusion the safety and security of fans, athletes and coaching staff in a sporting event is paramount. Unruly behaviour and violence in the stadiums should not be tolerated. It is further important to note that sporting facility management should use existing technologies as for them to assure the security of all stakeholders. Criminal offences committed in the stadium should be reported to local authorities to further actions as well as protection. Supporters with a known violence history should be banned form stadiums as move to weed out perpetrators of violence in the stadium. This will go a long way in ensuring the safety of sports.

References

Abbott, J. L., & Geddie, M. W. (2000). Event and venue management: Minimizing liability through effective crowd management techniques. Event Management, 6(4), 259-270.

Drury, J., Stott, C., & Farsides, T. (2003). The role of police perceptions and practices in the development of “public disorder”. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33(7), 1480-1500.

Lenk, K. M., Toomey, T. L., Erickson, D. J., Kilian, G. R., Nelson, T. F., & Fabian, L. E. (2010). Alcohol control policies and practices at professional sports stadiums. Public health reports, 125(5), 665-673.

Schot, N. Negligent Liability in Sport’(2005). Sports Law eJournal, 1, 1.

Wolohan, J. T., Gray, G., & Murdoch, A. I. (1998). Risk management behaviors of collegiate ice hockey coaches. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport, 8(1), 35-38.