A new team sport club aggression scale and its relationship with fans’ hatred, depression, self-reported aggression, and acceptance of aggression

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aggression and antisocial behaviour in sport are of significant concern for team sport clubs (TSCs) around the world. Although several types of fan aggression and antisocial behaviour scales that have furthered our understanding of TSC aggression have been used in sport literature, a reliable and valid instrument that measures sport fans’ perceptions of both fan base aggression and team aggression in TSCs from a holistic perspective has not previously existed. This study developed and tested a scale that examines TSC aggression through two different measures: fan aggression, which measures fans’ perceptions of the behaviour of their favourite team’s fan base, and team aggression, which measures fans’ perceptions of their favourite team’s (i.e., coach’s, players’, and management’s) aggression. The scale was calibrated and validated in three studies, one that used exploratory factor analysis, one that used confirmatory factor analysis, and one that used nomological network validity. Each study was distinct from the others and employed separate and independent samples. The data for all the studies were collected from an internet panel. The participants were Israeli Soccer fans. The findings show that the club aggression scale (CAS) has positive, direct, and significant relationships with self-reported aggression and perceptions of the appropriateness of aggression among sport fans. In addition, fans’ hatred of rival teams and depression as a result of their team’s performance significantly and positively mediate these relationships. From a managerial perspective, better understanding fans’ perception of TSC aggression can assist managers in their attempts to reduce violence.