The Determinants and Control of Violence in Sport

Abstract

Violence is an unfortunate and unpleasant aspect of many sporting contests. It is a challenging task to unravel the complex reasons that underly the phenomenon. As of yet this task has not been accomplished fully. This paper will assess the relative importance of a number of factors that contribute to sports violence, and will suggest remedies to the problem. A wide variety of psychological, social, situational, and moral forces are examined. The paper suggests that a powerful socialization process is the primary determinant of sports violence but that other factors also play a significant mediating role. A conceptual model of the aggression process is presented, which suggests ways to curb violent behavior. It is concluded that socialization forces, particularly reinforcement, are the most readily manipulated in order to control violence in sport.