Violence in Sports in Australia

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Outline

Violence in any form that is committed against a person or property is considered an offense that is punishable under the provisions of the law, whether it is on the playing field or off it, which implies that the sporting events are not exempted from being under the purview of the law. Sports have for long been an integral part of life in Australia, but there have been incidents of physical and verbal violence occurring in sporting events and recreational settings that have involved spectators, administration officials, and players. The sporting fraternity in Australia recognizes the need to control such incidents and initiatives have been taken in curbing the violence and managing the incidents effectively as and when they happen. Sporting events are certainly not absolved of the responsibilities to uphold, practice, and accept the norms of the state and communities.

Introduction

The issue of violence in sports has become a matter of immense concern in Australia. There have not been many attempts to systematically document the character and extent to which the violence occurs regarding the recreational and sporting culture in Australia. There is some evidence to suggest that the incidents in this regard have shown a downward trend over time in most of the important sporting team events such as rugby (Wenn, 1989). But there is a visible absence of methodical studies that consider the link between particular sporting events and the wider cultural circumstances which implies that the given data does not provide much evidence regarding the trend, pattern, and changes happening in the extent of violence during such events (Homel et al, 1993).

Main body

Additionally, the incidents that require the violence to be controlled regarding dealing, detection, and prevention of the problems when they occur are found to be of wider criminological relevance. It is also evident that the available evidence regarding research done on violence, suggests that these matters essentially intrude into the role of private and public law and the functioning of enforcement officials. The studies in this regard have also thrown light on the mechanism adopted in regulating violent behaviors under the circumstances. Such matters have been considered in the context of different subcultural types of sporting cultures such as the Bathurst motorcycle race (Cunneen et al, 1989). But there is a considerable need to analyze and explore the questions in the conventional fields of sporting cultures in Australia.

There is a lot of evidence emanating from countries such as the UK and the USA which is suggestive of incidents of violence amongst spectators and participants and which are quite usual in both societies. For instance, in the UK, spectator violence is quite widespread and is commonly witnessed in the context of lower social classes and social deficiencies in having sturdy cultural affinities with the local communities that stand for the major soccer teams in the UK. All such factors collectively generate conflict which surfaces while the game is being played as also while the teams are going to and coming from the venue of the event (Dunning et al, 1988). In the US most of the sporting violence emanates due to anger resulting due to violent incidents occurring on the field. Most of such incidents occur as a consequence of issues arising out of masculinity and class, but these elements are not exclusive mutually. Violence in sports is a matter of grave social concern in the USA but globally the causes for such violence cannot be always predicted specifically.

In the Australian context, violence in sporting events can be understood by examining different parameters. There may be a connection between the violent events that occur on the playing field and the resultant commotion amongst spectators. The occurrence of such violent incidents could also be a result of the pattern of violence prevailing over time due to wider cultural considerations. Associations can be drawn by using evidence obtained from different contemporary and historical resources regarding the events of violent actions that have happened about the games and other social aspects. These aspects have a bearing on the progress of the sports in being a professional concern for players and supporters. Evidence is available by way of case studies, analysis, and reports of violence that has occurred on or off the field and their effects on the sporting culture in terms of the wider social development over time. The available evidence has suggested that the incidence of violence as related to Australian rules amongst participants and spectators has reduced in recent times. But the nature of the occurrences has changed in the context of identifiable cultural developments that have impacted the development of the sport and the general nature of the spectatorship. Such alterations have had a considerable influence on the process of prevention and control of violent incidents related to leisure actions in recent times.

Some sporting organizations have set up arrangements for managing violent incidents that occur during events. Such arrangements primarily involve the officials and players who come to an understanding based on briefings made by coaches. Typical examples in this regard are the National Rugby Teams Tribunals and the Australian Football Tribunals which manage violence during sporting events. Community sporting organizations also adopt practices in managing and preventing violent incidents on the field by training their members in the procedures to effectively handle the situations. Many such organizations provide for the process in this regard to be clearly outlined in their respective by-laws and constitution. A very proactive role has been adopted by the sporting communities in Australia and they are vested with authority that is legally recognized by the government.

Most sporting organizations have in place well-established procedures to manage violent incidents and such procedures primarily relate to the style in which their officials handle the situation as also on how the players are briefed by their coaches. Certain issues in this regard need to be understood very well before a concrete analysis can be made of the issue of violence in sporting events. It is widely recognized throughout the world that some amount of violent behavior has to be viewed as being part of the game because spectators often become very emotional about the happenings in the game that they respond in the excitement by adopting some form of violence. Such behavior does at times result in a clash on or outside the field. At the same time, the sporting event is not immune from the law and violence has to be viewed as a criminal offense that is punishable under the law. Verbal abuse is also considered a violent act on the playing field since instances of abuse of spectators, administrative officials, and players often lead to the flaring up of emotions which further spark physical violence amongst different parties and groups.

Prevention strategies have to be adopted by different actors to ensure that fair play is promoted by spectators, administrative officials, coaches, and players. All perpetrators of violence must be punished appropriately so that others get dissuaded from indulging in such acts. A well-planned protocol has to be adopted in managing violent behaviors as related to the sporting event. The authorities can promote through the press and media the details about the social benefits and value of the sporting event. Although an understood code of ethics does exist amongst the sports fraternity in the context of violence in sporting events, the Australian government is in the process of developing and adopting a code of behavior in this regard. Appropriate training and accreditation have to be provided to volunteers, officials, and coaches in equipping them with skills to effectively manage such situations.

The period after 1982 is characterized by the development of the VFL interstate, firstly in Sydney and then on to Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane in becoming the Australian Football League (AFL). This period witnessed high levels of unemployment, especially amongst the youngsters and the working-class professions. There was a visible change in the fields of recreation and public entertainment and social spaces became the subject matter of strict regulations to protect the privacy and property-linked interests. Such a massive broadcast of sports events to homes by way of television soon became a widespread aspect of spectatorship in modern sports. The rules of Australian football changed significantly and VFL allocated interstate teams and expanded competition at the national level thus exercising its monopoly in developing the game throughout the country. This feature impacted the events by increasing local rivalries and also making it immensely popular with spectators due to the coverage provided by television. With the increase in professionalism, players began to demand more money which made organizers consider a wider range of fundraising activities that included corporate sponsorship, marketing, higher gate prices, and media rights. In big cities such as Melbourne, the options available to people have become much wider in terms of the vast number of programs available on television (Dennis Hemphill, 1998).

There is ample evidence to indicate that after the Australian football rules were framed, there has been a changing pattern in the violence amongst participants and spectators. However, the relationship between the two is gradually becoming lesser given the games becoming more and more professionalized in modern times. The incidents of violence have also been distanced from the former support centers in the Melbourne suburbs. Authorities have now become stricter against disorderly behavior by spectators and those who play mischief are liable to be scrutinized by government officers who have specific directions to prevent incidents of violence. The nature of the games has changed to a considerable extent and viewership on television has been gradually increasing. Violent incidents and breaches of rules are taken very seriously and offenders have to face larger public scrutiny and exposure given the larger and more technological broadcasting by the media. The earlier days incidents of fist fighting and open brawls are now almost over and are now restored by other ways of technical violence that need to be monitored closely. However, this does not imply that there is lesser violence now as compared to previously; it is only that the shape and variety of the violent incidents have changed.

How the games have developed over the years has ensured that the spectators do not get too many opportunities to indulge in a larger number of violent acts. Players also are now not in direct contact with spectators as was previously possible when the majority of the spectators were present at the field. More precedence is now given to concerns and issues that foster community ties. Given the changed identities as combined with the cordial family atmosphere while viewing sporting events at home there are limited opportunities for indulging in violence. According to Vamplew (1983), violence is considerably reduced in sporting events when money becomes a central characteristic of the sporting event. A characteristic observed in the Australian context pertains to the fact that violence amongst the sporting crowds has been observed amongst spectators who are not able to enter the sporting venues. Entries are impeded due to high costs of entry, difficulty in getting transport to the venue, or lack of punctuality. Violence normally occurs in different forms depending on the altered nature of controls in communities which directly impact the pattern of violence in society. Most of the forms of community recreation and sporting events have now started to become privatized and stricter controls imposed regarding the kind of spectators who will be allowed entry into such events. Undesired elements tend to be marginalized from these private sporting events and since the entry of people is screened there is a lesser likelihood of large-scale violence. Since there is police control over who will be allowed entry and who will be debarred, problems are presented by way of public control. However recent trends have indicated that there is now a greater propensity for people to pursue recreational pleasure in the precincts of home privacy (White et al, 1992). For people who are prone to violence even by watching the program at home or those that must be present during such games for different reasons, there is a need to implement controls by the state in contributing to the control of violence amongst the disadvantaged and marginalized class of people. All of this is although despite the historical patterns whereby such venues are to be culturally and legally open to the public at large.

The privatization of sporting events has entailed the exclusion of spectators from the sporting venues which has the potential to direct legitimate forms of social violence thus leading to violence in different forms in different areas which may be private such as homes and also into public places where violent behaviors may not be tolerated. People who are denied entry in attending important sporting venues are more prone to be policed and watched due to the inherent risks for the occurrence of violence. The state needs to devise new sporting venues and events so that there is the legitimacy for people to indulge in recreational activities. With the changing nature of violence on the field and the introduction of additional security measures and policing of such venues, there may be an increased tendency to indulge in violence by spectators who are denied entry. This is because of increased frustrations amongst players resulting from rules that become unworkable. The increasing involvement of the media in the regulation and dissemination of violent actions in sporting events has had far-reaching implications in framing social perceptions about the sport which then needs to be further assessed theoretically and empirically.

The available material in this regard indicates that the violence associated with Australian sporting events may not be necessarily increased or decreased. But the characteristics of the violence and confusion related to the specific sporting events are seen to be changing in terms of both participants and spectators. There are two unique characteristics of the sporting events in the UK and USA which have also been found to be influencing participant and spectator behavior in Australia and which also influence the question of violence in sport in the country. There is a lesser level of on-the-field violence in the UK, and soccer, the most important sport, is seen as having exhibited lower levels of violence on the field. Soccer is characterized by having a lot of spectatorship and the practice has been continuing despite the increasing professionalism in the sport. Recent trends have shown that the changing social structures have made the sport commonplace for violent incidents on a collective basis. The recurrent incidents of violence between the police and spectators are a heritage of the social conflicts that have pervaded society in a particularly male-dominated and working-class society. Despite such a pattern, the overall rate of violent crimes has remained low as per international benchmarks. The US is uniquely characteristic of a connection between masculinity and class as displayed in the sporting events. But there is a lesser incidence of large-scale collective incidents of violence at sporting events as compared to the high rate of violent street crimes and homicides which are the highest in the world. In this context, the high rate of collective violence is more largely associated with the legacy of class and race issues in being marginalized from the larger communities. For such marginalized groups, recreation entails not sporting events but indulging in drug abuse and other social malpractices which stay concealed from the majority in the society.

Conclusion

In recent times there has been considerable concern regarding the permissible levels of violence in sporting events and the given provisions have been challenged time and again. The relationship of violence with sport has been present since ancient times and so is the participation of the public in such violent incidents. The Romans are known to have organized violent contests between gladiators, and jousting was extremely popular during the medieval age. Just over a century ago boxing with bare knuckles was the prevailing practice. In modern times the recording of sporting events with the use of advanced video technology enables the detection of violence that is inflicted intentionally. Hence there is a need to frame a suitable legal framework to combat the challenges arising for sportsmen and authorities. According to Dr. Wray Vamplew, who is a leading authority in Australia on sports sociology, sport in the country is no longer more violent as compared to the past and it will eventually reduce. He indicates that society is now less inclined to tolerate violence in sports but there have been violent incidents that demand immediate remedial action by taking precautions and framing instructions and a code of conduct that will check the malpractices. All sporting authorities are required to refer all instances of criminal violence that occur on the playing field, to the law enforcement agencies for further prosecution from their end.

References

Cunneen, C, Findlay, M Lynch, R & Tupper, 1989, Dynamics of Collective Conflict, Riots at the Bathurst Bike Races, Law Book Company, Sydney.
Dennis Hemphill, Violence and Australian Sport, 1998, Walla Walla Press
Dunning, E Murphy, P and Williams, J. 1988, The Roots of Football Hooliganism, An Historical and Social Study, Routledge
Homel R, and Tomsen S, 1993, Hot Spots for Violence: The Environment of Pubs and Clubs, in Homicide: Patterns, Prevention and Control, Conference Proceeding No. 17, Australian Institute of Criminology
Vamplew W, 1983, Unsporting Behaviour: The Control of Football and Horse Racing Crowds in England 1857-1914, Goldstein, J.N., Sports Violence, Springer-Verlag, New York. Victorian Community Council Against Violence 1990, Inquiry Into Violence in and Around Licenced Premises, The Council, Melbourne.
Wenn, B. 1989, Violence in Sport: Violence Today Series, Monograph for the National Committeee on Violence
White, Katz, and Scarborough, 1992, The Impact of Professional Football Games Upon Violent Assaults on Women, Vol 7 Violence and Victims

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Violence in Sports in Australia

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