NCJ Number
152717
Journal
Criminology Australia Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (August 1994) Pages: 20-25
Date Published
1994
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article examines some issues relating to violence among participants and spectators of mass sporting events in Australia, using Australian Rules Football as an historical and contemporary example.
Abstract
The nature of violence associated with professional sporting activities in mainstream Australian sporting culture is explored through three key features: the nature of the connection between incidents which occur on the field and among spectators, trends in violence within sporting culture in light of broader cultural developments, and patterns of control which influence the occurrence of violence both on and off the field and in the community in general. The article examines trends in sporting violence during four periods: 1859-1896, 1897-1939, 1940-1982, and 1983-1993. The analysis indicates that, in general, relations between spectators and participants have eroded Australian football has become more professional, and controls on disorderly spectators have become more stringent. 17 references