Abusive/aggressive parental behaviour & Spectator violence

Abusive/aggressive parental behaviour & Spectator violence

Written Presentation Anthony Siokos Student ID No. 5835

Governance in Sport (MM111) Ross Brennan 24/5/07

http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/sportrage/index.asp

26/11/2009 2

Abusive/aggressive parental behaviour or “Sport Rage” needs governance, why?

Abuse and harassment is one of the major sources of conflict in sport

There has been a 26% decline in the number of officials participating in sport between 1997 and 2001 due to a lack of respect and abuse

Verbal abuse accounts for 95% of all abuse in which 17% comes from parents

Most harassment takes place in community and local sport followed by district and state sports

http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/assets/pubs/conference/sportrage-factsheet.pdf

26/11/2009 3

What is “Sport Rage”?

Violence

Bad language

Abuse

General bad behaviour by players, coaches, officials and spectators


26/11/2009 4

Examples of “Sport Rage”, remember it‟s only a game, right?

Recently a female spectator kicked a player in the head during a first grade rugby match, the player suffered a puncture wound to the side of the head

On 5 July, 2000 Michael Costin, the amateur ice hockey referee and coach of a junior Canadian team, was beaten to death by Thomas Junta, the father of one of his players, Junta was sentenced to 6-10 years in jail1. http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/assets/pubs/conference/sportrage-factsheet.pdf 2. (Phillips, 2002)

26/11/2009 5

Survey: Observed behaviour of parents in children‟s sport

Table 1. Vamplew (1991)

Types of behaviour % often Net % change over 5 years

Foul language

Verbal abuse of officials

Physical abuse of officials

Reticent children pushed into playing

Parents „coaching‟ from sidelines

Criticism of opposition by parents

Incitement of children to unsporting behaviour

13.9

26.5

0.7

19.9

56.4

38.5

18.3

+3.3

+15.4

-8.2

-0.4

+15.3

+13.4

+2.9

26/11/2009 6

Conclusion: Observed behaviour of parents in children‟s sport

Children should not suffer because of their parents behaviour

Children have the right to be a part of a non-threatening environment and should be encouraged to enjoy the sport

20% of coaches would agree to have a match abandoned and teams banned for misconduct

70% of coaches agreed loud-mouthed, misbehaved and aggressive parents should be banned from watching their children play

26/11/2009 7

Parents who display abusive/aggressive behaviour direct it mainly towards…

Players Coaches Officials & Administrators


26/11/2009 8

What are the causes of abusive/aggressive parental behaviour?

Parents struggle to balance their parental instincts with their hunger for victory

Parents live vicariously through their children

Parents have visions of „Superstardom‟ for their children

Parents want to secure a better education for their child through sports scholarships

Family values, their place in the community(Docheff, 2004) and (Conn, 2004)

26/11/2009 9

What are the causes of abusive/aggressive parental behaviour? (cont.)

Professional role models, violent behaviour filtered down by professional sports

Win-at-all-cost attitude, anything other than winning is unacceptable http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/sportrage/index.asp

26/11/2009 10

Why do children play sport?

Most kids are first attracted to sport because their friends are involved

The chance to spend time with peers and make new friends, escape from the adult world, school and boredom are all influencing factors

Kids enjoy the physical challenge of games and activity

The number one reason is to have fun!

(Woods, 2007)

26/11/2009 11

What are the consequences of abusive/aggressive parental behaviour?

Children do not enjoy participating in the sport

Organised sport provides the opportunity for children to develop important behaviours such as cooperation, unselfishness and a positive attitude towards achievement

Others include stress management, perseverance, risk-taking, tolerance and delayed gratification, these areas of growth are in jeopardy when in an abusive environment

(Donaldson, 2006) and (Ronan, 2006)

26/11/2009 12

What are the consequences of abusive/aggressive parental behaviour? (cont.)

Child feels embarrassed amongst their peers or starts to model their parents‟ bad behaviour

Child feels depressed and unmotivated with a lack of positive encouragement

Reputation of Club or School can be tarnished

The number of volunteers in sport decreases

The number of referees/officials decreases due to abuse and intolerance to foul language

26/11/2009 13

Let‟s look at the bigger picture!

If „sport rage‟ increases, the rate of children participating in sport will decrease

If less children are playing sport, the opportunities to develop athletes is in question

There are psychological implications, children who don‟t participate in sports are more likely to turn to drugs, feel depressed and isolated, be unhealthy and have a negative effect on personal and social development

(Vandenabeele, 2004)

26/11/2009 14

A child has the right to feel good about themselves when participating in sport!

A child has the right to be safe and protected from any harm or abuse

Participate equally with everyone else

Be respected, cared for and listened to

Be supported by others in your sport or recreation club

Be safe from put-downs, harassment, ridicule and bad language

According to “Play by the Rules”:

Play by the Rules (2006)

26/11/2009 15

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Parent/spectator „Code of Ethics‟…

1. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of others

2. Remember that your child participates in sport for their own enjoyment, not yours

3. Focus on your child‟s efforts and performance rather than winning or losing

4. Never ridicule or yell at your child and other children for making a mistake or losing a competition

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ethics/codeparent.asp

26/11/2009 16

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Parent/spectator „Code of Ethics‟… (cont.)

5. Show appreciation for good performance and skilful plays by all players (including opposing players)

6. Demonstrate a high degree of individual responsibility especially when dealing with or in the vicinity of persons under 18 years of age, as your words and actions are an example

7. Respect officials‟ decisions and teach children to do likewise

26/11/2009 17

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Parent/spectator „Code of Ethics‟… (cont.)

8. Do not physically or verbally abuse or harass anyone associated with the sport (player, coach, umpire and so on)

9. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every young person regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion

10. Be a positive role model

11. Understand the repercussions if you breach, or are aware of any breaches of, this code of behaviour

26/11/2009 18

Policies and controls to achieve good governance…

Sportsmanship classes

Parental codes of conduct

Zero tolerance policies

„Silent‟ Saturday‟s and Sunday‟s – no cheering or yelling

(Docheff, 2004) and (Conn, 2004)


26/11/2009 19

Policies and controls to achieve good governance… (cont.)

Fining abusive parents and spectators

Non-scoring games, this will curb the anger that comes from parents who are only interested in the outcome or result of the game

Special programs focusing on enjoying the game

Program directives, helping each other understand the different roles in the sport

26/11/2009 20

Sport Rage Kit – a free kit for clubs/associations in NSW

NSW Sport & Recreation supported by the government has developed a kit to govern „Sport rage‟ within grassroots clubs/associations


26/11/2009 21

Sport Rage Kit – a free kit for clubs/associations in NSW (cont.)

The slogans are “Be a sport, just support!” and “Sport rage. Act your age!”



26/11/2009 22

Good examples from sports…

AFL – Parenting for AFL Program

Educates players, coaches and spectators about the rules of the game and expected standard of behaviour

The AFL conducts pre-season parenting sessions so they know the code of conduct and consequences if they demonstrate poor sporting behaviour

http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/assets/pubs/conference/sportrage-factsheet.pdf

26/11/2009 23

Good examples from sports… (cont.)

Football (Soccer) – My game is fair play

Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) launched „World Fair Play Day‟, spreading a global message in the interest of fair play

FIFA formalised the post-match handshake in which players must shake hands with their opponents and referees before leaving the field

26/11/2009 24

Governing abusive parents is child‟s play when compared to „Spectator Violence‟!

Spectators in Australia are generally well-behaved when compared to Europe, USA and South America

In the UK, “soccer hooligans” are the most infamous of all violent spectators, consuming large amounts of alcohol and fighting with rival supporters

The emergence of “superhooligans” has only escalated the problem since 1982

(Haley, 2001)

26/11/2009 25

„Superhooligans‟ are profiled as follows:

Mid to late 20‟s or early 30‟s

Been a soccer hooligan since their teenage years

Not all unemployed, some professionals and university students

May well be married with mortgages

Often previously convicted of violent offences

Exhibit good organisational skills in planning hooligan activities and keep a diary record

(Haley, 2001)

26/11/2009 26

Spectator Violence continues in the world of Football, a recent example in Italy…

On 2 February, 2007 Filippo Raciti, a 38 year old policeman, was killed after intense crowd violence during an Italian Serie A football match in Sicily

This prompted the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to suspend all matches pending an investigation

This event was a governance nightmare and sparked national debate on crowd violence

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6326513.stm

26/11/2009 27

Spectator Violence continues in the world of Football, a recent example in Italy… (cont.)

“We need a strong and clear signal to avoid the degradation of this sport.” Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6326877.stm

26/11/2009 28

What causes spectator violence?

1. The action in the sport itself (the actions of players & decisions made by referees/officials)

2. Crowd dynamics and situation of event (size, importance of victory, consumption of alcohol, system of crowd control & location)

3. Social, economic and political context in which the event was planned and played (ethnic rivalry and club history)

(Coakley, 1990)

26/11/2009 29

What are the consequences of spectator violence?

1. Loss of enjoyment during the event

2. Social, economic and political damage

3. Injury and death in extreme cases

4. Loss of spectators and revenue to clubs

5. Has an adverse affect on players, coaches, officials and administrators

6. Punishes spectators who are well-behaved

7. Degradation of the sport

8. Sets a bad example to children

26/11/2009 30

Does the media add to the problem?

Violence is visible in sports because it is so prevalent in televised events

Newspapers and magazines show images of violence in sport

The media tend to pay attention to athletes and coaches who insight the crowd

Access to violent sporting incidents through the internet adds to the problem

(Woods, 2007)

26/11/2009 31

Governing spectator violence is ongoing, is there a solution?

In some countries spectator violence is a major problem, so governing this issue is high on the list of priorities for sporting organisations and associations

Crowd control can include the use of police with shields/batons and attack dogs

Security during sporting events and prevention has lead to the implementation of cameras, trained crowd control staff and personalised ticketing/seating

(Coakley, 1990)

26/11/2009 32

In Conclusion, Sport Rage and Spectator Violence are issues which can be governed!

Through education, social awareness and action violent behaviour can be minimised therefore achieving good governance

By increasing security and implementing a zero tolerance policy for those who incite violence in sports, governing bodies, sporting organisations and associations can achieve good governance

Sport needs governance for the good of the game and the people involved in it!

26/11/2009 33

Reference List

Australian Sports Commission. (2006). Ethics in sport: Codes of behaviour. Retrieved May 20, 2007, from http://www.ausport.gov.au/ethics/codeparent.asp

Coakley, J.J. (1990). Sport in society: Issues and controversies (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Times Mirror/Mosby College Publishing

Docheff, D.M., & Conn, J.H. (2004). It's no longer a spectator sport: Eight ways to get involved and help fight parental violence in youth sports. Parks & Recreation, 39(3), 63-70.

Donaldson, S., & Ronan, K. (2006). The effects of sports participation on young adolescents‟ emotional well-being. Adolescence, 41(162), 369-389.

Haley, A.J. (2001). British superhooligans: Emergence and establishment: 1982-2000. The Sport Journal, 4(3), 20-23.

Italian league halted by violence. (2007). Retrieved May 22, 2007, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6326513.stm

NSW Sport and Recreation. (2007). Sport rage. Retrieved May 20, 2007, from http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/sportrage/index.asp

26/11/2009 34

Reference List (cont.)

Phillips, S. (2002). Sports call foul on ugly parents. Sports Coach, 25(2), 16-17.

Play by the Rules. (2006). Kids in sport: Your rights and responsibilities. Retrieved May 15, 2007, from http://www.playbytherules.net.au/site/kids_in_sport/your_rights_and_responsibilities.jsp

Sport rage fact sheet: Managing behaviour and conflict in sport seminar. (2003). Retrieved May 16, 2007, from http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/assets/pubs/conference/sportrage-factsheet.pdf

Vamplew, W. (1991). A view from the bench: Coaches and sports violence in Australia. Belconnen, ACT: Australian Sports Commission.

Vandenabeele, R. (2004). S.O.S. Save our sportsmanship. Coach & Athletic Director, 74(1), 72.

Woods, R.B. (2007). Social issues in sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

26/11/2009 35

Illustrations Reference List

BBC Sport Football. (2007, February 3). Retrieved May 22, 2007, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6326877.stm

NSW Sport and Recreation. (2007). Sport rage. Retrieved May 21, 2007, from http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/sportrage/index.asp

Documents

Abusive/aggressive parental behaviour & Spectator violence