What causes violence by performers and spectators, and how is it reduced?
The causes of violence by performers and by spectators (including the role of the media and deindividuation), and the strategies used to reduce violence in sport.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on violence in sport: the causes of violence by performers (the win-at-all-costs ethic, frustration, retaliation) and by spectators (hooliganism, deindividuation, alcohol, rivalry and the media), and the strategies used to reduce violence on and off the field.
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What this dot point is asking
OCR wants you to explain the causes of violence by performers and by spectators, including the role of the media and deindividuation, and evaluate the strategies used to reduce violence in sport.
Causes of violence by performers
Causes of violence by spectators
Strategies to reduce violence
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR 20184 marksExplain two causes of violence by performers in sport.Show worked answer →
A Component 03 application question. Marks for two distinct, well-explained causes.
Award marks for: the win-at-all-costs (Lombardian) ethic and the large rewards of winning create pressure to gain an advantage by any means, including violence. Frustration at poor performance, bad decisions or a strong opponent can boil over into aggression (the frustration-aggression link). Retaliation against a foul or provocation, the pressure from coaches, fans and the media, a perceived injustice from officials, and the importance of the match (a derby or a final) are further causes. High arousal makes the dominant aggressive response more likely in those already prone to it.
Markers reward two genuine, distinct causes such as the win-at-all-costs ethic, frustration, retaliation, provocation or pressure, each briefly explained.
OCR 20218 marksAnalyse the causes of spectator violence (hooliganism) and evaluate the strategies used to reduce it.Show worked answer →
A Component 03 extended-response (levels of response) question. Markers reward causes (AO1 and AO2) and a reasoned evaluation of strategies (AO3).
Award credit for: causes of spectator violence include rivalry and tribalism between clubs or nations, deindividuation (losing personal identity and responsibility in a crowd, so people act in ways they would not alone), alcohol and drugs, frustration at the result or officials, pre-existing social tensions and gang culture, poor crowd management and the media (sensationalising rivalries and giving hooligans notoriety). Strategies to reduce it include all-seater stadiums, CCTV and improved policing and intelligence, banning orders and segregation of fans, restricting or banning alcohol, early kick-off times, education and family-friendly initiatives, and responsible media coverage. A reasoned answer judges that the combination of all-seater stadiums, CCTV, banning orders and alcohol restrictions has substantially reduced hooliganism in some leagues, but that the underlying social causes (rivalry, identity, wider tensions) are harder to remove, so a mix of situational control and longer-term education is needed.
A top answer covers several causes including deindividuation and the media, evaluates the strategies, and concludes that situational measures work but social causes persist.
Related dot points
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR A Level Physical Education (H555) specification — OCR (2016)