A Literature Review of Violence within Sports: A Sociological Study

This literature review examines the phenomenon of violence within sports, particularly in secondary schools in the US, focusing on the work of Kreager (2007). It highlights how male athletes often gain prominence and influence, shaping adolescent behavior. While sports participation can offer benefits like leadership skills and social development, it also presents negative aspects such as discrimination based on race, gender, and physical abilities. The review points out the prevalence of ‘gendered violence’ and the association of sports with ‘masculine identities’ and aggression, often overlooking instances of sexual harassment and bullying. It further explores how certain sports, like football and wrestling, can promote violence, with coaches sometimes prioritizing aggression over talent. The review concludes by posing research questions about controlling aggression in sports and harnessing it as a positive competitive behavior, emphasizing the need for further research into these complex issues. Desklib provides access to a variety of study tools and solved assignments to support students in their academic endeavors.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY: VIOLENCE WITHIN VARIOUS SPORTS
SOCIOLOGY: Violence within Various Sports
Name of the student
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Author note

1SOCIOLOGY: VIOLENCE WITHIN VARIOUS SPORTS
Summary of the introduction
The first paragraph of the study Kreager (2007) sheds light on the scenario of sports
in secondary schools of US. Male athletes who generally gain fame by giving extra ordinary
performance in sports and get followed by other students. Many of the boys start taking
interest in sports after being influenced from athlete behaviour and the treatment an athlete
student receive within and outside school premises.
Literature review of the same journal Kreager (2007), indicates the tendency of
choosing an athlete life can be considered as an adolescence practice. It not only increases a
student’s engagement towards the school but also develop several characteristic features such
as leadership capability, social and physical capability. Apart from these, negative factors like
discrimination based on race, physical abilities, gender and sexism can be identified while
developing a team. Coaches prefer middle class white male more than female athletes. It
harms the theory of feminism as these actions are evidence of ‘gendered violence’. Sports has
become under masculine power, and it has been synonymized for ‘masculine identities’ and
‘aggression’ or physical power. Besides, in this sports industry several instances of sexual
harassment and bullying have been taking place for long. It is surprising to see, researchers
are not paying attention towards such issues which has immense facts to explore. The case
study has outlined various malpractice of violence within sports industry, especially within
connected peers of the male athletes.
The literature review suggests that playing masculine games enhances the chance of
violence such as in football, wrestling etc. Coaches instead of choosing talents focus on
aggressiveness among kids and exploit that as a competitive trait while playing the game.
These games within a school curriculum provides young kids with physical fitness which
increases insecurity among boys and sometimes make them engaged into battle. Although,

2SOCIOLOGY: VIOLENCE WITHIN VARIOUS SPORTS
positive results can be seen as they follow strict discipline of practicing game, manner of
behaving and eating healthy foods from initial days of student life.
Research question
1. Considering the relationship between football and violence, how aggressive can be
controlled or can be used as positive competitive behaviour?

3SOCIOLOGY: VIOLENCE WITHIN VARIOUS SPORTS
References
Kreager, D.A., 2007. Unnecessary roughness? School sports, peer networks, and male
adolescent violence. American sociological review, 72(5), pp.705-724.