Pensez le Futur.

Violence in stadiums: a highly complex social phenomenon... 203

Aziz Daouda, 1 j.
2 min de lecture.

Violence in stadiums: a highly complex social phenomenon...

Aziz Daouda, 1 j.
min de lecture.
Violence in stadiums and their surroundings is not solely a matter of sports passion. It reflects deep social tensions, individual vulnerabilities, and possibly institutional dysfunctions. Understanding this phenomenon implicitly requires an analysis of all the personal, social, and organizational factors that foster these all-too-frequent outbreaks. The majority of young people involved in such violence, especially during football matches, often come from precarious backgrounds, marked by fragile family structures and a strong sense of social, cultural, and economic exclusion. The need for recognition drives some of them to join radical supporter groups, where violence becomes a way to assert their identity, gain notoriety, and earn respect. Clashes before, during, and after matches are opportunities to establish this recognition, assert a certain popularity, or even consolidate leadership. The identification and sanctioning of troublemakers, which are obviously limited, reinforce the feeling of impunity and even superiority over the law and law enforcement. Anonymity in the crowd and insufficient controls facilitate violent acts, often orchestrated by leaders who quickly step back. Family instability, school failure, emotional immaturity, adolescent impulsiveness, and difficulties managing emotions add to educational and psychological deficiencies, encouraging violent behavior. Cognitive vulnerabilities, attention disorders, or below-average IQ, as well as the absence of effective integration programs, further complicate social and academic inclusion, increasing the risk of marginalization. Structural and institutional causes also play a decisive role. Sports clubs, often little involved in the educational and social management of their supporters, shift responsibility onto security services. This opaque and poorly coordinated management among stakeholders makes matches increasingly costly in terms of security and image. Young people left to themselves, without prospects, are easy targets for criminal or extremist groups that exploit sports passion to spread violent and increasingly political messages. The lack of sports and cultural infrastructure in disadvantaged neighborhoods drives these youths to find an outlet for their frustrations in supporter groups. Social networks amplify the spread of tensions and hateful discourse, exacerbating violence. The deterioration of public health, the decline of education, the increase in social inequalities, and the feeling of injustice feed this endemic violence. In Morocco, for example, 1.7 million young people aged 15 to 24 are NEET (not in education, employment, or training), and nearly 280,000 students leave the education system each year without qualifications, fostering marginalization and adherence to violent groups. Today, such groups orbit almost all football teams, regardless of the level of competition, results, or geographic location of the club. This is not just an observation. Violence surrounding sport is not inevitable. Civic education, abandoned in favor of proven ineffective school methods and content, must be reintroduced with a strong emphasis on respect for others and common goods, tolerance, and fair play, starting at a young age through ongoing awareness campaigns in schools and sports clubs. Strengthening judicial authority, with rapid, exemplary, and systematic sanctions, including family responsibility for those under 16, is necessary. The development of local infrastructure with free access and supervised activities must continue. Local authorities have a duty to get involved by recruiting educational staff to supervise young people in neighborhoods and offering extracurricular programs, educational workshops, sports activities, and second-chance schools. Sports clubs must assume their responsibility through greater transparency, adopting an ethical charter for spectator management, training supervisors, engaging in dialogue with supporters, and directly managing matches. They must openly condemn and distance themselves from violent groups and no longer tolerate them. Better collaboration between schools, families, clubs, and authorities is essential for comprehensive youth supervision. European examples, such as Eurofan in Belgium, the European Convention on Violence in Stadiums, or educational programs in Germany and the UK, demonstrate the effectiveness of prevention, dialogue, mediation, and advanced technologies (video surveillance, facial recognition). Violence in stadiums reflects social fractures, exclusion, and a lack of guidance. The solution lies in a comprehensive approach: prevention, education, social integration, professional club management, and institutional cooperation. Sport must once again become a vector of integration, respect, and social cohesion: a notably collective responsibility.

Violence in stadiums: a highly complex social phenomenon...

Aziz Daouda, 1 j.
min de lecture.
Violence in stadiums and their surroundings is not solely a matter of sports passion. It reflects deep social tensions, individual vulnerabilities, and possibly institutional dysfunctions. Understanding this phenomenon implicitly requires an analysis of all the personal, social, and organizational factors that foster these all-too-frequent outbreaks. The majority of young people involved in such violence, especially during football matches, often come from precarious backgrounds, marked by fragile family structures and a strong sense of social, cultural, and economic exclusion. The need for recognition drives some of them to join radical supporter groups, where violence becomes a way to assert their identity, gain notoriety, and earn respect. Clashes before, during, and after matches are opportunities to establish this recognition, assert a certain popularity, or even consolidate leadership. The identification and sanctioning of troublemakers, which are obviously limited, reinforce the feeling of impunity and even superiority over the law and law enforcement. Anonymity in the crowd and insufficient controls facilitate violent acts, often orchestrated by leaders who quickly step back. Family instability, school failure, emotional immaturity, adolescent impulsiveness, and difficulties managing emotions add to educational and psychological deficiencies, encouraging violent behavior. Cognitive vulnerabilities, attention disorders, or below-average IQ, as well as the absence of effective integration programs, further complicate social and academic inclusion, increasing the risk of marginalization. Structural and institutional causes also play a decisive role. Sports clubs, often little involved in the educational and social management of their supporters, shift responsibility onto security services. This opaque and poorly coordinated management among stakeholders makes matches increasingly costly in terms of security and image. Young people left to themselves, without prospects, are easy targets for criminal or extremist groups that exploit sports passion to spread violent and increasingly political messages. The lack of sports and cultural infrastructure in disadvantaged neighborhoods drives these youths to find an outlet for their frustrations in supporter groups. Social networks amplify the spread of tensions and hateful discourse, exacerbating violence. The deterioration of public health, the decline of education, the increase in social inequalities, and the feeling of injustice feed this endemic violence. In Morocco, for example, 1.7 million young people aged 15 to 24 are NEET (not in education, employment, or training), and nearly 280,000 students leave the education system each year without qualifications, fostering marginalization and adherence to violent groups. Today, such groups orbit almost all football teams, regardless of the level of competition, results, or geographic location of the club. This is not just an observation. Civic education, abandoned in favor of proven ineffective school methods and content, must be reintroduced with a strong emphasis on respect for others and common goods, tolerance, and fair play, starting at a young age through ongoing awareness campaigns in schools and sports clubs. Strengthening judicial authority, with rapid, exemplary, and systematic sanctions, including family responsibility for those under 16, is necessary. The development of local infrastructure with free access and supervised activities must continue. Local authorities have a duty to get involved by recruiting educational staff to supervise young people in neighborhoods and offering extracurricular programs, educational workshops, sports activities, and second-chance schools. Sports clubs must assume their responsibility through greater transparency, adopting an ethical charter for spectator management, training supervisors, engaging in dialogue with supporters, and directly managing matches. They must openly condemn and distance themselves from violent groups and no longer tolerate them. Better collaboration between schools, families, clubs, and authorities is essential for comprehensive youth supervision. European examples, such as Eurofan in Belgium, the European Convention on Violence in Stadiums, or educational programs in Germany and the UK, demonstrate the effectiveness of prevention, dialogue, mediation, and advanced technologies (video surveillance, facial recognition). Violence in stadiums reflects social fractures, exclusion, and a lack of guidance. The solution lies in a comprehensive approach: prevention, education, social integration, professional club management, and institutional cooperation. Sport must once again become a vector of integration, respect, and social cohesion: a notably collective responsibility.