Deviance in Sport

• Deviance means behaviour that differs from the norms and values of a sport
• Deviance is often driven by a 'win at all costs' attitude and seen in high-level sport

Types of Deviance

• Illegal drug use: Substances used to improve/change human performance
  • Examples: Lance Armstrong (Cycling), Ben Johnson (100m athletics), 1970/80s East Germany state doping (Olympic team)
• Illegal gambling: Fixture or competition played to a pre-determined result/event
  • Examples: Cricket match fixing, Stephen Lee (Snooker), FIFA bribery scandal (Football)
• Player/Spectator violence: Physical force with the intention of harming an individual, group, or property
  • Examples: Zidane Headbutt (Football), Ben Flowers punch (Rugby League), Millwall Bushwackers (Football)

Drugs and Doping

• A banned list (illegal drugs in sport) is decided by WADA (World Anti-doping Agency)
• Not all drugs on the banned list in sport are illegal in society
• Drugs on the banned list are usually considered PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs)

Illegal Types of Drugs, and their Benefits

• HGH (Human Growth Hormone): Improves power and strength
• Anabolic steroids: Forms of testosterone that increase muscle growth, aggression, recovery, and repair
• Beta Blockers: Control heart rate to calm nerves and steady heartbeat
• EPO: Stimulates production of new red blood cells, increasing O2 carrying capacity
• Blood doping: Increases red blood cell count to increase O2 carrying capacity
• Diuretics: Rapid weight loss; masking agent to flush illegal drugs or dilute them before drug testing

Legal Types of Drugs, and their Descriptions

• Creatine: Improves recovery of ATP/PC energy system
• Caffeine: Helps athletes train harder and longer, and improves concentration
• Bicarbonate Soda: Helps buffer the effects of lactic acid
• Carbohydrate Replenishment: Increases energy (glycogen) stores through powders/gels, sports drinks, energy bars, carb loading
• Recovery Formulas: Speeds up recovery and muscle growth through protein shakes

Reasons for Using Drugs and Doping

• Psychological reasons: alter brain function, such as using anabolic steroids for increased aggression
• Social reasons: pressure to win from coaches, peers, country, politics, and media
• Other reasons: Belief everyone else is doing it, a win-at-all-costs attitude for fame and fortune, state-sponsored programs

Strategies to Reduce Drug Use

• Stricter punishments: life bans, loss of prize money/sponsorship, loss of medals
• Improved testing: stricter, random, regular, and out-of-season testing
• Education: educate coaches and performers, particularly on the health dangers and legal issues
• Research and increased funding: research newer drug detection methods
• Culture: use role models to encourage drug-free sport, ‘name and shame’ cheats

Impacts of PED Use

Impacts on the Performer

• Physiological Health: health problems, lowered life expectancy/death due to liver disorders, heart problems, sexual problems
• Psychological Health: mental health issues, mood swings, increased aggression, depression
• Punishment: breaking the law and/or sport rules leads to bans, fines, loss of medals/titles
• Reputation: ruined career and reputation
• Sponsors: loss of sponsors due to bad image

Impacts on Sport

• Lowered participation: negative image surrounding the sport
• Lowered public support: negative image surrounding the sport
• False Records/Results: unfair advantage from drugs
• Negative role models: negative effect on society, particularly on the value of healthy lifestyles

Impacts on Society

• Reflection on society: shows society as ‘win at all costs’ or a corrupt society with unethical citizens
• Implement ban: society may have to make rules to ban all athletes using drugs
• Legalise/accept drugs: society may possibly accept their athletes as drug takers and make it legal

Violence in Sport

Causes of Player and Spectator Violence

• Frustration: with referee decisions, score, performance
• Rivalry: monetary reward, cup match, league position decider, rivalry, derby
• Provoked/retaliation: by opponent, teammates, crowd abuse, racism, violence on pitch copied
• Drugs: PEDs increase player aggression/alcohol and social drugs lead to loss of inhibitions for spectators

Causes of Player Violence

• Nature of game: contact sports, rules encourage violence
• Dehumanising: dehumanising protective gear, equipment which could be used as weapons

Causes of Spectator Violence

• Poor spectator provision: overcrowding, poor stewarding, poor policing
• Hooligans: organised violence, looking for a fight, used as an outlet of ‘energy’
• Diminished responsibility: lose sense of individual identity in a crowd, resulting in violence

Consequences of Violence in Sport

Impacts on Performers

• Punishment: disciplinary and legal action
• Injury and even death
• Loss of sponsors
• Become a negative role model/detrimental to career

Impacts on Sport

• Initiate changes in laws and rules of a sport to make violence less likely
• Sport receives a bad name/profile can lead to loss of sponsors
• Can reduce participation
• Loss of public interest/ support

Impacts on Society

• Sports performers are role models, so violence may be copied in society
• Sport often mirrors society, so if there is violence in sport it may be because society has violence in it
• Violence in sport could indicate other social issues in wider society

Strategies to Reduce Violence

Strategies that Apply to Both Player and Spectator Violence

• Stricter Punishment: disciplinary process more severe, match/season bans, legal action, remove season tickets, clubs punished for supporter's behaviour
• Education: fair play and positive role models, educate on the negative effects violence, educate on how to control emotions and stress, anti-violence campaigns

Strategies to Reduce Player Violence

• Rule changes: minimise violent situations, such as no high tackles in rugby, rewards for fair play
• Emotional control: teach anger management
• Coaches: encourage a philosophy of assertive behaviour rather than violence

Strategies to Reduce Spectator Violence

• Control of alcohol: searches at gates, ban alcohol, early kick off times
• Improve spectator facilities: all seated stadiums, separation of fans
• Use of CCTV/increase policing: spot incidents, discourage violence
• Liaison and law enforcement of police: share info on potential troublemakers, football banning orders

Gambling in Sport

• It is legal for the public (over 18) to gamble on sporting events if done through a licensed bookmaker in the UK, however illegal for under 18, if not done through a licensed bookmaker or illegal forms of gambling

Types of Illegal Gambling

• Match-fixing: Playing a game to a completely or partially pre-determined result
  • Examples: F1 Fernando Alonso crash on purpose, Snooker players losing on purpose
• Spot betting: Staking money on the precise events during sporting encounters
  • Example: Pakistan cricket scandal with Mohammad Amir predicting a wide or no-ball
• Bribery: The practice of offering money to gain a dishonest advantage
  • Examples: Korean boxing Olympic bribe, Qatar FIFA bribe
• Illegal sports betting: When a player is involved in betting in sport which they are involved in which is illegal according to NGB rules
• Examples: Ivan Toney in Football, Alex Rodriguez in Baseball

Evaluation of Gambling in Sport

Strategies to Reduce Illegal Gambling

• Stricter punishments: harsh punishments (long bans/high fines) for those caught
• Laws/rules: prevent players/managers betting on own sports/worldwide regulations
• Technology: improved technology to detect illegal gambling

Positives of gambling

• Financial benefits to the people involved if successful
• Gambling companies offer big sponsorship deals in sport
• Adds excitement

Negatives of gambling

• Illegal gambling is on the rise in sport
• Can cause corruption in sport through match-fixing
• Can cause debt/addiction in society
• Growing volume of gambling sponsors which promotes a negative image
• Growth of online betting/apps makes it easier to gamble