Violence in Women's Soccer (Video)

My attention was drawn to this video, which was described as a "catfight", on a sport psychology mailing list this morning. It isn't a catfight, but a series of violent acts by a player during a single - televised - soccer match between Brigham Young University and New Mexico.



Remarkable, isn't it?

The comments I've seen this morning ranged from what might be wrong with her, to how her coach could keep her on the field, how the referee (or assistants) didn't pick this up, and even commentary on the media attention it has had. Apparently it has had some attention as a 'humour' piece, raising the fair assertion that it wouldn't have been considered funny if it wasn't a woman.

From a psychological perspective, this is interesting because we tend to characterise violence in sport as an uncontrolled act of anger. However John Kerr and others have done quite a bit of research in to violence in sport  using Reversal Theory as a framework, to make the distinction between violence that results from anger versus something else.

In this case, the player certainly wasn't uncontrolled. What she was doing wasn't the result of a red mist. She has kind of an angry look about her, but she's not in a rage. So, from a Reversal Theory perspective she's clearly in the rebellious state (because she is unconcerned with staying within the rules!) and possibly serious (but she might actually be having fun - in the playful state), but I would suggest that it is a very strong self-mastery orientation that allows her to act with such violence. In this state, she is concerned with dominating the opposition, exercising control and power over them, and in unconcerned with the impact that she is having upon other people.

So - angry - maybe, but maybe not. It's a blindness - a blindness to the harm she might do to others caused by her absolute need to dominate - that I'd suggest is behind this violent behaviour.



--
Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com