Tackling football hooliganism: A quantitative study of public order, policing and crowd psychology.

Abstract

This paper contributes to the science of crowd dynamics and psychology by examining the social psychological processes related to the relative absence of "hooliganism" at the Finals of the 2004 Union Europe ´enne de Football Association (UEFA) Football (Soccer) Championships in Portugal. Quantitative data from a structured observational study is integrated with data from a questionnaire survey of a group associated ubiquitously with 'hooliganism' -namely England fans. This analysis provides support for the contention that the absence of 'disorder' can be attributed in large part to the non-paramilitary policing style adopted in cities hosting tournament matches. Evidence is presented which suggests that this style of policing supported forms of non-violent collective psychology that, in turn, served to psychologically marginalise violent groups from the wider community of fans. The study highlights the mutually constructive relationships that can be created between psychological theory, research, policing policy and practice, particularly in relation to the successful management of 'public order'. The paper concludes by exploring some of the wider implications of this research for theory, policy, the management of crowds, social conflict, and human rights more generally.

Perceived Responder Legitimacy and Group Identification Predict Cooperation and Compliance in a Mass Decontamination Field Exercise

“…Research based on the social identity approach may also provide insights into this relationship. Studies of interactions between the public and police during football matches indicate that successful communication strategies, and the perceived sufficiency of practical information provided, result in increased perceptions of police legitimacy (Reicher, Stott, Drury, Adang, Cronin, & Livingstone, 2007;Stott, Adang, Livingstone, & Schreiber, 2008). These increased perceptions of legitimacy have been shown to increase public compliance with instructions (Stott, Hoggett, & Pearson, 2012), and reduce conflict between police and members of the public (Stott et al, 2008), by increasing shared identity between police and members of the public.…”

Factors influencing experience in crowds – The participant perspective

“…This has included pedestrian flow and its modelling (Smith et al, 2009;Still, 2013;Kim et al, 2015;Liu et al, 2016) and public order policing (Reicher et al, 2004;Stott et al, 2008;Drury & Stott, 2011). This research emphasis has followed on from major crowd incidents, e.g.…”

Persuasion in the Wild: Communication, Technology, and Event Safety

“…[10]. Social identity determines who influences others to perform certain behaviour, how others and their behaviour are viewed, and which behaviours are seen as normal [1,11,12].…”

“…Strategies aimed at influencing group processes have been adopted by police departments around the world and employed in settings as diverse as football matches and protesting crowds [11][12][13][14][15][16], and are argued to be suitable for handling emergency situations [17].…”