A Longitudinal Study of Fan Aggression: A Test of General Strain Theory

ABSTRACT

This paper employs panel data on Iranian soccer fan hooliganism (i.e., verbal and physical aggression against rivals) to provide a longitudinal test of Agnew’s general strain theory. Structural equation models reveal that the experience of strain, a latent variable comprised of negative life events, victimization, bullying, and economic pressures, is positively associated with fan aggression. Moreover, the effects of these strains are both directly and partially mediated through negative affect (state-based anger).

Endnotes

1. We include cross-lagged measures of strain at time 1 on aggression at time 2 and of strain at time 2 on aggression at time 3. While these measures might better tap into a potential causal argument (given that strain and aggression is also measured within the same cross-sectional wave), none of these cross-lagged results were statistically significant. This was an expected result, as Robert Agnew (personal communication, October 29^th, 2020) emphasized to the authors that GST focuses more on contemporaneous than lagged strains for longitudinal models of GST.

Notes

¹ Sepidrood is a football club founded in 1968 in the city of Rasht, in the center of Guilan province, and is present in the Iranian Premier League. The name of club is derived from the largest Guilan river and the second largest river of Iran, Sepidrood, which is the origin of the civilization of Guilan. The club is the longest-running football team in Guilan province, which has been active in various football leagues (http://sepidroodsc.com/).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Seyyedeh Masoomeh Shamila Shadmanfaat

Seyyedeh Masoomeh Shamila Shadmanfaat earned his master degree in Sociology at University of Guillan (2016) has published several papers about sociology and criminology of sport with a focus on gender differences. Her current research interests involve Gender sport criminology.

Saeed Kabiri

Saeed Kabiri earned his master degree in Sociology at University of Guillan (2012) and also earned his PhD degree in social problems of Iran at University of Mazandaran (2017). He has published several papers about the sociology and criminology of sports. His current research interests involve sport criminology.

Brittany Solensten

Brittany Solensten is an MA student in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University. Her research interests include criminological theory, drug policy, and policing.

Dale W. Willits

Dale W. Willits is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University. His research interests include the situational analysis of violence, drug policy, and police interactions.

John Cochran

John Cochran is Professor of Criminology at the University of South Florida. Professor Cochran earned his PhD in Sociology at the University of Florida (1987). He has over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts most of which involve tests of both micro-social theories of criminal behavior and macro-social theories of crime and crime control. He is also interested in issues associated with the death penalty.