Factors Contributing to Football Supporters’ Violence: A Field Study of a Sample of ES Sétif Supporters in Sétif Province

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the factors contributing to supporters’ violence during football matches in the city of Sétif, focusing on three main factors: poor stadium conditions, incitement through social media, and poor match management by the referee. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach and used a questionnaire as a data collection instrument. The questionnaire was administered to a purposive sample of 60 supporters of ES Sétif, selected using the snowball sampling technique. The findings showed that poor stadium conditions contribute to increasing tension among supporters, while inflammatory content circulated through social media reinforces aggressive tendencies and fuels sports fanaticism. The findings also indicated that refereeing decisions and poor match management are among the factors that increase the likelihood of violent behavior among supporters. The study concluded that supporters’ violence is a multifactorial social phenomenon shaped by the interaction of organizational, media-related, and refereeing dimensions. This calls for the adoption of an integrated approach that includes improving match organization, strengthening crowd control inside stadiums, and limiting inflammatory content on digital platforms, thereby contributing to the establishment of a culture of responsible sports support.