Satisfaction With Life and the Declared Participation in Football Fans’ Organized Fights (So Called ‘the Set Battles’)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explain - based on the results of own research - the relationship between the level of life satisfaction (LS) and the declared aggressive behaviour of football fans (declared participations in the so-called ‘set battles’), taking into account their belonging to specifi c supporter groups. The method of diagnostic survey with a survey techniques was applied. The questionnaire applied was prepared in an electronic form, which was posted on football fans’ groups using the Facebook network. Two statistical methods were also used in this study: the chi-square test (Pearson test) and the analysis of variance (Anova). Research results. Individual groups of football fans are characterized by diff erent levels of aggressive behavior. 71.7% of respondents have never participated in organized “battles. The highest percentage of people who do not participate in the battles (94.6%) occurs in “the picnics” one. “The hooligans” are the group in which only 33.3% of respondents do not declare aggressive behavior. The rest of them behaves aggressively (51%) or very aggressively (15.7%), participating in the battles many times. Based on the calculation of the own study results, it can be concluded that aggressive or very aggressive behaviours do not aff ect a high level of satisfaction with life. Conclusions indicate that high involvement in the supporter movement can be in line with declarations of high life satisfaction. As in the presented own study, supporters involved in the fan movement who exhibit aggressive or very aggressive behaviour can as much declare high satisfaction with life as people who do not exhibit such activity. The undertaken subject may interest not only educators and psychologists, but also martial arts coaches in the context of responsibility for the educational and rehabilitation aspect of practicing selected martial arts.