Decivilisation?

Watched a report on tv last night on increased violence in the Dutch amateur soccer competition. The numbers mentioned are incredible. According to the association of amateur referees, every week 300 referees are molested by players, trainers or fans (Netwerk tv report). Every week 2377 matches are canceled because of harassments. Considering 35 weeks of league football a year and 700,000 matches a year (KNVB), the molesting rate would be around 1,5%, which means that a referee risks to be molested once every two years. It must be said that there is much debate about the figures; definitions are unclear and different bodies says different things. But it's likely that the figures only represent the top of the iceberg and more reliable data would only reveil that it's worse in fact. The authority of the referee is eroding and I don’t think he is to blame. Why do grown up people behave like this? It is often said that people become more mature, more outspoken, which is considered positive. But can the increase in violence be seen in this perspective? Don’t we mix up maturity with barbarity? If not, then the grown-up men on the football field, who not seldom are fathers to children for whom they’re supposed to set the example, would keep their hands in their pockets, their curses unsaid and let their brains control their mouths. Molesting a referee or the colleague players of the opponent is proof of the opposite, an open admission of weakness. This morning, last night’s report was complemented by a photograph in the free newspaper Metro, showing a beheaded and torn down figure of the bronze 3D representation of Rembrandt’s ‘Nachtwacht’ in Amsterdam. Which Don Quichote felt threatened by this harmless figure, which does not represent a symbol of any controversial group? On their own they may be small incidents, but it makes me feel sad and challenges my optimism. For any societal development required to sustain and spread our quality of life, can we count on a society apparently moving in an opposite direction? I think, we have to extend our horizon and align the way we act and what we want on the long term. Fortunately, I see positive signs as well.