A Personal View by Dr Anthony Storr
From the playing fields of Eton in Georgian England to White Hart Lane any winter Saturday afternoon young men have experienced and enjoyed violent bodily contact.
What is it that makes men entertain themselves by hitting one another's heads until they bleed in a boxing ring, or throwing one another's bodies hard on to a rugby field? Is violence predominantly a male problem and, if so, why?
In tonight's highly personal film Dr Anthony Storr, psychiatrist and author, examines the roots of man's aggressive behaviour. Can violent sport help men get rid of these aggressive impulses or does it simply encourage them to further violence?