▁or ▁attempt ▁escape . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁race ▁ri ot , ▁race ▁or ▁eth nic ity ▁is ▁the ▁key ▁factor . ▁The ▁term ▁had ▁entered ▁the ▁English ▁language ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁Early ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁referred ▁to ▁ri ots ▁that ▁were ▁often ▁a ▁mob ▁action ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁majority ▁ra cial ▁group ▁against ▁people ▁of ▁other ▁perce ived ▁races . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁religious ▁ri ot , ▁the ▁key ▁factor ▁is ▁religion . ▁The ▁ri oting ▁mob ▁targets ▁people ▁and ▁properties ▁of ▁a ▁specific ▁religion , ▁or ▁those ▁believed ▁to ▁belong ▁to ▁that ▁religion . ▁ ▁Sports ▁ri ots ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁N ika ▁ri ots ▁can ▁be ▁spark ed ▁by ▁the ▁losing ▁or ▁winning ▁of ▁a ▁specific ▁team ▁or ▁ath lete . ▁F ans ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁teams ▁may ▁also ▁fight . ▁Sports ▁ri ots ▁may ▁happen ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁teams ▁cont ending ▁for ▁a ▁championship , ▁a ▁long ▁series ▁of ▁matches , ▁or ▁scores ▁that ▁are ▁close . ▁Sports ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁cause ▁of ▁ri ots ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁accomp any ing ▁more ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁all ▁championship ▁games ▁or ▁series . ▁Al most ▁all ▁sports ▁ri ots ▁occur ▁in ▁the ▁winning ▁team ' s ▁city . ▁ ▁Student ▁ri ots ▁are ▁ri ots ▁precip itated ▁by ▁students , ▁often ▁in ▁higher ▁education , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁college ▁or ▁university . ▁Student ▁ri ots ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁Western ▁Europe ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9