Participating in heavy-contact youth sports, dropping out of sports linked to acts of violence

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Participating in heavy-contact youth sports, dropping out of sports linked to acts of violence

Study challenges idea that simply playing sports makes kids less prone to violent behavior

Contrary to popular belief, simply playing organized youth sports does not reduce the likelihood of committing violence in one's lifetime, and in some cases, may increase it, according to a new study.

The study, published online recently in the Sociology of Sport Journal, found that while most survey respondents - including those who played youth sports - never engaged in violence, 17% did report they had committed acts of violence. Ever playing heavy-contact sports regularly and dropping out after initially playing organized youth sports were particularly associated with committing acts of violence over the life course.

"Our findings challenge the common notion that sports are inherently good - that you just put kids in sports after school and it's going to be okay," said lead author Emily Nothnagle, a PhD student in The Ohio State University College of Social Work and a former captain of Ohio State's national championship varsity pistol team. "There is more to the story."

Nothnagle and Chris Knoester, co-author of the study and professor of sociology at Ohio State, found that the type of sport, level of engagement, length of engagement, and positive peer influences all matter when it comes to associations between organized youth sports and violence.

In society, sports are largely beloved. "Not only is sport thought to lead to a host of positive things, but the Great Sport Myth suggests that it's automatic," said Knoester. "You just roll the ball out, throw a few kids on the field, and good things happen. They learn self-control, perseverance, discipline, how to get along with one another, and how to become healthier - without any intervention or direction."

Nothnagle wanted to test those assumptions - specifically any links between sport participation and acts of physical violence.

The study used survey data on 3,849 adults who participated in the National Sports and Society Survey (NSASS), sponsored by Ohio State's Sports and Society Initiative (SSI). Those surveyed volunteered to participate through the American Population Panel, run by Ohio State's Center for Human Resource Research (CHRR). Participants, who came from all 50 states, answered the survey online between the fall of 2018 and spring of 2019.

Data for this study focused on participants' sport participation patterns, both growing up and in adulthood, and their experiences with violent behaviors over their lives.

About two-thirds of survey participants played organized sports growing up, with most playing and eventually dropping out. Nearly 30% of participants reported playing heavy-contact sports regularly. While most survey participants reported never engaging in violent behavior, about 17% said they had, with 3% engaging in violence in the past year. Among violent acts cited, the most common were physical fights and hurting someone badly enough to require medical care.

The study found that people who participated in organized youth sports were 7 percentage points more likely to have ever committed a violent act than those who never played. This was carried by people who played and dropped out of organized sports, who were 5 percentage points more likely to commit acts of violence than those who never played organized sports. Additionally, respondents who played a heavy-contact sport regularly while growing up were 8 percentage points more likely to commit an act of violence than those who did not.

The researchers found no significant difference between those who played organized sports continually and those who never played.

A take-home message of this research, Knoester explained, is that there's "evidence that sport participation is not associated with reductions in the risk of committing violence. In fact, we find consistent evidence that sport is more likely to increase the risk of ever committing violence, and this is especially the case when people are playing more violent sports. This suggests that it's important to rethink how we are conducting sports in society and the types of programs and messaging that we're introducing children into, if we want more positive outcomes."

One example of organized sports focused on positive youth development, he noted, is Ohio State's LiFEsports program, which teaches young athletes social and leadership skills and provides coach education, all backed by research that shows the program is getting results.

Nothnagle, who has been an active leader and scholar associated with LiFEsports and its Coach Beyond program, said she hopes that as we learn more about what conditions are leading to more positive or negative outcomes for people who participate in sports, it can lead to more systemic change.

"Life skills are taught, not caught. So, it's about trying to create those environments that shape the behaviors and outcomes you want to see," she said.

The National Sports and Society Survey was funded and supported by the College of Arts & Sciences, SSI and CHRR at Ohio State. Nothnagle received a graduate student research grant from SSI to help fund the project.

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