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. 2007 Jul;36(5):711-723.
doi: 10.1007/s10964-006-9123-9.

Athletic Involvement and Adolescent Delinquency

Kathleen E Miller  1 , Merrill J Melnick, Grace M Barnes, Don Sabo, Michael P Farrell
Affiliations

Athletic Involvement and Adolescent Delinquency

Kathleen E Miller et al. J Youth Adolesc. 2007 Jul.

Abstract

Athough conventional wisdom suggests that organized sport deters delinquency by building character, structuring adolescents' time, and providing incentives for socially approved behavior, the empirical evidence to date has been mixed. Based on a sample of approximately 600 Western New York adolescents, the present study examined how self-reported jock identity, school athlete status, and frequency of athletic activity differentially influenced a range of delinquent behaviors. Neither athlete status nor frequency of athletic activity predicted these behaviors; however, jock identity was associated with significantly more incidents of delinquency. This finding was robust across both gender and race. Follow-up analyses indicated that jock identity facilitated both minor and major delinquency, with major delinquency effects for white but not black adolescents.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Frequency of minor delinquent behaviors by jocks and nonjocks.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Frequency of major delinquent behaviors by jocks and nonjocks.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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