Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Dec:53:152-163.
doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.10.001. Epub 2016 Oct 27.

It isn't all just fun and games: Collegiate participation in extracurricular activities and risk for generalized and sexual harassment, psychological distress, and alcohol use

Meredith McGinley  1 , Kathleen M Rospenda  2 , Li Liu  2 , Judith A Richman  2
Affiliations

It isn't all just fun and games: Collegiate participation in extracurricular activities and risk for generalized and sexual harassment, psychological distress, and alcohol use

Meredith McGinley et al. J Adolesc. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Collegiate extracurricular activities, despite their benefits, may place students at an increased risk for experiencing harassment. This study utilizes multiple waves of data from an online longitudinal survey to examine how participation in college activities (intramural sports, fraternities/sororities, school clubs) relates to experiences of sexual and generalized harassment and outcomes (psychological distress, heavy alcohol use) among undergraduates (N = 1852, 58.6% female, 57.4% White) in the Midwestern United States. Activity participation was related to harassment, but the pattern depended on the activity, harassment type, and sex. Fraternity/sorority involvement was associated with generalized harassment, whereas school club involvement was linked to both generalized and sexual harassment. Female intramural athletes were at an increased risk to experience both harassment types. In addition to direct relations, activity participation was indirectly linked to future psychological distress (depression, anxiety) and heavy alcohol use via harassment. Implications for intervention with this college student population are discussed.

Keywords: Alcohol use; Extracurricular activities; Generalized harassment; Psychological distress; Sex; Sexual harassment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Mediational Model Examining the Direct and Indirect Relations among Fraternity/Sorority Participation, Generalized/Sexual Harassment, and Outcomes (Risky Alcohol Use and Psychological Distress)
Note. Bold lines indicate a significant indirect effect; solid lines indicate a significant direct effect; dashed lines indicate a nonsignificant effect. Overall estimates are presented as gender interactions were not statistically significant. Harassment and Drinking variables were square-root transformed in the analysis. *p < .05, **p < .01
Figure 2
Figure 2. Mediational Model Examining the Direct and Indirect Relations among Intramural Sport Participation, Generalized/Sexual Harassment, and Outcomes (Risky Alcohol Use and Psychological Distress)
Note. Models were conducted separately for gender (male/female). Indirect effects were only significant for women. Bold lines indicate a significant indirect effect; solid lines indicate a significant direct effect; dashed lines indicate a nonsignificant effect. Harassment and Drinking variables were square-root transformed in the analysis. *p < .05, **p < .01
Figure 3
Figure 3. Mediational Model Examining the Direct and Indirect Relations among School Club Participation, Generalized/Sexual Harassment, and Outcomes (Risky Alcohol Use and Psychological Distress)
Note. Bold lines indicate a significant indirect effect; solid lines indicate a significant direct effect; dashed lines indicate a nonsignificant effect. Overall estimates are presented as gender interactions were not statistically significant. Harassment and Drinking variables were square-root transformed in the analysis. *p < .05, **p < .01
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. 92 S 659 ordered to be printed senate feb 29, 1972. 1972 Retrieved from http://congressional.proquest.com/legisinsight?id=92%20S.%20659&type=BIL....
    1. Allan EJ, Madden M. The nature and extent of college student hazing. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. 2012;24(1):83–90. - PubMed
    1. Allen JP, Porter MR, McFarland FC, Marsh P, McElhaney KB. The two faces of adolescents’ success with peers: Adolescent popularity, social adaptation, and deviant behavior. Child Development. 2005;76(3):747–760. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Andes S, Poet K, McWilliams S. The culture of high-risk alcohol use among club and intramural athletes. Journal of American College Health. 2012;60(8):556–561. - PubMed
    1. Arnett JJ. The developmental context of substance use in emerging adulthood. Journal of Drug Issues. 2005;35:235–254.