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
. 2018 Oct;47(10):2231-2242.
doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0868-8. Epub 2018 Jun 8.

More Than Just Keeping Busy: The Protective Effects of Organized Activity Participation on Violence and Substance Use Among Urban Youth

Andria B Eisman  1 , Daniel B Lee  2 , Hsing-Fang Hsieh  3 , Sarah A Stoddard  4 , Marc A Zimmerman  3
Affiliations

More Than Just Keeping Busy: The Protective Effects of Organized Activity Participation on Violence and Substance Use Among Urban Youth

Andria B Eisman et al. J Youth Adolesc. 2018 Oct.

Abstract

Violence and substance use disproportionately affect African American youth in urban, disadvantaged communities. Expanding positive peer and adult connections is a mechanism by which organized activity participation may reduce risk of negative outcomes. We assessed if organized activity participation decreases the likelihood of later negative outcomes through expanding positive social connections using a parallel mediation model (Wave 1: N = 681; 50% female; Mage = 14.86 years; SD = 0.65). We found indirect effects from participation to cigarette use (b = -0.04, 95% CI: -0.07, -0.01) and violent behavior (b = -0.04; 95% CI: -0.07, -0.01) through positive peer connections. We did not find indirect effects through positive adult connections. This may be because of the notable influence of peers on negative outcomes during adolescence. Organized activities can help youth expand positive peer connections, which, in turn, reduces risk of later negative outcomes. Implications for prevention are discussed.

Keywords: Adolescent; Adolescent development; African Americans; Extracurricular activities; Peer group; Peer influence; Tobacco use; Youth alcohol consumption; Youth violence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest

The authors report no conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Model of the proposed mechanism by which organized activity participation influences later violent behavior (a) and cigarette use (b). W1 corresponds to first year of high school, W2 the second and W4 the fourth. Paths include standardized estimates.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Arnett J (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480. Retrieved from 10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Assari S, Caldwell C, & Zimmerman M (2014). Sex differences in the association between testosterone and violent behaviors. Trauma Monthly, 19(3), 26–32. 10.5812/traumamon.18040 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Benson P, Mannes M, Pittman K, & Ferber T (2004). Youth Development, Developmental Assets, and Public Policy In Lerner R & Steinberg L (Eds.), Handbook of Adolescent Psychology: Second Edition (2nd ed., pp. 781–814). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons; 10.1002/9780471726746.ch25 - DOI
    1. Benson P, Scales P, & Syvertsen A (2011). The Contribution of the Developmental Assets Framework to Positive Youth Development Theory and Practice. Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 41, 197–230. 10.1016/B978-0-12-386492-5.00008-7 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bohnert A, Fredricks J, & Randall E (2010). Capturing Unique Dimensions of Youth Organized Activity Involvement: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations. Review of Educational Research, 80(4), 576–610. 10.3102/0034654310364533 - DOI