Adolescent Male Sports Participation and Violence in Emerging Adulthood: Examining Variation by Gender-Typed Behavior

ABSTRACT

Research on the association between sports participation and violence is mixed. Moreover, most studies that recognize some sport subcultures equate masculinity with violence have not included indicators of adherence to gender-typed behaviors. The current study used the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to investigate the association between male adolescent sports participation and violence in young adulthood, as well as the degree to which this relationship varied by adherence to gender-typed behaviors. Analyses revealed that male adolescent sports participation was positively associated with violence during emerging adulthood, particularly for those who displayed gender-atypical (i.e., more feminine) behaviors.

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Jessica G. Finkeldey

Jessica G. Finkeldey is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Fredonia. Her research interests include racial/ethnic disparities within and between social institutions, the individual, familial, and societal consequences of mass incarceration, as well as the intersection of race/ethnicity, class, gender, and self-identities on antisocial behavior.